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SF Flower Box Award: Berkeley, 6th Street and Allston

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Wow...we're a bit floored by this beauty of a plant. More photos and jaw-dropping below the jump...

 
 
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Anyone have any idea what this is? We just spotted this during a mid-day stroll and we're not sure if we're frightened or enamored of this insane plant.

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Flower Box Awards, gardening, plants & flowers

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Comments (5)

It is a variety of Echium. It comes is several colors often seen in the wild in a dazzling purple.

posted by telechick on 2008-04-16 14:31:27
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Echium pininana

Common names are: Tower of Jewels or 'Pride of Tenerife'

it's a member of the Borage family that is native to the Canary Islands. Downside is that can be invasive (lots of little plants the next year...)

posted by gwalabu on 2008-04-16 15:00:44
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I love borage. I let it self sow in the backyard. The flowers are great in salad.

posted by renngrrl on 2008-04-16 15:54:14
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Crazy thought, but have you ever witnessed a large sunflower dying off? It is almost human the way they hang their heads and slowly crouch over. Echium can be equally as sorrowful.

posted by telechick on 2008-04-16 20:05:29
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this reminds me of the little pink cactus i bought at home depot last week. does anyone know how often to water? will it grow?

posted by sanriofreak on 2008-04-16 20:18:04
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