Will it flower this year?

Echium? not sure which, a mixed up hybrid.

Its been growing for three years now and getting bigger, I dont think I've had one get this big before without flowering. It must be 7 ft high and no real sign of a flower yet. Just waiting to see the growing point starting to stretch, then I will know its going to flower this year.

Surely it cant go another year without flowering.

 

Evening pete.

Isn't that what I photographed on the roundabout at Portim�£o last year? ...



These were only 5-6 foot tall. We went past in the week and they are blooming again, go for months and months.

 

Nope, a different type but yes, echium.

If I could grow that one I wouldn't bother with this one.

 

Give it a couple of belts with Tomorite, Pete, that should do the trick. :D

 

Well I have a theory that the decision to flower is made, by the plant, the previous summer.
So maybe I should have hit it with the tomorite last summer.

 

One way to find out.

 

Have you seen the price of the stuff.

You cannot be serious, man. :D

 

Well, get some of Wilkos Tomato feed, it`s virtually the same thing. :D

 

Cheapskate. :D

 

I`ve been talking to sarra for too long. :D

 

Bad habit, that. :D

Blimey, he might be listening.

 

. Going back to the Echium, you could always cut it down. :D :D

 

Pete, I'll put money on your plant flowering this year. It is already building up to it with the shorter leaves being produced at the top, which is extending. The flowering sized plants around here were at that stage some weeks ago and the spikes are now just starting to show. A period of mild weather should see yours rocketing upwards. Echium pininana, wildpretii or the hybrids between them will flower at 3 years if they don't perform as biennials. Yours is almost certainly one of those.

LoL, those Echiums on the traffic island are a richly coloured form of E. fastuosum, which is a shorter growing, perennial sub-shrub. The species can grow huge here with a single plant spreading to over 6 feet across in little more than 15 months. It's a lovely thing, but I ripped mine out because it was suvch an aggressive spreader.

 

Good evening, DaveP.

I just love these Echiums on the traffic island and they are swarming with bees. Why can't you grow it, pete?

By the way, Dave, I've now got five flowers stalks up and blooming on the Billbergia nutans ... I am so pleased you wouldn't believe! Thank you, thank you! Must take another pic.

 

Thanks Dave P, I would have put money on you noticing those shorter leaves forming at the top, I'm looking forward to the flower as its probably the largest one I've grown, the others have always flowered at two years.

Its too cold here to grow your echium LoL, my plant died at almost the first frost.
This has taken a few minus 5s in the last three winters.