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

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

The amazing show-stopper, Echium wildpretii, is one of the world's most impressive plants with its 3 to 4 foot spike of raspberry-red flowers erupting from a swan's nest of thin, grey hairy leaves. But it can sometimes succumb to frost and winter wet. So we back-crossed it with one of its bigger and tougher children, "Pink Fountain", itself a cross between the relatively hardy Echium pininana and Echium wildpretii! And this unbelievable 4 to 6 foot spectacle was the result. Fat, bee-magnet spikes are thickly crowded with dark pink or strawberry-red flowers, and blue-pollen-powdered anthers. I ... 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

Dense, compact spikes of numerous brilliant, violet-blue flowers, beloved by bees, open on compact spikes, which erupt in its second year. In a well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered spot, it will improve steadily for many years, slowly thickening stems and trunk. This superb, rare, but unusually hardy plant is perfect for growing in a sunny, sheltered spot or sunny patio. In the wild it is also rare and endemic to the Canary islands and especially La Palma. Very few fertile seeds collected and the odd variant habit or colour may always appear, so we must respectfully point out that all of ou ... 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 white flowers cloak them in early summer, and continue 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 stems to continue the display ... Learn More

This lovely diminutive native of of the Dalmatian mountains makes compact tufts of narrow grass-like leaves, 2 to 4 inches in length, with drooping flower-stems which become erect later. Violet-blue starry bell-shaped flowers appear in clusters in July and August. Rarely seen, this tough little gem is perfect for the alpine garden or front of border. ... Learn More

Short stems arise from a tiny grassy-leaved tuft of silver-blue foliage in spring, supporting beautiful blue bells that are very large for the size of the plant. This bone-hardy rare endemic from the Komovi mountains of Montenegro is probably best grown in a trough or in a site in the rock garden, where it will not be overwhelmed by neighboring plants. ... Learn More