Echium fastuosum

The plants of the genus Echium are wonderful: they produce very showy flowers, and they reach very interesting sizes to be able to grow them in a garden. But in addition, they are easy to care for since they do not need much for them to be well and healthy.

Although if I had to choose a species, it would certainly be the one known as Echium fastuosum. It reaches almost two meters in height, something that makes it possible to use it to delimit the different areas of the site, and it produces such a quantity of inflorescences that it is a pleasure to see it. Would you like to know how it is cared for?

Origin and characteristics

Our protagonist it is an endemic shrub to the island of Madeira, specifically in areas with a temperate and humid climate, between 800 and 1400 meters above sea level. Its current scientific name is Echium candicans, but the old one is still being used, Echium fastuosum. It is popularly known as the pride of Madeira, tajinaste or viborera.

It grows up to 1,8 meters in height, and develops stems with hairy, grayish and ensiform leaves that are grouped in rosettes. The flowers are grouped in cylindrical inflorescences up to 60cm high and of a blue color between sapphire and purplish. It has an extended bearing.

What are their cares?

If you want to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:

• Location: it must be outside, in full sun.
• Earth:
  • Garden: fertile, with good drainage. It is recommended that it be stony.
  • Pot: due to its size, it cannot be potted, although it can be used for a few years with a universal growing medium.
• Irrigation: it has to be watered 2 or 3 times a week in summer, and every 4 or 5 days the rest of the year.
• Subscriber: from early spring to late summer with organic fertilizers, once a month.
• Multiplication: by seeds in spring.
• Rusticity: resists cold and frosts down to -1ºC as long as they are punctual and of short duration.

What did you think of the Echium fastuosum?