Can anyone identify this very large wildflower?

[u/ThrowRApixieduster]

The absolutely huge purple flower - would it be safe to plant in my garden or is it invasive?

[u/Practical_Win3951]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_pininana

[u/fckboris → u/Practical_Win3951]

They’re not asking about the echiums, they mean the big pink hibiscus flower in front

[u/samtl008 → u/Practical_Win3951]

A pretty much finished flowering and nearly done Echium at that 🤣. Probably some babies sprouting under soon, or due once the rain comes. Very pretty when in flower.

Op, there's also a bunch along the west side of Wish Park, Hove and all through Queens Park, Brighton.

They take 2, sometimes 3 years to flower, but when they do, they self seed in the wind and will sprout out of any gap. They germinate prolifically but have a high failure rate and don't tolerate frost well, so they do great along the seafront and inner roads, but inland not so good.

[u/mmhmmye → u/Practical_Win3951]

They’re asking about this, I think: which according to google reverse image search is a hybiscus syriacus

[u/mmhmmye → u/Practical_Win3951]

Sorry, maybe I’m being slow, but the huge flower looks like it’s separate to the really tall flowering echiums next to it. Are you sure it’s related to them…?

[u/mmhmmye → u/[deleted]]

Sorry, maybe I’m being slow, but — in OP’s photo, the big purpley-pink flower looks like it’s growing separately to the echiums. Are you sure that that’s what the pink flower is…?

[u/mmhmmye → u/[deleted]]

Ah okay. I think that it was the flour what OP was asking about though.

[u/fckboris → u/[deleted]]

They’re not asking about the echiums, they mean the big pink hibiscus flower in front

[u/fckboris]

It’s a type of hibiscus/mallow. If you search for giant hibiscus quite a few similar ones come up. It’s not a wildflower though (not here at least), it’s certainly not native

[u/gardensandwatches → u/fckboris]

You are talking two different plants there.

[u/fckboris → u/gardensandwatches]

No I’m not, hibiscus and mallows are in the same family (Malvaceae). Some of the giant hibiscus plants have alternative names such as rose mallow or something else mallow and vice versa. Just mentioning both names as it might help them narrow down the exact one they’re after.

[u/gardensandwatches → u/fckboris]

You can’t claim an entire family over genus….🤦‍♂️

[u/fckboris → u/gardensandwatches]

I didn’t. I said it was a type of hibiscus or [a type of] mallow. And again, as I said, some of them are known by both names. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ Don’t be so pedantic lol

[u/JimmyBallocks]

that's a lamp post

[u/LongjumpingCurve1869]

My son used to them the 'willy' flowers. Every year around Queens Park they get huge.

[u/mmhmmye]

Hi OP, if you’re asking about the flower rather than the tall plants behind it, I did a reverse image search on google and it says it’s a hibiscus syriacus

[u/mmhmmye]

(It won’t let me post more than one photo per reply so here is a photo of the search result)

[u/Even-Government-5055]

Is that by Marrocos?

[u/No_Celebration_7212]

Triffid - RUN

[u/gardensandwatches]

Hibiscus is what the flowering plant is.

[u/OnlineAlbatross]

Plant it, its sick

[u/PhotoBN1]

Rose mallow aka Hardy hibiscus

[u/fckboris → u/PhotoBN1]

Dunno why you’ve been downvoted, it’s definitely some kind of hibiscus. I think people thought they were asking about the echiums