Echium wildpretii - Tower of Jewels

Echium wildpretii, the Tower of Jewels is worthy of its name. The red flowers shine during the spring. Hummingbirds and gardeners will find this biennial spectacular. The first year there is a wonderful rosette of leaves. The second a tower or two of these incredible flowers. Echium wildpretii prefers dry well drained soils. Central coastal California weather suits them perfectly and they can and have escaped into the wild. In Southern California they will need a little additional water. Flower spikes grow 8-10 feet tall. Plants are hardy into the mid 20°s F.