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I wouldn't see any problem growing it next to an Hibiscus, other than the fact that it would over run it in a very short time. These are HUGE plants and really not suitable for a raised bed. 16' in diameter is not unusual in just a few years time. There are other species, check the entries in the PlantFileshttp://davesgarden.com/pf/b/Boraginaceae/Echium/none/species . The only one I grow that would be small enough to be located in a raised bed in a residential garden would be E. handiense http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58248/index.html but it doesn't have the same architectural look that the larger ones have.
Has yours started naturalizing yet? I have mine behind ofther plants on the cul-de-sac, but at the top of a hillside. It is starting to naturalize down the hillside. I have another plant further down that started year before last and then I have a whole slew of others further over that started this past fall.
It's tough for it to naturalize because we spray with Roundup for a firebreak and between the large groups of plants. But, just in the last year I've gotten a few voluteers where the seeds must have been hiding from Mr. Roundup (DH). A volunteer that came up last year has now completely caught up to it's apparent mother plant just a few feet away.
These are all planted on a downslope hill outside the back fence. It is all open space which the county crews weed-whack each year in late May-June. They've been leaving it alone for the past 6 years and supposedly since no one challenged the plantings in the first 5 years it should be grandfathered. One of the main reasons I started this project was to try and stop the wind that sweeps up that hill, hits our back garden and dumps a bazillion weed seeds. It has worked extremely well, has a drip system that is run minimally, and I don't fertilize it at all.
