Echium wildpretii seeds- (Tower of Jewels)

Description

This is the most sought after of all the echium species, and the most dramatic. It is a very rare plant and produces very few seeds which must be collected by hand as they ripen . It is native to the volcanic slopes of the Canary Islands. The flower is borne on a tall dramatic spire of pink flowers to 1.2 metres high . They have stamens that are longer than the flowers, which hold bright blue pollen, and the bees love them. The leaves form a fuzzy  grey green rosette of narrow leaves. They enjoy being kept on the dry side and are frost hardy.

These plants flower in their third year, and the flowering stem then dies away.

Sowing advice

Sow seeds in spring onto a good soil-based compost at 12 to 20C, seedlings appearing in between 2 and 6 weeks. Pot on into a gritty compost containing very little organic material before planting out in a well-drained, sheltered spot or a large container that may be taken in during the winter. Plants usually flower 24 months after sowing.