Echium wildpretii

Echium wildpretii is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. It is an herbaceous biennial plant that grows up to 3 m (10 ft) in height. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands, and is found mainly in Las Cañadas del Teide. The subspecies E. wildpretii subsp. trichosiphon occurs at high altitudes on La Palma. The common names are tower of jewels, red bugloss, Tenerife bugloss or Mount Teide bugloss.[1] The Spanish name for this plant is tajinaste rojo.

Echium wildpretii
Echium wildpretii on Tenerife
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Echium
Species:
E. wildpretii
Binomial name
Echium wildpretii
Echium wildpretii ssp. trichosiphon from La Palma

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet wildpretii honours the 19th century Swiss botanist Hermann Josef Wildpret.[2]

Habitat

The plant grows in the subalpine zone of the ravines of Mount Teide, a volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. It requires a lot of sun and is found in arid and dry conditions, but it tolerates frost down to −5 °C (23 °F).

Description

It is a biennial, producing a dense rosette of leaves during the first year, flowers in the second year, and then dies. The red flowers are borne on an erect inflorescence, 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in–9 ft 10 in). The plant blooms from late spring to early summer in Tenerife.

Close-up of inflorescence

Uses

This plant can be found as a garden ornamental but is intolerant of low temperatures, thus some winter protection is required in frost-prone areas. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][4] As with most buglosses, it is favoured by bee-keepers for its high nectar content.

See also

References
  1. Bramwell, D and Bramwell, Z (2001) Wild flowers of the Canary Islands. 2nd edition. Editorial Rueda SL, Madrid, Spain ISBN 84-7207-129-4.
  2. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
  3. "Echium wildpretii". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  4. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 35. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
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