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It has massive green leaves that stay green through out the year, purple flowers in clusters that bloom from early spring through out the summer. And it's in Spain :) Any help appreciated! Thank you.

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  • need a clear image of the leaves - under magnification, this photo is too fuzzy to see clearly. Paulownia tomentosa springs to mind, but the leaves don't look big enough, though its hard to tell, not much in the pic to show scale
    – Bamboo
    Nov 18, 2015 at 14:17
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    Thank you for your answer. I have attached another photo of a close up of the leaf. Hope this helps :)
    – Ana
    Nov 18, 2015 at 14:56
  • Can we get a better idea of the overall size of the plant? Comparing to the wall in the background, I'd guess it's about 2.5m to 3m tall and 3m to 4m across. The leaves look like they're about 40cm long by 20cm wide; is that about right? Does it have a single stem or multiple stems? Is the stem (or stems) woody or herbaceous?
    – Niall C. ♦
    Nov 18, 2015 at 15:26
  • The size you mentioned is about right. It's very tall and wide and the leaves are massive. I attached another photo of the stem and it is woody and multiple. Any ideas?
    – Ana
    Nov 18, 2015 at 15:43
  • I wonder if this is a tree that has been cut down...
    – kevinskio ♦
    Nov 20, 2015 at 13:43

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It is Caracus wigandia or stinging tree: Wigandia caracasana or Wigandia urens - they have not decided which name is right yet (there are even more). It's introduced from Central America, but is commonly planted as an ornamental, and is fairly hardy, to zone 8 here in the US. Here is a link from Spain (Alicante) that shows it really well, in much the same situation as yours: http://www.apatita.com/herbario/Hydrophyllaceae/Wigandia_caracasana.html

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  • I got there by searching google for "tree blue flower big leaves" but didn't see it at first. Bamboo with Ehretia dicksonii is close as the family is the same (at least recently as the Hydrophylaceae is now part of Boraginaceae).
    – Eric Deloak
    Nov 25, 2015 at 0:20
  • Great job! I have been google-ing the same thing for days but could't find it! Mystery solved thank you very much!
    – Ana
    Nov 25, 2015 at 8:03

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