Beginner
skill rating
Online Garden Tools
Useful videos
Echium vulgare (any variety) (Viper's bugloss (any variety))
1 hour care
per year
per year
0.9m
Max height
Max height
0.3m
Max spread
Max spread
1-2 years
To maturity
To maturity
Low
Toxicity
Toxicity
Plant details
Botanical name
Echium vulgare (any variety)
Other names
Viper's bugloss (any variety), Viper's herb (any variety), North American blueweed (any variety), Snake flower (any variety), Viper's grass (any variety), Blueweed (any variety), Cat's tail (any variety), Adderwort , Blue devil (any variety), Blue thistle (any variety)
Genus
Echium Echium
Variety or Cultivar
E. vulgare (any variety) _ If you don't know the variety name of your Echium vulgare (Viper's bugloss), you can add this plant to your lists to get care advice.
E. vulgare (any variety) are upright, bristly biennials with hairy, linear to narrowly lance-shaped, toothed, grey-green leaves and short, dense cymes or spikes of broadly bell-shaped, violet-blue, sometimes pink or white flowers in early summer.
Echium vulgare (any variety) is: Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Upright
Toxicity
Severe discomfort may result if any part of the plant is ingested. Foliage may cause skin irritation.
Flower
White, Pink, Violet, Blue in Summer
Foliage
Grey-green in Spring; Grey-green in Summer; Grey-green in Autumn
How to care
Watch out for
Specific pests
Glasshouse whitefly , Slugs Glasshouse whitefly , Slugs
Diseases
Generally disease-free.
General care
Pruning
Deadhead to prolong flowering.
Propagation
Sow seed at 13-16C in late summer.
Propagation methods
Seed
Sign up for your FREE ACCOUNT today or login to receive detailed monthly care instructions
Where to grow
Echium vulgare (any variety) (Viper's bugloss (any variety)) will reach a height of 0.9m and a spread of 0.3m after 1-2 years.
Suggested uses
Beds and borders, Bees (attract & feed bees), Coastal, Cottage/Informal, Wildflower
Cultivation
Plant in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in sun.
Soil type
Chalky, Loamy, Sandy
Soil drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Light
Full Sun
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
Companion plants
Botanical name
Echium vulgare (any variety)
Other names
Viper's bugloss (any variety), Viper's herb (any variety), North American blueweed (any variety), Snake flower (any variety), Viper's grass (any variety), Blueweed (any variety), Cat's tail (any variety), Adderwort , Blue devil (any variety), Blue thistle (any variety)
Genus
Echium Echium
Variety or Cultivar
E. vulgare (any variety) _ If you don't know the variety name of your Echium vulgare (Viper's bugloss), you can add this plant to your lists to get care advice.
E. vulgare (any variety) are upright, bristly biennials with hairy, linear to narrowly lance-shaped, toothed, grey-green leaves and short, dense cymes or spikes of broadly bell-shaped, violet-blue, sometimes pink or white flowers in early summer.
Native to
Europe
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Upright
Toxicity
Severe discomfort may result if any part of the plant is ingested. Foliage may cause skin irritation.
Create your free Shoot garden
Create your free SHOOT garden and make a record of the plants in your garden.
Add your own photos, notes, get monthly email reminders on how to care for your plants, and connect with other gardeners. Get started now.
Colour
Flower
White, Pink, Violet, Blue in Summer
Foliage
Grey-green in Spring; Grey-green in Summer; Grey-green in Autumn
How to care
Watch out for
Specific pests
Diseases
Generally disease-free.
General care
Pruning
Deadhead to prolong flowering.
Propagation
Sow seed at 13-16C in late summer.
Propagation methods
Seed
Monthly care advice
Get access to monthly care advice
Create a free SHOOT account and get instant access to expert care advice for this and other plants in your garden.
You'll also receive handy monthly email reminders of what needs doing. Create your free account.
Where to grow
Echium vulgare (any variety) (Viper's bugloss (any variety)) will reach a height of 0.9m and a spread of 0.3m after 1-2 years.
Suggested uses
Beds and borders, Bees (attract & feed bees), Coastal, Cottage/Informal, Wildflower
Cultivation
Plant in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in sun.
Soil type
Chalky, Loamy, Sandy
Soil drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Light
Full Sun
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
USDA zones
Zone 8, Zone 7, Zone 6, Zone 5, Zone 4
In order to add a note on this plant, please add this plant to your plant lists.
| This plant likes... | Garden match | |
| Soil types: | Chalky, Loamy, Sandy | Tell us... |
| Soil drainage: | Well-drained | Tell us... |
| Soil pH: | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral | Tell us... |
| Light: | Full Sun | Tell us... |
| Aspect: | North, South, East, West | Tell us... |
| Exposure: | Sheltered | Tell us... |
| Hardiness: | Hardy (H4) | Tell us... |
COMPANION PLANTS
Report content or feedback to Shoot
To add ? to your lists,
login to your account or subscribe.
Find out more about plant lists here
or Login
To add notes for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To add images for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To check if this plant is suitable for your garden first login to your account or subscribe.
or Login