Purple Viper's-bugloss
Echium plantagineum
Also listed as Echium lycopsis, Echium orientale
Also known as Paterson's Curse, Salvation Jane, Viper's Bugloss
Climate Match for your location
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A showy annual wildflower with vibrant purple-blue flowers arranged in spike-like clusters and hairy, lance-shaped leaves. It thrives in dry conditions and poor soils, making it ideal for naturalized plantings and drought-tolerant gardens.
Why grow it
Purple viper's-bugloss establishes quickly in marginal soils where many ornamentals struggle, offering reliable color without supplemental fertilizer or irrigation once rooted. Compared to other spike-flowered annuals like snapdragons or salvias, it tolerates lower fertility and drier conditions more readily, making it practical for large-scale naturalized plantings or gardens where soil amendment is impractical. The dense, hairy foliage also provides early-season structure before flowering begins.
Watch out for
In areas with adequate moisture and fertility, this plant can self-seed prolifically and persist beyond a single season, requiring management if you want to prevent volunteers in subsequent years. Deadheading spent flower spikes will extend bloom but may be labor-intensive on large plantings; leaving flowers to mature naturally simplifies maintenance but increases seed set.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Boraginaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A showy annual wildflower with vibrant purple-blue flowers arranged in spike-like clusters and hairy, lance-shaped leaves. It thrives in dry conditions and poor soils, making it ideal for naturalized plantings and drought-tolerant gardens.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Purple Viper's-bugloss grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Purple viper's-bugloss establishes quickly in marginal soils where many ornamentals struggle, offering reliable color without supplemental fertilizer or irrigation once rooted. Compared to other spike-flowered annuals like snapdragons or salvias, it tolerates lower fertility and drier conditions more readily, making it practical for large-scale naturalized plantings or gardens where soil amendment is impractical. The dense, hairy foliage also provides early-season structure before flowering begins.
Watch out for
In areas with adequate moisture and fertility, this plant can self-seed prolifically and persist beyond a single season, requiring management if you want to prevent volunteers in subsequent years. Deadheading spent flower spikes will extend bloom but may be labor-intensive on large plantings; leaving flowers to mature naturally simplifies maintenance but increases seed set.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Boraginaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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