On 29/7/05 17:33, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:


"Sacha"

It looks to me like Ecium pininana, in its first year. Where are you?
It is not hardy in most parts of UK.
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/6227/1
The problem looks like scorch from recent hot sun.

Echiums like sun - the ones in Tresco grow wild all over the island, very
exposed to sun, salt, fresh air and only the water nature sends them. I
wonder if it's E. piniana or one of the shrubby ones - whose names I can't
remember at the moment, E. candicans and E. fastuosum, I think!
Its location would be interesting. Perhaps it has some scorch from
watering
it in hot sunshine or just too much water, generally?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)



Am in Anglesey, North Wales, we have had a lot of sun recently, and quite
warm, but only about a mile from the coast, so that keeps the temps down a
bit, it usually gets sun in the afternoon, its shaded in the morning, I
wasnt even aware that it flowered, it has only been down 1 year, from a
seedling to that monster lol, as for watering, I only ever water when the
sun has gone over the tops of the houses, and its nice and shaded and cool
in the garden, but I will wait a bit longer still now you have mentioned,
any further confirmations on its type appreciated, and help so far am very
greatful for!


Echium piniana flowers in its second year and then dies. Usually, it leaves
hundreds of seedlings behind. It's a sort of Hilton Hotels for bees who
absolutely mob the flowers, IME. But it does need lengthy sun hours to
make it flower, set seed and do it all again in a year or two. Yours might
be too shaded to do well but all you can do now is wait to see if it will
flower because what you call a 'monster' is nothing I'm afraid - though I
don't want to be discouraging! I had three in a walled garden in Jersey and
each grew to at least 12' in one year, flowered profusely, died and left
behind so many seedlings that I was reduced to begging people to take them
away.
IF yours turns out to be one of the shrubby ones (and I don't think it will)
it doesn't die off but (frost permitting) returns each year.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)