I've grown a triffid

[HMSSophie]

What on Earth is this!?
It's about 7 foot tall. Swarming with bees. It started growing last year, no flowers, I couldn't be bothered to uproot it... and now this!!

No idea but am interested to know.

I think it's a type of Echium.

That’s cool!

It's a beanstalk and a giant lives at the top. 😂😂

They are really common in the south west -it reminds me of Cornwall.

It's amazing!
no idea what it is

I agree with @ThomasHardyPerennial looks like a echium

You could rent it out to eat mil's!!

Oh well done ThomasHardy it is indeed an Echium! Echium Snowflower - rare :)

AKA "white giant bugloss".

Mumsnet, you just gotta love it

Will you keep it in your garden, Op? I would love the space to grow something like that!

Did it look like this to begin with? I'm not sure what it is!

Glaik that’s a Lilley . Looks as if it will be a good one. Just keep an eye out for red Lilley beetle. Remove at once if you spot one, it will destroy the plant.

OP - that's truly magnificent. I have total triffid envy!

Oh wow!

That's beautiful. We grow all types of Echium, we started off with 2 and now have loads that come up every year, the bees love them. If you're lucky they will set seed and you'll have them next year 😁

Wow how impressive, not sure it would fit into most gardens though, what will you do with it?

Wow, that is really impressive OP.

You have done really well getting it to grow. They sound quite fussy and not very cold tolerant
architecturalplants.com/plants/id/echium-pininiana

I'm in a very urban area and echium pininana grow well here - they like the urban heat bubble - although they take a third year to flower. They self-seed into cracks in the pavement.

How interesting! I bought the house 18 months ago so I'm in my second Sumer here. Previous owners were keen gardeners and my garden is absolutely gorgeous thanks to them. I'm kind of ok as a gardener but these plants (I have two - smug) were simply something I had never ever seen before. [saunters off proudly]

You could rent it out to eat mil's!!

If you're in London you could rent it out as an Airbnb!

They are echium they are biennial, first year they grow small 2/3 foot then in the second year can go to 15ft. They will die after flowering. The new plants will not cope with heavy frost they also don't like to be cold and wet.

If you live in a cold area dig up some (small ones) and put in deep pots to over winter in a sheltered area mainly keen them from getting cold and wet. When you dig them up and put in a pot they will flop and look like you've killed them for a while.

We're in a mild area (on the coast so fairly get frosts) on sandy soil, they grow like weeds here now.