This extraordinary specimen of a viper's head comes from the Canary Islands. The inflorescences are shaped into elongated cones, stand proudly upright and the foliage underneath appears cactus-like. How do you care for this exotic?
How do you properly care for Echium wildpretii?
Echium wildpretii requires moderate, regular watering, no fertilizer outdoors and occasional cactus fertilizer in the pot. After flowering, the inflorescences should be cut off. The plant is not hardy and requires a cool, bright winter at 5-10 °C.
Does Echium wildpretii require regular watering?
Moderate and regular watering is recommended for this perennial. Water at large intervals and in smaller quantities. The heart of the plant should definitely be kept dry. Therefore, only the root area is watered.
How to fertilize this plant?
If Echium wildpretii is grown outdoors, it doesn't need to be fertilized at all. Lean soils are ideal for this poor soil-loving plant. However, if this plant is in a pot on your terrace or balcony, you should supply it with 0.2% cactus fertilizer (€6.00 on Amazon) every 2 weeks. The general rule here is: less is more.
When and how is pruning done?
When this plant has faded, it is advisable to cut off the old inflorescence, directly at the base between the leaves. If you don't do this, the plant will invest a lot of energy in forming its seeds, which often costs it vitality.
Are there any specific diseases or pests that may play a role?
This exotic species is largely uninteresting for pests. Rarely, spider mites can appear in pot cultures at home and the air in the room is too dry. This plant is also not susceptible to disease unless care is extremely neglected or carried out incorrectly (watering too frequently, e.g. directly on the leaves).
Does this perennial need overwintering?
Echium wildpretii can only tolerate temperatures down to -5 °C. This means that the plant is not considered winter hardy in this country. If you want to enjoy it for several years, you need to overwinter it.
This should be noted:
- Indoor wintering is preferable
- choose a cool room (temperatures between 5 and 10 °C)
- Air the room regularly
- water little (about every 3 weeks)
- do not fertilize
- From April, slowly get used to direct sunlight again
Tip
If you fertilize Echium wildpretii too frequently and heavily, you will have to wait a long time for flowers. Instead of flowers, this plant produces numerous leaves.
