Pride of Madeira

This plant is commonly known as the Pride of Madeira.

It is a genus of 70 species which are bristly herbs and shrubs, native to North America, Europe, and Asia.

Classification

Kingdom – Plantae
Clades – Tracheophytes
Clade – Angiosperms
Order- Boraginales
Family – Boraginaceae
Genus- Echium
Species- vulgare

The pride of Madeira shrub is a popular landscaping plant in coastal regions and in the United States, in parts of southern California. Even in non-ideal conditions, the pride of Madeira is highly adaptable to a range of weather and like salty air, wind, bright sun, and rocky and low-nutrient soil. It does best in ample sunlight and humidity and doesn’t need fertilizer to grow.

Due to its rapid and adaptable growth, it’s essential to watch for invasiveness, especially in coastal regions. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and a wide range of insects and songbirds are drawn to its nectar-rich flowers. Trimming the flower panicles before they seed helps to cut down on dispersion.

Light

Pride of Meidra thrives in four to six hours of full sun each day. Partial sun is also acceptable, and the afternoon sun is preferable to the morning sun, as light intensity is more significant at that time.

Soil

Pride of Madeira accepts versatile soil conditions, including clay, sand, and loam, and can tolerate a wide range of pH levels. In any soil, however, good drainage is essential. This shrub is also particularly salt-tolerant, given its island origins, making it an ideal plant in coastal climates.

Water

Pride of Madeira is fairly drought-tolerant, but watering regularly during the flowering season will ensure its blooms stay healthy and vibrant. But, if you notice its flower heads drooping in hot weather, or its foliage appearing yellow, water at the base of the shrub to revive it.

Temperature and Humidity

The pride of Madeira won’t survive temperatures consistently below 50 °F. As a coastal plant, the pride of Madeira grows best in the humid ocean air but doesn’t require any special humidity conditions in gardens unless planted in a desert climate. This shrub may need occasional misting in desert air to keep its leaves and flowers bright.

Fertilizer

Pride of Madeira doesn’t require fertilizer, as it can survive in low-nutrient soil. If you want to fertilize the shrub lightly, you may use compost in the fall and mineral fertilizer in the spring.

Pruning

You should cut spent flower stalks regularly to maintain a neat appearance and encourage new growth. Light pruning in summer and late fall will also help preserve the fullness of the pride of Madeira’s foliage.

This is a Eurasian and African genus that has bell-shaped flowers and sometimes has spikes in different colours. The Latin name comes from the Greek word echis means viper and this is published by Carl Linnaeus.
It has simple leaves with alternate hairy herbs. Flower stems are also well under sunlight in the terminal cluster with five parts in blue colour. The common names of this plant are Blue devil, Blue weed, and Viper’s Bugloss.
This plant has exotic colours in appearance which helps to decorate the garden and ornaments in a suitable climate throughout. Some of them are natural in Mediterranean climates. These are also used as food plants by larvae of some Lepidoptera species.
The seed oil from species plantagenium is used in cosmetic and skin care applications and can replace fish oils as functional foods as they have a high content of alpha-linolenic acid and beta linoleic acid.

One of the species is commonly called Giant Viper Bugloss ( E. pininana) from canary islands and is known for attracting bees and other pollinators. Some of the species can be toxic or poisonous also in nature. The main toxic secreted by this plant is Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The main parts which are toxic are flowers, fruit, roots, leaves, seeds, and stems.
If eaten it causes slight toxicity, skin irritation ( that lasts only for some time), extreme mouth pain, skin discomfort from the coarse hairs, as well as digestive problems and liver damage.

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A beautyful flower for home and garden decoration

By :- Pragya Joshi