Echium pininana
giant viper's bugloss
E. pininana is a rosette-forming biennial or short-lived perennial with lance-shaped, roughly silver-hairy leaves up to 1m in length. Each rosette produces a flower panicle up to 4m long of funnel-shaped blue flowers with large bracts in mid and late summer
Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Blue | Grey Silver | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue | Grey Silver | ||
| Autumn | Grey Silver | |||
| Winter | Grey Silver |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H3Botanical details
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Potentially harmful
- All parts may cause stomach upset if ingested, contact with the foliage may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- Genus
Echium can be annuals, biennials, evergreen perennials or shrubs, with simple, coarsely hairy leaves and funnel-shaped flowers borne in panicles or dense spikes in summer
- Name status
Correct
- Plant range
- Canary Islands
How to grow
Cultivation
Under glass, grow in a loam-based potting compost (JI No3) in full light. Water freely when in growth, sparingly in winter. Outdoors, grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from winter frost in situ with horticultural fleece
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown at 13-16°C in summer, overwintering seedlings at 5-7°C
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Coastal
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Outdoors slugs may be a problem; indoors glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite can be troublesome; vine weevils may also be found
Diseases
Generally disease free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.