Echium pininana 'Blue Steeple'

Echium pininana 'Blue Steeple' is a stunning biennial plant from the Canary Islands. In its first year it forms a low rosette of silver, hairy, spear-like leaves, and then in the second year it sends up a huge spike loaded with small blue flowers. It makes a dramatic statement in a sunny, sheltered garden, and is extremely attractive to bees. It has been given the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Grow Echium pininana 'Blue Steeple' in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. After flowering, it scatters seed and dies. It self-seeds readily in mild, sheltered parts of the UK, but seed is unlikely to germinate in cooler regions. Be careful when handling as the sap can irritate the skin and the whole plant is toxic of eaten.