pine echium
(Echium pininana)
This species is Introduced in the United States
ORIGIN: Canary Islands
GROWTH TRAITS: Herbaceous biennial or triennial growing 6½-13’ tall (2-4 m) from a deep taproot. The plant typically remains as a tall rosette the first year, flowers the second or third year, and then dies. Rosette leaves are 10-20” long (25-50 cm), narrowly lance-shaped, deeply veined, and covered in fine, rough hairs. There is one main, unbranched, cylindrical flowering stem resembling a woody trunk 3.2-10’ tall (1-3 m). Stem leaves are similar to rosette leaves but are narrower and shorter (4-10” or 10-25 cm long). Flowers are present from late spring through summer in fiddleneck arrangements arising from stem leaf axils. Flowers are somewhat funnel-shaped with 5 fused purplish-blue petals and light pink stamens that extend beyond the petals. Flowers are subtended by lance-shaped bracts. Each flower produces 4 prickly, brown, 1-seeded nutlets.
REPRODUCTION: By seed. Seeds remain viable in the soil for many years.
HABITAT: Prefers sunny habitats with mesic to moist conditions. Thrives on steep and disturbed hillsides in coastal habitats. Limited by harsh winters and full shade.
LOOK-ALIKES: Leaves and flowers are similar to other exotic Echium species, including the two included in earlier pages of this guide. The massive cylindrical flowering stem of pine echium is unlike any other Echium species in western North America.
CITATIONS:
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
GROWTH TRAITS: Herbaceous biennial or triennial growing 6½-13’ tall (2-4 m) from a deep taproot. The plant typically remains as a tall rosette the first year, flowers the second or third year, and then dies. Rosette leaves are 10-20” long (25-50 cm), narrowly lance-shaped, deeply veined, and covered in fine, rough hairs. There is one main, unbranched, cylindrical flowering stem resembling a woody trunk 3.2-10’ tall (1-3 m). Stem leaves are similar to rosette leaves but are narrower and shorter (4-10” or 10-25 cm long). Flowers are present from late spring through summer in fiddleneck arrangements arising from stem leaf axils. Flowers are somewhat funnel-shaped with 5 fused purplish-blue petals and light pink stamens that extend beyond the petals. Flowers are subtended by lance-shaped bracts. Each flower produces 4 prickly, brown, 1-seeded nutlets.
REPRODUCTION: By seed. Seeds remain viable in the soil for many years.
HABITAT: Prefers sunny habitats with mesic to moist conditions. Thrives on steep and disturbed hillsides in coastal habitats. Limited by harsh winters and full shade.
LOOK-ALIKES: Leaves and flowers are similar to other exotic Echium species, including the two included in earlier pages of this guide. The massive cylindrical flowering stem of pine echium is unlike any other Echium species in western North America.
CITATIONS:
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Asteranae |
| Order: Boraginales |
| Family: Boraginaceae |
| Genus: Echium |
| Echium pininana |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.