Scientific Name:
Echium vulgare
Pronunciation:
EK-ee-um vull-GAIR-ee
Common Name:
blueweed, viper's bugloss
Family Name:
Boraginaceae
Plant Type:
Biennial, Invasive plant
Key ID Features:
Basal leaves oblanceolate, 6-25cm long x 0.5-3cm wide; stem leaves alternate sessile, lanceolate with bristly hairs and white speckles; florets appear on a panicle in the second year, 12-20mm long; nutlets angular, 4 per floret. eFlora BC
Habit:
Irregular
Form:
Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe (naturalized in many areas of North America)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Medicinal plant, Perennial border, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Prickly, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Blue (rarely pink or white)
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets"
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts, Storage tap root
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
