Echium Russicum | 20+ seeds | Hardy Biennial | Bees & Pollenators

Please find for sale 20+ Echium Russicum seeds, also known as "Viper's Bugloss". I love growing Echiums  - they make hardy border biennials - with Russicum featuring long stems of deep red flowers from June to August! This Echium is more hardy than Echium Fastuosum (Pride of Madeira) that I also grow and sell. Echiums are a magnet for bees and other pollenators!

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ORDERS RECEIVED BEFORE 8PM (MON-FRI) WILL BE DISPATCHED SAME DAY

SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY SHOP

INSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME WITH ANY GROWING QUESTIONS.

The key to growing and getting Echiums through winter is to make sure they are in well-drained soil in a sheltered site in full sun. In cooler regions you may need to protect the roots from frost or move under glass for winter – collect seed after flowering as an insurance against winter losses

Germination Guide

• Sow seeds indoors from mid spring to early summer 
• Prepare a seeds tray of sieved, well-draining soil mix - ideally 50/50 good quality compost and vermiculite or horticultural sand.
• Potting mix should be moist but not wet
• Sow the seeds individually 3mm deep and cover with sieved compost.
• Ideal germination temperature 13-18c i.e. coolish room temperature
• Seedlings should appear in 3-6 weeks
• Keep soil moist but not wet - best to water from the bottom by having tray inside another water tight tray.
• Pot on seedlings when large enough to handle as required.
• Overwinter in a cool greenhouse, conservatory or well lit windowsill with temp. 5-10°C. 
• Plant out the following spring 120cm spacing
• After risk of frost has well passed, plant out in a warm, sheltered location or use as large pot specimens for greenhouse or conservatory.
• Quite cold hardy, but protect base of the plant over winter and wrap in horticultural fleece, or bring plant inside if potted. 
• Keep dry over winter if possible to prevent rotting. Remove flower spikes after flowering as this will extend the lifespan of the plant. 
• Will readily self-seed

Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!

I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between: