This is Max’s Echium candicans. To my knowledge it has eaten one persicaria, one cistus and a salvia and is well on its way to consuming an evergreen azalea. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen next door’s chihuahua for a while ……..
This Pride of Madeira has grown into a monster in just four years, from a small cutting acquired (legitimately, before you ask) from a friend’s garden just up the road. It is spectacular and scary in equal measure, and is of course extremely attractive to both human and pollinator. A humming monument.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Stunning. I have an Echium webbii which I am cherishing, I hope one day it will look as good as good as this. I wouldn’t mind what it munches on the way.
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I’ve taken some cuttings just in case we have a bad winter. It is wonderful, the photo doesn’t do it justice, there is a pink shimmer to the blue flowers. Good luck with yours!
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Uh, I thought PoM was biennial. But then “candicans” means bright or shining white, depending on which edition of Latin Plant Name Derivations you own. Clearly this fine plant is neither.
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Echium pininana is the bi- or even triennial echium. That is Giant Viper’s Bugloss by the RHS but not by me. I call it big tall echium. This is even better in real life. I tried to get Max to pose by it for scale, but he wasn’t having any of it. Too many sticks to find and seagulls to chase.
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Wow, it is beautiful. I can’t grow Echiums anymore because my dog kept eating them and became quite ill. I miss the drama they bring to the garden.
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Oh dear, I hadn’t heard of that before. I will warn Max to be careful. You can share this one. 🙂
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Echium wildpretii or something like it naturalized along Highway 1 on the coast of San Mateo county. It gets so tall that old dead stalks can reach onto the highway when they fall over. They look silly but totally cool.
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That is totally cool!
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My neighbour has one of the big tall echiums in his front yard, I may grab some seeds when it flowers/seeds and scatter them at the back of my garden in the hedgerow. Beats the darn hogweed which loves to seed in my borders! I like this multi- stemmed version, guessing it is not as tall?
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That is a great plan. This one isn’t as tall, but still this one in flower is almost as tall as me. As I have the proportions of a supermodel this is quite tall (5′ 3″ and shrinking fast)
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Wow, that’s a beauty. I must try these Echiums one day.
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It is very dramatic isn’t it? If you have the space and the climate I would definitely give it a go!
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This is one I’m happy to admire in other people’s gardens, it’s just too big for me
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Very sensible, it can devour a lot of space!
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I tried to grow an Echium, it was doing so well and then we had the Beast From The East – and it perished.
Presumably Max’s survived that cold spell.
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It sulked a little and had a few holes, but they soon closed up and all was well! Are you going to try again?
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May be…. Sometimes our weather here is a bit too Dartmoor and cold and wet!
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AMAZING!
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