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On a recent visit to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, I spotted some very unusally shaped plants – they looked like towers with all sorts of curved spokes or branches coming out at the bottom. Needless to say, I had to head over and photograph them!

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(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

It turns out that these fascinating plants are called Tower of Jewels (echium wildpretii). They are a member of the borage family, and grow in the Canary islands.

As I looked at the Towers of Jewels, I was amazed at the way the flowers and leaves curved around the plants.

echium_wildpretii_tower_of_jewels_0186(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The details of the Tower of Jewels were amazing – little red and pink flowers with white tips, small green leaves and longer light green curved leaves.

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(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

echium_wildpretii_tower_of_jewels_0209(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

That same morning, I photographed another member of the Echium genus. The Pride of Madeira (echium candicans) had clusters of little blue flowers seemingly moving upward in a never ending spiral.

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(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

echium_candicans_pride_of_madeira_9889(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The Tower of Jewels and Pride of Madeira are among the most incredible flowers I’ve photographed so far at Longwood Gardens. I never know quite what to expect or what I’ll find to photograph at Longwood – I just know there will be something spectacular.