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Boraginaceae
Echium

*Echium vulgare Linnaeus. Common name: Viper's-bugloss, Blueweed. Phenology: Jun-Sep. Habitat: Roadsides, dry pastures, disturbed areas. Distribution: Native of Mediterranean Europe. Reported for Cook County, GA (Carter, Baker, & Morris 2009). Reported for Jackson County, AL by Barger et al. (2023).

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Mediterranean Europe and Africa

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, GrPl, Il, Mi, NcTx, NE, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WV; = Echium vulgare L. var. vulgare — F, G; < Echium vulgare L. — K4, NY, Al-Shehbaz (1991); Echium vulgare L. Basionym: Echium vulgare L. 1753

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Heliophily ⓘ: 9

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image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jim Fowler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect, bristly biennial of roadsides, dry pastures and disturbed areas. Native of Mediterranean Europe but now widespread in North America.

Stems: Stem unbranched and covered with stiff, spreading hairs.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, sessile, oblong to lance-shaped, 3/4-5 1/2 in. long (reduced in size upward), hairy.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in bristly, coiled racemes that branch off the stem; bright blue to blue-violet (pink in bud); ½ in. long; bilaterally symmetric and tubular to funnel-shaped, with 5 rounded lobes and 4 red stamens.

Fruits: Fruit an oval-oblong nutlet.

Comments: Abundant bristles make this plant painful to touch.

Height: 12-32 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect, bristly biennial of roadsides, dry pastures and disturbed areas. Native of Mediterranean Europe but now widespread in North America.

stems: Stem unbranched and covered with stiff, spreading hairs.

leaves: Leaves alternate, sessile, oblong to lance-shaped, 3/4-5 1/2 in. long (reduced in size upward), hairy.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in bristly, coiled racemes that branch off the stem; bright blue to blue-violet (pink in bud); ½ in. long; bilaterally symmetric and tubular to funnel-shaped, with 5 rounded lobes and 4 red stamens.

fruits: Fruit an oval-oblong nutlet.

comments: Abundant bristles make this plant painful to touch.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



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