Echium vulgare

Viper's Bugloss, Blueweed

[not native to the Mid-Atlantic area]

[ click on any image below to see larger version ]

Family: Boraginaceae (Borage family)

Mid-Atlantic bloom time: June - September

Viper's Bugloss is a native to Europe and western and central Asia. The plant is toxic to horses and cattle if eaten. Its stems are spotted with dark red or purple spots and have long bristly hairs.

The common name 'bugloss' (pronounced 'bew-gloss') is derived from the Greek word βούγλωσσον meaning 'ox-tongued'; it is a reference to the blue flowers suggesting the blueish tongue of an ox.

6 June 2009 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	6 June 2009 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	6 June 2009 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	15 June 2012 Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA
15 June 2012 Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA	1 June 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	24 July 2024 Shenandoah National Park, VA (stem leaf)	24 July 2024 Shenandoah National Park, VA
14 July 2022 Silver Lake Regional Park, Haymarket, VA	24 July 2024 Shenandoah National Park, VA	14 July 2022 Silver Lake Regional Park, Haymarket, VA	24 July 2024 Shenandoah National Park, VA

Return to list of flora