Echium vulgare or plantagineum - the premier plant for Bumble bees and solitary bees, especially the yellow-faced bee. it is also a gorgeous blue and purple flower in the flower border, wildflower meadow and containers. Likes being hot and dry. Echiums are biennials or annuals, but will seed themselves around if conditons are suitable.
If you want to save seed it is difficult to extract the hard black tetrahedral seeds from the prickly seed heads - I have found that if you just cut down the whole flower spike at the end of the season when the pods are open and dry, save it in a large paper envelope over winter and then just lay the whole dried plant down in a seed tray, cover with compost and water, especially with a bit of warmth, loads of seedlings will just sprout up. When they get to the second leaf stage, or bigger, you can pot them on.
trailing Echium plantagineum variety 'Blue Bedder' will be available in April as 3 x large plug plants
