Echium pininana

Lifecycle Echium pininana is biennial or triennial, each plant flowers only once before dying. Morphology In their first year, plants produce a rosette of lanceolate leaves approximately in length, with silver hairs. which is covered with many lanceolate leaves. Between April and June, the flower spike can grow per day. Flowers are funnel-shaped, and each produce up to 1.4 μL of nectar, which is approximately 26% sugar. Flowers at the bottom of the flower spike are first to open, with those at the top opening last. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and moths are attracted to the flowers. Phytochemistry Various pyrrolizidine alkaloids, a class of toxic organic compounds that may cause liver damage, have been isolated from Echium pininana. The plant is toxic to horses. == Phylogeny ==

Echium pininana, E. simplex, and E. wildpretii comprise a monophyletic clade. All three of these Echium species are monocarpic, have a similar habit, similar floral morphology, and produce a dimethylated flavone not detected in other Echium species. == Distribution and habitat ==

Echium pininana is endemic to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, where it grows in laurel forests. It is endangered due to habitat loss caused by agriculture. It is also in ex situ conservation; in fact, the ex situ conservation population is greater than the wild population. It is conserved in botanical gardens such as Kew Gardens in London, where it has naturalised. == Cultivation ==

Echium pininana is cultivated as a garden ornamental, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is used as a bedding plant or planted in borders, and grows best in full sun. and Yorkshire, albeit in favourable locations. Specimens are also grown in Dublin gardens at Howth and in the Irish National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin. The plant also grows readily in North Wales where it seeds very widely. Although E. pininana is half-hardy in Britain and Ireland, it will self-seed to form clusters of plants, and it is suggested that by natural selection a hardier variety will emerge. The plant is most vulnerable to frosts in its first year. Because of its large leaves when partly grown, it is also very susceptible to wind damage. Hence a sheltered garden position is essential. Echium pininana 'Alba' is a cultivar with white flowers. == Notes ==