How to grow Echium pininana from seed?
Echium seeds are best sown in summer for overwintering. Germination is very erratic and pots should not be discarded too early – 30 to 90 days is not unheard of. Fill a wide pot with multi-purpose compost. Press the seeds in to the compost but do not cover them. Echinacea is easy to grow from seed, as well, but requires a cold, moist period—called stratification—in order to germinate. Sow seeds thickly in the fall (after hard-frost in the north and before winter rains elsewhere), covering lightly to discourage birds from eating them. Seeds will germinate in the spring.
Is Echium easy to grow?
There are Echium to suit different garden styles, including exotic plantings, borders, dry gardens, containers, meadows, and conservatories. Some need frost-free conditions in winter but, given a sunny spot and free-draining soil, anyone can take on the challenge and enjoy spectacular results. Fortunately they grow easily from cuttings too. An asset to any garden, echiums are in the same family as borage and comfrey. The large, softly hairy grey-green leaves look good all year round.
What is the Echium pininana used for?
Echium pininana is cultivated as a garden ornamental, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It is used as a bedding plant or planted in borders, and grows best in full sun. It is recommended for the southern maritime counties of England, the Channel Islands and the Scilly Isles. Is Echium ‘Pininana’ poisonous? Echium ‘Pininana’ can be toxic.