Echium pininana

Endemic to La Palma island in the Canaries, this is one of the most exotic and spectacular looking herbaceous plants growable in the UK. Semi-tender, this is bi or triennial and when at flowering maturity sends up a huge narrow conical tower of literally hundreds if not thousands of blue flowers in early summer, 3 to 4m high. With mild winters this can be grown rather easily in most well drained sunny places.