Has anyone ever grown this insane plant?

[MrsBertBibby]

Look at it!

www.manomano.co.uk/flower-seeds/flower-echium-pininana-blue-steeple-tower-of-jewels-3532112

How mad is it? I saw some in St James Park this summer and they were like triffids at a ball.

Has anyone grown them in a normal garden? I am tempted to try just for the lols.

Yes they are a biennial so you would have had to sow them earlier this year for next year...the leaves get huge and if you can get them to flower in their second year they are quite astonishing...never managed to keep them alive until their second year though.

Busted link. Sorry

My dad has then in his garden. Pretty easy to grow, I think

Yes, grow them all the time. Great fun. They are officially biennial but in my experience they often don't flower until the third year, i.e. sow seed in 2018, get flowers in 2019 or 2020. They are mostly hardy here in Cornwall, and will self seed. They do not like drying out in a pot, and once wilted never quite recover their former vigour.

I saw some in Sheffield this year for the first time. They're amazing!

I had one that I got in Cornwall. It did okay, flowered in the second year, and then it died during the winter just gone. My dad's one did the same, though he'd planted his in the ground and it had grown much bigger than mine had.

I've got lots! Nothing to do with me they have selfseeded all over the place. Flower second year. They only get really insanely tall if they are on their own, ones that have self seeded as a clump are much less impressive.

Bees LOVE them

My stepdad grew some in Devon this summer, I think they flowered at the start of June. He's hoping they've self seeded.

I knew it would be echiums before I even opened the thread!

Our house is surrounded by them, and more grow every year. DH loves them but I am worried they will grow legs and take over the world triffid-style.

I've got one in a huge pot which I'm hoping will flower next year (its third year). A neighbour had several in their front garden and I'm crossing my fingers that the street will soon be full of seedlings!