Echium vulgare

RHS Plant Profile

viper's bugloss

Other common names

adderwort, blue devil, blue thistle, blueweed, bugloss, cat's tail, North American blueweed, snake flower, viper's grass, viper's herb, tafod y bwch

Synonyms

Echium wierzbickii

Annual Biennial

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A bushy, erect biennial to 90cm tall, with lance-shaped, bristly-hairy leaves, and dense cylindrical spikes of bell-shaped violet-blue flowers in early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing or North–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Boraginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Echium can be annuals, biennials, evergreen perennials or shrubs, with simple, coarsely hairy leaves and funnel-shaped flowers borne in panicles or dense spikes in summer
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Suitable for annual border or wildlife garden

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs or glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite under glass

Diseases

Generally disease-free