Echium vulgare 'Blue Bedder'
viper's bugloss 'Blue Bedder'
A vigorous cultivar, at 45cm it is rather shorter than the species, multi-branched, with short, crowded spikes of violet-blue flowers, magenta flushed when fading, and pink buds. Very attractive to pollinating insects
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue | Green | ||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow outdoors in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun
Propagation
Propagate by seed outdoors at 13-16°C (41-45°F), in late summer and overwinter as seedlings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Wildflower meadow
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Prairie planting
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required but flowering can be extended to four months if plants are deadheaded
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs or glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite under glass
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.