Echium candicans

A striking, fast-growing evergreen perennial with bold, cone-shaped clusters of vivid purple-blue flowers from February to April. Its architectural form and drought tolerance make it a high-impact choice.

Pride of Madeira produces enormous spires of densely packed deep blue-purple flowers in late spring through early summer in the Mediterranean — typically May to June. Each spire can be 30–60 cm long and is alive with bees during the brief but spectacular flowering period. After flowering, the plant rests and the silvery-green narrow leaves remain decorative; the rosettes are evergreen but the plant is typically short-lived (3–5 years) and self-seeds readily to maintain itself in the garden. Hardy to -3°C in well-drained positions, it thrives on coastal cliffs, dry slopes and sandy soils, tolerating salt spray, strong wind and reflected heat. It dislikes heavy clay and overwatering.

Echium candicans forms an irregular dome 1.5–2 m tall and as wide, becoming progressively woody at the base. Use as a dramatic specimen on slopes, in coastal compositions and large gravel gardens where its spectacular flowering can be admired from a distance. The blue-purple spires combine beautifully with the silver-grey of Olea europaea trunks, Salvia rosmarinus, Senecio cineraria and Stachys byzantina; with the warm yellow of Euryops pectinatus and Bulbine frutescens; and with the magenta of Cistus and Bougainvillea. Plant towards the back or middle of borders so smaller plants remain visible during the dormant summer phase, and accept that the plant will self-seed — pull unwanted seedlings while young.