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Echium pininana

giant Viper's-bugloss

Boraginaceae Canary Islands (La Palma)

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–10

Overview

Echium pininana is a monocarpic biennial to short-lived perennial that grows as a single, towering flower spike, reaching 8-13 feet (2.5-4 m) tall in its flowering year. In its first year or two it forms a stout rosette of lance-shaped, bristly grey-green leaves 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) long, densely covered in stiff white hairs. In the final year a single unbranched spike rises from the rosette, packed with thousands of small funnel-shaped flowers, each about 0.4 inch (10 mm) across and pale blue to violet with protruding stamens. Flowering runs from late spring into summer, after which the plant sets seed and dies. The bristly hairs on stems and leaves can irritate skin on contact. It self-seeds heavily, with seedlings appearing around the parent. The plant needs a frost-free or nearly frost-free site to survive the years before flowering.

Native Range

Native to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, where it grows in laurel-forest clearings and on shaded slopes. It is rare in the wild but widely grown in mild gardens, and it has naturalised in frost-free coastal areas of the British Isles, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Suggested Uses

Grown in mild coastal and city gardens as a tall accent in borders and gravel gardens, where the towering spike rises above surrounding planting. Suited to frost-free or nearly frost-free sites and to exotic-style and pollinator plantings. Its height and heavy self-seeding limit its use in small or formal gardens.

How to Identify

Identified by a stout rosette of bristly, lance-shaped grey-green leaves and, in the flowering year, a single unbranched spike 8-13 feet (2.5-4 m) tall packed with small pale blue to violet flowers. The dense white hairs and towering, unbranched spike separate it from shorter, branched Echium spp. species. Each flower is about 0.4 inch (10 mm) across with protruding stamens.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8' - 13'

Width/Spread2' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

blue

purple

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring Summer

The single spike flowers from late May into August, with peak bloom in June and July. Flowers open from the base of the spike upward over several weeks. Bees and other insects work the spike heavily throughout flowering. The plant dies after setting seed later in the season.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale blue to violet

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.8(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

Flowers in 2-3 years, then dies

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to light shade on free-draining soils in mild, nearly frost-free climates, where it survives the one to three years before flowering. Hard frost kills the rosette, so it grows outdoors only in mild coastal and urban areas or under cover elsewhere. It is grown from seed, and self-sown seedlings appear freely around established plants. Established rosettes need little watering and tolerate wind and salt in coastal sites. The bristly hairs irritate skin on contact. It flowers once, sets seed, and dies, relying on its seedlings to continue.

Pruning

No pruning is required. The dead spike can be cut down after flowering and seed drop, or left standing to scatter seed. Surplus self-sown seedlings can be thinned or transplanted in spring.

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Toxic to pets and humans