Tower of Jewels (Echium wildpretii)

by Kell Apr 4, 2015 3:54 PM

Taken at RHS gardens, Wisley May 2003

Detail of inflorescence

spring flowers, southern California

A biennial worth the effort and wait.

Rosette stage

typical prostrate plant in the cactus garden, Huntington Gardens, southern California

Here are the only upright specimens I could find in the gardens (Huntington Gardens, southern California- May)

once glorious plants just months later in hot summer.. southern California

This is a secondary branch off the main plant of mine, that seems to have grown so fast it became overstretched, and now reveals it's spiral flower pattern.

my plant, done flowering for a few weeks now, fully loaded with seed. End of June, southern California

Lower half of plant that was not flowering in early summer, now flowering in late summer after 'tower' removed over a month earlier. Southern California

seedlings popping up after last year's plant flowered, southern California

Detail of Echium wildpretii flowers - taken at Longwood Gardens, April 2007.

early flowering of plant growing into its second year in my yard, southern California April

early in the flowering process, spring, southern California

I have dozens of these taking off in the redwoods near SF at aroung 1400 feet.

3 towers after all the flowers have gone, late spring, southern California

This Tower of Jewels reached about 18 feet when in bloom. It was the biggest in our coastside garden.

plants growing up fast and will be flowering in a month, April, southern California

April 21, 2009 coming into flower along the bank on the driveway

May 2, 2009 Flower stalk continues to mature

May 2, 2009 Flower stalk continues to mature, taken from a distance so it's pretty blurry.

Echium Wildpretti (Tower of Jewels) grown in the high desert of so California

mid May, southern California

echium wildpretii with very unusual growth habits. Mid Wilshire area of Los Angeles 2009

echium wildpretii Mid Wilshire Los Angeles now 5 or 6' taller than in photo crest is approx 2' wide and bigger by the day

Echium wildpretii volunteer growing in Jamul, CA, Zone 8b

E. wildpretii growing in a So. Cal tree grove

Located in a sculpture garden in a vacant lot in downtown Lompoc, CA.

shot of spent flower, mid June, full of seed, southern California

A plant with a view!

A weird shaped one.

The Huntington Botanical Gardens

"echium wildpretii" Tower of Jewels - amazing stands over 9 ft tall

Blue pollen!

Hummingbirds and bees love this plant.

Huntington Gardens in February

At Longwood Gardens. Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens, an expert horticulturalist and plant enthusiast who gives lectures and classes around the USA including at Longwood Gardens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. Learn more about him and his love of all things horticulture at http://www.karlgercens.com/

Teide, Spain. Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com/

2 old ones, 1 new. Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com/

cristate flower in spring, Los Angeles arboretum

Tenerife, Canary Islands. Photo courtesy of and copyright of Rogier van Vugt, the Head Gardener at the greenhouses at Leiden University and at Hortus botanicus Leiden, from Noordwijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

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