Recently discovered in the wild is this rare and incredibly tall form of the lovely "globe thistle" which is perfect for the very back of a tall border. Numerous, tennis ball-sized, spiky heads, loved by bees and butterflies, slowly change from silver to pale blue. Clean, huskless seed is supplied. ... Learn More

Spiky leaves along with bristly metallic blue flowers, make this plant a great architectural plant for the back of the summer border. Spiny, cobwebbed leaves provide interest from spring until the blooms appear in late summer, these striking plants associating well with other tall, late summer plants such as cardoon or echinacea, or even tall miscanthus grasses. It has been given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM). ... Learn More

This tall, imposing plant displays impressive, tennis-ball sized, silvery-white, prickly seed heads on strong, stout stems. Clumps of these are constantly covered with bees and butterflies all summer long. Very long-lived, trouble-free, and the perfect back of border specimen, these plants also make fabulous cut or dried flowers. ... Learn More

This dazzling, completely new, diminutive form of this delightful plant appeared by chance in our gardens at Plant World. Probably an Echium fastuosum/pininana hybrid, it is best grown under the shelter of a hedge or wall and facing the sun, where it makes a low mound of several hairy, grey-green rosettes on numerous branching stems. Stumpy, fat spikes of cobalt-blue flowers open from April to June producing an awe-inspiring spectacle. To perform well it needs protection from cold winds and severe frost though! A limited number of good seeds were collected. (All of our echiums are grown in th ... Learn More

Another staggeringly impressive introduction from Plant World. We have for the first time, cross-pollinated 3 different Echiums to produce these new plants. The first year a sizeable rosette grows on a short strong trunk. Early the following year (or rarely a year later), several radiating stems sprout from the crown, bend upwards and reach for the sky. Within weeks, numerous short branches expand outwards from each stem bearing countless thousands of buds. When these finally open here, our customers are amazed as these strong, vertical branches sag under the weight of countless thousands of ... Learn More

Thirty centimetre spikes of countless purple-blue flowers open on strong branching stems in spring and summer, although very few good seeds are often produced, and it is a specialist job to collect and clean it successfully! This really is a perennial in a sheltered situation, e.g. in a large pot or a warm, protected garden. In The Scilly Islands and the southwest of the UK this plant often makes a very long-lived small tree. It is often grown and valued for the enormous, solid silver-grey dome of evergreen foliage, and the gorgeous flowers are just candles on the cake! Please be aware that b ... Learn More

A good mixture of all three of the colour variations, blue, pink and white, of Echium pininana. Plant young plants out as soon as possible in the season to allow plants to be large enough to survive the winter in the open ground. Otherwise, overwinter plants in pots in a frost-free place. To identify each type. Very pale stems have white flowers. Darker stems have blue flowers, Thinner leaf forms are Pink Fountain with pink flowers. The odd variant habit or colour may always appear, so we must respectfully point out that all of our new, and sometimes unique hybrid seed, by its very nature ... Learn More

This incredible plant initially produces a palm tree-like rosette, with large, thick, hairy leaves on a strong woody stem. This unusual plant is scientifically a 'triennial', and either 12 or 24 months after sowing, the centre, holding thousands of flowers, shoots upwards, sometimes to 4-6 metres! Bees love this giant, which, if you are lucky, will gently self-seed but never becomes a nuisance, as the seedlings are so visible and easy to pull up (if you have the heart)! Most plants will be deep blue although the odd variant colour may always appear. The odd variant habit or colour may always a ... Learn More

A friend on Guernsey sent us some seeds of an absolutely pure white Echium pininana she had discovered. We could barely believe such a plant existed, but were thrilled to finally see an enormous 15 foot high snowy cascade. Most plants will be white although the odd variation in colour may always appear. You can easily see this at the small plant stage when you will discover that the plants with pale green stems are guaranteed to have pure white flowers. Busy bees also pollinate the many plants we grow here in just a few hectares. It is therefore likely that you may get the occasional surpris ... Learn More

This is possibly the most lusted-after plant in our gardens every May and June, and is a fabulous cross we made between the superb Echium wildpretii with its 1.2 metre, fat red spike and the giant blue Echium pininana. The result is a 35 centimetres wide, tapering tower of delicate pink flowers which are like a lighthouse attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Although most plants will be pink, the odd variant colour will always appear, but all are very desirable as our bees also pollinate the many plants we grow here.... so you may get the odd surprise! The odd variant h ... Learn More

Another of our new, big echium hybrids. In spring, countless buds sprout sideways from the trunk, they turn upwards, and then become thick, stout, strong, vertical columns. Tightly-clustered sprays of multicoloured but predominantly pink flowers, cloak them in early summer, continuing to slowly open from the the bottom upwards for many months. The flowers on this variety should be even more compact than on its relatives as it has inherited this characteristic from one of its parents, Echium wildprettii! If deadheaded after flowering, numerous new shoots will usually appear around the remaining ... Learn More

This newly discovered hybrid perennial slowly forms a semi-dwarf, shrubby, bush-forming plant, which erupts with just a few stout, compact trusses of bright pink flowers. This really is a perennial here, and has a very good chance elsewhere in a sheltered situation in a warm garden, or even in a very large pot. The odd variant habit or colour may always appear, so we must respectfully point out that all of our new, and sometimes unique hybrid seed, by its very nature, may produce occasional freaks and oddities. Busy bees pollinate the many plants we grow here in just a few hectares. And so, yo ... Learn More

Flowers opening a bright pink, slowly becoming more blue with age, stud the hairy, bristly stems, which arise from a compact overwintering rosette in earliest spring. This plant makes a tidy but sprawling mound that is best grown on a dry bank, or in sand, where it will produce a maximum amount of flowers. It is native to western and southern Europe and is quite rare in the UK. ... Learn More

A staggeringly different addition to our already long list of new, big echium hybrids. In spring, countless buds sprout sideways from the trunk, they turn upwards, and then become thick, stout, strong, vertical columns. Tightly-clustered sprays of multicoloured but predominantly violet-purple flowers, cloak them in early summer, continuing to slowly open from the the bottom upwards for many months. The flowers on this variety should be even more compact than on its relatives as it has inherited this characteristic from one of its parents, Echium wildprettii! If deadheaded after flowering, nume ... Learn More

Russia and Eastern Europe is the home of this uncommon and unusual plant which is probably the most attractive of all dwarf echiums. Amazingly it is not only bone-hardy but also, unbelievably, reliably perennial! Many short stout stems carry whorls of long lance-shaped dark green leaves, and a long succession of foot-long spikes of stunning, bright crimson flowers with prominent protruding red anthers. ... Learn More