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Giant Echium (echium pininana)

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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They don’t like root disturbance, if you live in a warmish area you may survive them over winter, if you do, let them self seed, they fare much better than transplanting. 
    I lost all mine this winter, I’m not growing them again, they’re too big, and then after two years can get struck down by frost and all that’s wasted. 
    They are a plant that like warm sunny climates, Geurnsey donkey grows beautiful ones where she lives. 
    This was just one of mine, would have flowered, all dead! 😢

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • IgrowfromseedIgrowfromseed Posts: 284
    Oh don't give up.
    im in manchester and I have one in its 3rd year so should flower and one that looked dead after spring cold snaps has re sprouted along the stem.
    seed sprouting and getting them through first winter in greenhouse is easy.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    edited May 2018
    I feel so lucky to be able to grow these beautiful (exotic?) plants here in Guernsey.  They grow like weeds - in gutters, neglected corners etc. and prefer shallow, thin poor soil.  Lyn is right that they don't like being disturbed either.  I have two very tall (3 metre approx) echium already in flower & humming with bees.  We also grow castor oil and agava plants outside and I am looking into other slightly exotic plants to add to our collection.Our next gardening job is to repot this into a very large terracotta pot.Good luck with your 3rd year echium igrowfromseed - it will be worth the wait - they are magnificent plants and rewards are great.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They certainly are, if any seeds come up I’ll leave them, but I’m not deliberately sowing them again. Too big too long and risk of losing. I’ve have a huge patch of garden freed up now😀
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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