Genus: Echium
Echium photos
- By treesand..
- By Sandown
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- By LadyEssex1
- By sandra
- By sandra
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- By treesand..
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Species of Echium
Members growing plants in this genus
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Joined 27 Aug, 2007
1 plant
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Joined 15 Nov, 2007
76 plants
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Joined 16 Feb, 2008
163 plants
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Joined 9 Apr, 2008
41 plants
Comments:
17 Dec, 2008
It will flower next year if it survives the winter T&T. Although technically a biennial it usually takes 3 years here. I have an Alba that I am watching with great anxiety, that should flower next year (it's third).
John.
On photo - Echium
16 Dec, 2008
You might be ok, I live in Cowes, IOW and people growing them here don't bother. But if ever you are unsure, fleece it!
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
13 Dec, 2008
Bluespruce, i agree.
What got me was going back to the intro.
"Do I leave it to chance or spend £20.00 on a large pop up fleece cover."
Twenty pounds and I can't get one buck for mine! Something is very wrong here. Now I understand.
Considering our own arctic outbreak I might just end up tucking into those fleeces of mine. The lanoline might just be good for my winter skin.
What more can one ask for. A bottle of whiskey and 15 bags of fleece. I can survive 7 days of this.
Herb
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
13 Dec, 2008
The irony was mine Herb.........I think we could have made a good blog out of this one.
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
13 Dec, 2008
Herb
if you look at one of my photos you can see a plastic greenhouse with a fleece inner lining~you can buy heavier weights which give better protection.
~it's obviously a UK thing!
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Gee, you guys had me going there. I was puzzling about throwing fleeces over plants. Too wet and heavy thought I , but one never knows about other cultures.
Sarraceniac " Different kind of fleece Skyline. Thin knitted gauze like material just to keep the frost off. Very light and actually lets diffused light through. Usually made from a man made yarn so it dries quickly."
That was no Irony -- just a major bit of confusion. Something I am good at. RE: Mark Twain, I just went to the Library book sale to stock up on some reading material should the weather become as nasty as they say.
One other GREAT American writer who no-one ever talks about is Lafcadio Hearn. 'Japan's Great Interpreter.' He moved to Japan. He literally became Japanese, writing in Japanese he became beloved by the people In his American days he was one of the best translators of French.He wrote Chinese and Japanese Ghost stories and one of his American books was 'Stray Leaves from Strange Literature.'
He is totally forgotten in America and I try every time to collect any book I can find. This is very hard. Our Library doesn't have one book of his. Even Edward Abby who died just a few years ago -- dribblings. Edward Abby was a God to me.
Herb
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Or anecdote even......it's ok I'm sober now :o)
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Skyline,
great antidote about the fleeces, but I was being just a little ironic, I had visions of Treesandthings having to 'flip the suckers' to shear his own fleece just to keep his beloved Echium warm for the winter. :o)
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
The only American who ever understood irony was Mark Twain. And he is dead.
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Bluespruce,
:-) This is such a memory for me. Verle, knowing my love of this job duty, would actually phone me the night before so I could have pleasant dreams.
I always would get bruised. It was a job to whine about!
We, meaning I also had to do the hoof trimming. I do still have twenty bags of fleece remaining. It is incredible wool. Some are chocolate brown, some are gold and most are a mixture.
They are not suitable for normal knitting, but still can be used to make pictures. I don't know the name of this, but I gae a friend of mine three different fleeces. She would stick some of the material through a fabric, then back up and knot it.Turned out very pretty.
I was also ready to felt some. Hot water in the bathtub, then running the fleece in a peat roller over the lawn. It would make some great hats. Another friend did this in a different manner. She had head molds and put the shrunken felt and made hats.
I seriously couldn't sell them for 1.00!
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Skyline's comments about the sheep fleece is about the best thing I've read on GoY for some time :o)
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Fleece ordered on line should be here to day or tomorrow.
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
Different kind of fleece Skyline. Thin knitted gauze like material just to keep the frost off. Very light and actually lets diffused light through. Usually made from a man made yarn so it dries quickly.
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
12 Dec, 2008
This is truely a U.K. thing. Not at all done or used in the USA.
I used to shear fifteen four horned sheep, Churo, from the Navaho nation. Wicked horns and often weighing up to 200 lbs. I had to flip those suckers, then proceed.
Those fleeces were coarse and not easily used in the normal manner so the fleeces were not sellable. Still we could not even get 1.00 for them. I took two truckloads back to my barn and use them today to mulch the soil. Nitrogen delivered as well as some useage for birds.
I also use the fleece in the shipping ofmy plants. Stuffed around the 4" pot and rubber banded it is GREAT. One lady, however gave me a neutral for using this ANIMAL product. Go figure. I also use Lavender stems, dried to be my stuffing material. No plastic, no bubble wrap for me.
I do hang small amounts under the eaves so birds can use this material in their nests. They really appreciate it!
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
11 Dec, 2008
I think you should cover it somehow because I lost one when it was growing in plastic tunnel. This is North Hampshire, so you may be alright but this has been a particularly cold Autumn which makes the ground colder than usual so beware. Could you not make a tripod tent with Bamboo canes to support the fleece with polythene round it, I seem to remember the leaves were easily damaged
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
11 Dec, 2008
Hi trees and things
How will you feel if you lose it?
If not feeling like that is worth £20 go out and buy some heavyweight fleece from ebay and wrap it in it several times and then tie with string.I always use long lengths either double or triple. The covers are only single and I lost an orange tree I have had for 30 odd years because i was too reliant on something which wasn't as thick as it needed to be,You will find you can get loads for your £20.
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
11 Dec, 2008
If you've got a couple of old blankets or curtains, cover them with that to keep off the worst of the weather if you don't want to lash out on a giant fleece
On question - To fleece or not to fleece?
2 Dec, 2008
Make sure you have enough room for them, they get huge, plus they self seed everywhere, they grow like weeds where I live on the I of W. The pink ones Sarrceniac are 'Wildpretti' and the blue ones which are smaller are called 'Candicans' or Fatsuom all related to our native Buglass. The leaves aren't spikey as much as they have rough irritant hairy surfaces which stick in you like little splinters.......itchy!!!
On photo - Harry and Echium
20 Oct, 2008
Hi Sandown, welcome to GOY. Alene is right i can grow them outside. i get lots of seedlings self sown seedlings. i also grow them for my nursery. do you get self seeders?
On photo - Echiums 2007
18 Oct, 2008
Hi there
~Sandra in Pembrokeshire West Wales is able to grow them outside as they can in Cornwall.~
On photo - Echiums 2007
10 Oct, 2008
i have the odd one die off. i don't understand either...
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
10 Oct, 2008
Echium Pininana.
I have had the same problem one or two just die. I have checked for vine werill in the soil or pots but nothing. some of my plants have large bites out of them and i have found at night one or two large long grey catipillars but not many to weaken the plant. i have also noted only one out of a group die and this is very quick maybe over to days . Any answers would be welcome
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
5 Oct, 2008
If you Google puya you will see that they are south american and the spines are very VERY evil. They point inwards towards the plant so if one 'grabs' you the temptation is to push the grabbed part into the plant to unhook. Then more grab you.
I treat mine with great respect and will post some piccies probably next year when they come out of the g.house. The flowers are amazing. Like wax.
On photo - Harry and Echium
4 Oct, 2008
puyas. Sarraceniac. is this because they look like they have leaves a bit like a Yucca, very sharp?
On photo - Harry and Echium
4 Oct, 2008
What is PUYAS, Sarraceniac? Nice looking lad, your Harry. Plants look great, too.
On photo - Harry and Echium
4 Oct, 2008
'Prickly though, so mind your fingers.'
Sorry. I tend to put things obscurely.
'It is closely related to the triffid.'
P.S. Don't get puyas with children. I speak as someone with both grand-kids and puyas.
On photo - Harry and Echium
4 Oct, 2008
I believe it is a blue echium, not sure which variety. This is his second year next year will be his third (flower time). I have 6 in total that have survived the last two years, this one being the tallest. if it turns out pink or white then i will still be happy. Prickly though, so mind your fingers.
On photo - Harry and Echium
4 Oct, 2008
Is it a blue pininana Trees&t? I put a white one in 2 years ago which I thought would flower this year but occasionally they turn out to be TRI-enniels, so I've got to nurse it through another winter. I just bought some pink and blue seeds on eBay but unfortunately it came all mixed together so, if it germinates I will have to bed out loads to be sure of getting a pink one, which is what Boss lady wants.
Tell Harry not to get too close to it. It is closely related to the triffid.
On photo - Harry and Echium
26 Sep, 2008
Uh-oh... they come from the Canary Islands, Flcrazy...just a few miles east of you!... will we be seeing echium pininana in your tropical bed? I sure would give them a try if I were gardening in N.C. LOL!!!
On photo - echium pininana
26 Sep, 2008
Amazing looking plants, they have such an architectural shape, very eye-catching !
On photo - echium pininana
16 Sep, 2008
I dont feed them with anything apart from what nature throws at them. Fingers crossed they will make it through the winter. I havn't had to wrap them in anything yet hopefully it will be another mild winter. next year should be flower time.
On photo - Echium
16 Sep, 2008
i have got some in pots but because we had frost to -6 last year They are going into the greenhouse-do you feed them with anything and when if so?i was planning to water quite sparingly?
On photo - Echium
31 Aug, 2008
They are very top-heavey plants. Wind rock might be damageing the roots.
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
30 Aug, 2008
Well before you start throwing your money at the problem by buying remidies and fertilisers and god knows what else, go through the fundementals, research the optimum growing conditions of Echium pininana, see if these growing conditions correspond to what you are subjeting it too. Assess the the soil, light, moisture content, wind exposure etc.
Ok let me know how you get on, I'm sure we can figure this out.
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
30 Aug, 2008
Thanks, but the plant in question is less than one year old. It hasn't flowered yet. It has just keeled over before it's time! I really don't know what's going on. The same thing happened last year. Any ideas?
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
30 Aug, 2008
Hi I don't mean to state the obvious but you are aware of the fact that echium pininana are bienniel and that they are meant to keel over and die in the second year, which is why they are so good at seeding themselves throughout people's gardens to such an extent that they become like a weed.
I hope this helped.
On question - Echium pininana sudden death, wh...
1 Aug, 2008
They are but they are native to the Canaries, so have to be carefull during the winter. I have got away with doing nothing so far but fingers crossed for this winter. They take up to 3 yrs to flower.
On photo - Echium
16 Jul, 2008
Cut the dead flowers (if any) off during summer and prune back hard in autumn to keep its shape. These plants don't grow well in pots as their 2-3m high and 1-2m wide frame needs to be kept within a spacious garden bed.
On question - how to prune an echium
1 Jul, 2008
Me and my shadow! Brilliant picture Jack looks like a toddler compared to that plant! Hel.xxx.
On photo - echium by jack(son 5foot 6ish!!)
18 Jun, 2008
You obviously garden the same way I do, there is always a cup of tea nearby.
On photo - Me
13 Jun, 2008
Looks like something out of Dr Seuss.
Brilliant !
On photo - echium by jack(son 5foot 6ish!!)
4 Jun, 2008
What a stunning photo, well done Sandra you have done a really good job in that garden.Hel.xxx.
On photo - echium pininana
4 Jun, 2008
these all selfseeded two or three years ago from two that i grew from seed. the first year they grow to about three foot. but they look tatty in the winter! and sometimes the take three years to flower. now hopefuly they will seed again!
On photo - echium pininana
2 Jun, 2008
hi Bren
i would get them in the ground as soon as possible. full sun and well drained soil
On question - Help









Joined 16 Feb, 2008
Hampshire
17 Dec, 2008
I hope so, it's done great so far. But we are supposedly in for a cold winter so i have wrapped him up in fleece. I have 5 others all grown at the same time, that are a third of the size and in the sun, this one is on the shady side of the garden.
On photo - Echium