Echium vulgare

Description

Echium vulgare or ‘Viper’s Bugloss’ as it is commonly known is a beautiful British Native found most frequently as a wildflower in grassy, shingly or chalky downs or in quarries or areas of wasteland.  The flowers, produced on stout stems up to 90cm high are breathtaking shades of deep deep blue with pink and purple – it’s a bold striking display and high in nectar too so adored by bees and other pollinators. Strangly it’s not often used by gardeners, often the huge and more tempermental giant Echium from the Canaries, Echium pinniniana is asked for and I guess rightly so; it is impressive. But being a native this Echium manages to cross over from natural to exotic plantings with ease all the time benefitting wildlife too, perfect in my book.

Flowers are born in the summer months and held above fuzzy deep green rosettes of leaves.  This is an ideal candidate for shingle and beach gardens along with wildflower schemes and over time it will happily naturalise creating a wonderful effect and affording a rich supply of nectar to hungry pollinators.  The flower colour is eye-popping.