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
You would be much easier to understand if you took that bucket off of your head. And that goes for the tiny ad too!
permaculture and gardener gifts (stocking stuffers?)