Echium fastuosum or Pride of Madeira, is a member of the Boraginaceae family, featuring spikes of blue flowers in spring. A native of the island of Madeira in the Canary Island chain, this species has escaped cultivation in New Zealand and is on a watch list in Victoria, Australia - at the same time it is rare and endangered in it's native habitat. The leaves carry bristly hairs that can cause allergic dermatitis in susceptible individuals; the hairs on the dead leaves are especially annoying to gardeners trying to pick up leaf litter in their gardens. Hardy to temperatures in the mid-20s, this species is also well adapted to salty coastal conditions.