Every year I show you this amazing plant so here is some of this year's growth for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. It grows wild in the south of France, seeds easily and is loved by bees and butterflies. It's called Echium 'Pride of Madeira.' It can get a bit leggy after a few years and sometimes gets so heavy it falls over. Time then to take cuttings for the next year.
11 May 2009
May in Menton - Echium
Every year I show you this amazing plant so here is some of this year's growth for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. It grows wild in the south of France, seeds easily and is loved by bees and butterflies. It's called Echium 'Pride of Madeira.' It can get a bit leggy after a few years and sometimes gets so heavy it falls over. Time then to take cuttings for the next year.
Beautiful colors against the blue sky.
ReplyDeletele violet ressort bien avec ce ciel majestueux. j'aime bien cette plante.
ReplyDeleteI want it. How gorgeous is that, obviously against a blue sky and not our cloudy ones here.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite color.
ReplyDeleteWhat a voluptuous plant. And you beautifully bring out its sensuality with the angle and upshot. Really nice.
ReplyDeleteIt is a worthy plant a whole "host" (that is a lot) of insects depend on for their lives. Anything that does that, in spite of today's daily dose of chemicals and pollution has got to be blessed by all the gods just to survive and falling over only now and then. Beautiful photograph.
ReplyDeleteStrange shape. Vibrant color. I had never heard of it or seen it before. THanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love this plant. I'm always drawn by any plant that produces lavender/purple flowers.
ReplyDeleteI like the swirling pattern, the green and purple colours of these heads of flowers.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, I can hardly imagine that my younger son was last week end in Le Muy and picked (and eat of course) cherries on the my brother in law’s trees.
C'est magnifique et ça fait un joli camaïeu avec le ciel bleu. I don't think we have Echiums here.
ReplyDeleteMatching tones !
ReplyDeleteIt is really beautiful and unique! It looks like blooming cactus:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely wildflower. It looks huge!
ReplyDeleteJilly, this is gorgeous. I didn't see it last year, so news to me. Marvellous color coming through the thumbnails...thanks!
ReplyDeleteSusan
What a great plant...I am going to research it on the net to see if we have something like it in our area. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my husband's favorite plants. We struggle to grow these up here in Seattle. We have one on the front porch right now - in bloom also - but the blooms are only about 6-12 inches tall. Ah well, we only dream about living in a Mediterranean climate. Thanks for showing something to dream about. :)
ReplyDeleteOur coastal communities have these, as well as a taller variety known as Tower of Jewels. People say they came here, locally, with some Portuguese fishing families about 100 years ago.
ReplyDelete