New Photograph August 2018
New Photograph: Posted August, 2018
Blue Steeple at Sunset. Pacifica, CA 2018. Canon EOS 5DSr.
Originally from the Canary Islands off Africa, echium pininana (aka Blue Steeple or giant viper's-bugloss), can grow 13 feet tall and is crowned with conical blue-purple flowering spires. This wild flower is cultivated in Great Britain and can be found along the San Mateo and Mendocino coasts in California. Considered an invasive species in many areas, it is endangered in its native land due to habitat loss. A modern quandary. This highly sought after ornamental plant is a favorite of bees, butterflies and humming birds; drought tolerant; deer resistant; and easy to grow. They remind me a little of the boojum tree in Baja California crossed with a Lewis Carroll fantasy.