Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Echium plantagineum

Family

Boraginaceae

Flowering season

June to August

English distribution

It is scattered throughout the country but is more common

in the South and West.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Purple Viper’s-bugloss

Habitat

It is an archaeophyte from southern Europe which grows

on coastal cliffs and sandy places.

It is sometimes grown as crop for the production of Echium

oil and is also a garden escape, a contaminant of crops,

such as Quinoa, and in wildflower seed mixtures.

In some countries it is considered an invasive, noxious

weed.

Description

Purple Viper’s-bugloss is an annual or biennial herb

growing up to 75cm.

The flowers are purple and up to 3cm.

The petals form a tube with unequal lobes at the top.

There are 5 stamens, 2 of which are longer and may

protrude from the flower.

The filaments are blue-pink and the stamens dark blue.

The style is white and bifid at the top.

The calyx are softly hairy at the margins and persist as

the cymes extend after flowering.

The leaves are oblong to lanceolate, slightly wavy and

up to 14cm..