Plant Database
Pride of Madeira
Echium fastuosum, Echium candicans
Pride of Madeira is a dramatic, architectural shrub that creates a breathtaking spectacle in the spring garden. Its most striking feature is the enormous, cone-shaped flower spikes that rise like purple spires above the rosettes of long, silvery-gray foliage. Each spike is densely packed with hundreds of small, violet-blue flowers that are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Fast-growing and exceptionally drought-tolerant once established, it adds a bold, sculptural presence to coastal landscapes, dry slopes, and Mediterranean-style gardens, thriving with minimal care.
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Spectacular Purple Flower Spikes: Produces multiple, large, upright flower spikes in shades of vibrant violet-blue, each reaching 12-18 inches long, creating an unforgettable display.
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Exceptional Drought & Coastal Tolerance: Once established, it thrives with little to no supplemental water and is highly resistant to salt spray, wind, and poor, rocky soils.
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Major Pollinator Attractor: The nectar-rich blooms are an invaluable food source for a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees, during its spring flowering period.
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Fast-Growing & Architectural: Quickly forms a large, rounded shrub with a strong, branching structure and attractive, felted silver foliage that provides year-round interest.
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Ideal for Low-Water Landscapes: A premier choice for water-wise gardens, coastal bluffs, dry slopes, and adding dramatic structure to mixed borders.