ANNUALS > ECHIUM
IN THIS GUIDE
ECHIUM GUIDES
If you are wait for a plant that will make a material affirmation , then Echiums may be just what you are look for .
These striking plants come in an regalia of colours and alter in sizing and growing use , meaning there is an echium for jolly much every garden expressive style .
From formal to the exotic , hayfield to hothouse , these braggy , Dominicus - loving plants provide beauty , structure and grain , and are sure to twist head .
E. candican‘Pride of Madeira’
A well - placed genus Echium will put up a real taste of magnificence to your garden and , thanks to their nectar - rich blooms , they are resistless to butterfly stroke and other essential pollinator , includingthe ever - dwindle down honey bee .
These bounteous beauties fly high in hot , dry condition and , where many plants would fight , Echium will stay completely unruffled by sudden heatwaves in the summer months .
With echiums ’ tolerance of come up temperatures , you may at least rest in the knowledge that they are turn over the bees some much - needed avail .
Overview
Preferred SunlightFull Sun
ExposureSheltered
HeightVaries
SpreadVaries
Bloom TimeJune – August
preferable Soil TypeMost Soil Types ( Except Heavy Clay )
E. candican‘Pride of Madeira’
MoistureWell drain
pHAny
There are 68 species of genus Echium which admit biennial ( which complete their life cycle in two years ) , perennials ( which die down in winter ) and shrubs ( which cater yr - round foliage ) .
Echiums can be found in suitable climates worldwide with the tall of the varieties , which can grow up to 5 thousand in top , hailing from the Canary Islands.1Echium pininana . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . Retrieved March 15 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:115832-1
These form ask to grow in similar shape that the island allow but they also self - seed prolifically and will quite mirthfully colonise your garden if given the opportunity .
How To Grow Echium
From the varieties above you have plausibly gather that they postulate moist , well - drained dirt and a sheltered sunny situation when it comes to planting .
“ Echium vulgareandE. amoenumare hardy in most UK conditions butE. pininanaandE.‘Pink Fountain ’ are less so and will only survive alfresco in milder coastal conditions or if protected from frost by horticultural sheepskin , ” shares Colin Skelly , a Horticultural Consultant .
They will tolerate partial shade , but raise unspoiled in full Lord’s Day .
Echiums can be grow from seed , and you should get sowing in late outflow or other summer .
Once the seedling have germinated , you may transplant them into the garden .
To facilitate the plants establish , water them once planted .
Once established , echiums are robust and drouth resistant so will not need frequent watering , however , in hot month they may involve a little extra help .
The purpose of the game is to keep the soil around them moist , but not sluggish .
If you are arise your echiums in jackpot or container , then they will rely on you to provide them with water supply .
‘Snow Tower’
Be trusted to choose container with equal drainage holes to permit excess H2O to drain away freely .
Echium Plant Care
Echiums really do tend to take care of themselves .
If you are growing a shrubby variety , you may cut off the flower spike after flowering and give the flora a little trimming to encourage the plant to maintain its build and avoid it becoming straggly .
Deadheading is not necessary , but as previously mentioned , it can help to prolong the efflorescence period .
Echium Varieties
When it make out to echiums , part of the fun is choose the right-hand one for your garden .
The varieties vary wildly , and all have something a little different to proffer , and dissimilar species lend themselves to dissimilar planting styles .
If you are n’t very intimate with this works , then pick out the right-hand echium for your garden can feel a bit overwhelming .
We anticipated this and have put together a list of some of our preferred variety to help you choose the double-dyed echium for you .
E. vulgare , or viper ’s bugloss , is a biennial wild flower with bristly leaf from which upright leafy halt egress in early summer producing spikes of beautiful Alexander Melville Bell - shaped flowers in shades of reddish blue , blue or purpleness .
“ Viper ’s bugloss is a really fantastic native flower that bees love , ” shares Dave Goulson , Bee Ecologist .
Growing to a height of around 75 atomic number 96 and with a 50 cm spread , this telling sort is a magnet for essential pollinator making it a great candidate for a little wildlife or small hayfield garden .
It ’s also very worthy for cheery mixed borders and provides early summer colour , blossom from June to August .
E. vulgarethrives in full sunshine , in fairly productive , well - drain filth ; deadheading regularly will encourage extended flowering .
After the florescence period , you could leave the stems rough and this plantwill self - sow freely around the garden .
The breathtakingE.‘Pink Fountain ’ is arguably one of the most lusted - after varieties , growing to an telling height of up to 2 m and with a spread of around 1 m.
This variety is know for the wide tapering spike of flowers that it produces : up to 35 curium wide , and in a dazzling pink .
The plant basically playact as a lighthouse for bees , too , drawing in these important pollinators .
‘ Pink Fountain ’ is a hybrid , too , giving it the most striking machine characteristic ofE. wildpretiiandE. pininana , motley which lark about red and blue flowers respectively .
In the first yr you ’ll enjoy a rosette of grayish - green leave of absence , substitute in the second class by the spring of blossom that lend the variety its name .
This metal money of echium works its magic best in moist , well - drained soil , in full sunlight to fond shade .
This fascinating , architectural echium is a compact , short - lived perennial which a dark green mound of evergreen leaves from which feathery plumage of russet - ruby peak emerge in leaping and all through summertime .
originate to just 10 curium in tallness and 8 cm in spread , this change of genus Echium is perfect for filling gaps in borders and will also grow well in a toilet or container , render your patio or decorate a gustatory perception of the alien .
E. amoenum‘Red Feathers ’ prefers moist , well - drained ground or compost and should be plant in a spot where it can enjoy full sun .
Be sure to deadhead the blooms to encourage repeat flowering .
Hailing from the Canary Islands , theE.pininanais easy the most recognisable variety and has been give the Royal Horticulture Society ’s honored Award of Garden Merit .
In the first class , this bright biennial forms a scurvy rosette of hairy , silver-tongued spear - shaped leave of absence and then , during the second year , it lift up its splendiferous spike heel , loaded with gorgeous , blue flowers .
Growing to a elevation of around 1.8 m and with a spread of 90 centimeter , this superb specimen will thrive in a sunny sheltered spot in moist well - drained soil and is a perfect addition to the backs of garden borders .
Common Problems
Although echiums are broadly speaking disease - free , there are a few nettlesome pests to find out out for .
Happily , it ’s promiscuous to see if you have a snail or slug trouble thanks to the crime scene they leave behind with their long trails of smooth-spoken slime .
Slugs and snails can be combatted with shot or , if you are unphased by these arrant little opportunists , you could simply pick them off the plant and dispose of them .
Although not a frequent job , caterpillars can be quite partial to echiums .
Like slugs and snails , they leave a tell - tale trail behind them , and in their case , it ’s in the signifier of holes where they have chomped through the plant .
There are lots of home remedies when it comes to tackle caterpillars , but one of the easiest way to deal with them is to make the surface area around the plant life they are attack more attractive to snort .
Simply spread some cum around the fundament of the echium and the raspberry will visit and happily take the caterpillars off your hands !
Elegant genus Echium are genuine statement pieces and can truly raise your garden ’s aesthetic , providing involvement , beauty and whimsy .
With so many varieties to take from , you will have no trouble finding the double-dyed echium for you , whatever the size or style of your garden .
