Echium Pininana - what chance?

I purchased a packet of Echium Pininana seeds whilst visiting Trebah Garden near Falmouth in June. I have dutifully sown some and they are just appearing. These stunning plants grow up to 4m or more! My question is, what are the chances of them coming to full flower next year or the year after up here in Norfolk? Has anyone grown them successfully away from the southwest?:confused::confused:

 

They grow here (Dublin) pretty easily.

 

I have seen them growing very well in a garden near Norwich, so you have a good chance. Keep them in a sheltered spot, and consider keeping a few of the young plants somewhere rost free over winter.

Good luck

 

Labrador i've done exactly what T G has said I am trying some this year two are in the garden and I will try overwintering them outside two are in pots they will overwinter in the poly tunnel,they have grown quickly and are 18" high already.

 

I bought the seeds in the Scilly Isles too. I'm just south of Aberdeen. I overwintered them in a candle lit greenhouse and put them outside after the worst of the frost was over. They grew to about 7 feet in full flower. I didn't try to over winter them again coz the greenhouse was full of other stuff.

 

They grow OK in Kent Labrador.

I know of one front garden full of them.

I have found that some seedlings seem to be hardier than others, so my advice would be to keep a few plants and plant them in varying places, if possible.

Winter wet combined with frost can rot the growing point, but if the plant is large it can recover from side shoots, flowering will be delayed another year though.

12in plus, size pots can be overwintered in the greenhouse, as has been said, as the preflowering rossette is not that massive.

 

They grow easily here in Suffolk.....with some winter shelter.

Here is a self set from one I grew 3 years ago.............Once you have grown them they seed everwhere.I am hoping this one will grow at least 3 mts.

 

Thanks Roders

That gives me some hope

 

My echium planted last year lost it's growing tip over the winter. It now has five branches coming off it, but has not flowered this year. I would guess it's about 4ft tall at the moment, so Pete - do you think it might still flower next year. It looks really healthy and each branch has large leaves on it.
I'm desperate for it to flower!

 

gf, who knows, they flower when they are ready.

Personally I would have reduced the side shoots to just the one this spring, so as to allow all the growth to one point.
I dont think they quite look the part when there is more than the one spike.

But it might be a bit late now for doing that.

You have to hope the growing tips survive next winter, if they do it may well flower for you.

 

Doh! It never even occurred to me to reduce the side shoots. What a wally! I think I'll leave them now and hope, but I don't suppose they'll even grow to their full height now.

Oh well, it's all a learning curve isn't it?????

 

Well the germination is very erratic, I put in 6 seeds, two to a pot on the 21st of June. The first seed germinated about July 4th and they have been appearing gradually since then, the fifth appearing this weekend. Just remains to be seen if the sixth eventually appears.

 

Well I won't get more than five now, got home yesterday and found one al shrivelled. Must have been pulled up by a bird, I had put them outside as the heat in the greenhouse was drying out the pots too quickly.