Echium pininana is naturalising in warmer parts of the UK, including London as mentioned in my last entry. I spotted these three in the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset; in fact they were popping up all over the village. The village also has palm trees and is home to the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens so the climate is conducive.  E. pininana is triennial, this trio are in the second year of growth. 

 

 The ones above are in St. James's Park in their third year of growth living up to their common name of Tree Echium and studded with thousands of blue flowers.  They are also known as Giant Echium and Giant Viper's Bugloss (being a relative of our native Echium vulgare which grows to only a foot or two tall).

  This is an Echium wildpretii which I grew in my front garden from a seedling given to me by one of the gardeners at the South London Botanical Institute. It flowered mightily this year.

  E. wildpretii is sometimes called the Tower of Jewels and is a relative of the Tree Echium on the Canary Islands. The two species hybridise in a form that is known as Pink Fountain, it's possible the one I grew was this variation. Perhaps Towers and Fountains will start naturalising as well.