pride of Madeira

Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans) likes slightly more water than other Mediterranean-style plants, but still not a great deal. In general, you should water once weekly in the summer with enough water to moisten through the top few inches of soil. During the winter months, water only as needed - usually no more than every couple of weeks -- when the soil is dry to the touch. Always check the soil level before watering and don’t water if the soil is still wet. When the temperatures get very hot, it may be beneficial to increase the frequency of watering to every 5 days.

Pride of Madeira plants require full sun in order to thrive. Place the plant in a location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day for optimal growth and in order to produce those beautiful Lacy-like purple flowers that the species is known for. A Pride of Madeira plant should receive consistently daily sunlight during the peak growing season in the summer, though a little less direct sunlight, such as afternoon shade, during the hottest parts of the day (midday and mid/late afternoon) can be beneficial. In the winter months, the plant would still need a few hours of direct sunlight but will do best in a location that gets some afternoon shade.

Hardiness zone 9-11.

Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans) is a striking, sun-loving shrub with beautiful blue flowers in spring and summer. Generally, this plant does not require much pruning. However, if you wish to keep the size or shape of the shrub under control, you can prune it late in winter or early in spring, before the new growth emerges. Remove any dead or damaged branches and use sharp secateurs or loppers to trim back any remaining stems and sideshoots to the desired size. Remember to always prune progressively and sparingly - don't over prune this plant or it will look unnatural. In general, only remove 1-third or less of the total foliage in a year.

Seed Propagation, Cutting, Division, Layering Propagation