I remember the first time I saw lots of Echiums growing along the road in the mountains north of Santa Cruz. The first thing I thought of was Dr Seuss. I see them in people's gardens around here, but I get the feeling they sort of went out of fashion like hydrangeas did. I think they're awesome, and apparently lots of types of bees do as well, so I'll be trying to grow them more (bad luck with the first few I started).
It looks like others have identified what kind of plant it is, and I learned something new because I didn't have any idea what it was. But, I can see in the picture, the plant is showing symptoms of fertilizer burn. The curling leaves and the burnt/brown leaf tips are sure signs of excess soluble nitrogen. Flushing the soil with water will greatly help the plant.
"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht
I was born with webbed fish toes. This tiny ad is my only friend:
montana community seeking 20 people who are gardeners or want to be gardeners