The Gardeners Almanac

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Echium

Common name: Viper's Bugloss

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Week Numbers

Compost

Heating

Planting out

Pricking out

Seed sowing

Overview:

Flower head

Echium vulgare

Echium vulgare is a hardy flowering biennial that grows to about 300mm (12") high.

This is an attractive plant of wild flower origin that is a useful subject for the herbaceous garden or for naturalising in a wild flower garden.

It is drought tolerant thus making it a good candidate for those drier sandy areas of the garden.

The 200mm (8") long funnel shaped blue, pink, purple or white flowers appear in July and continue flowering through till the frosts.

They are a favoured flower of bumble bees.


Cultivation:

Week 16:

Sow the seeds under glass in trays of seed compost and germinate at 16°C (60°F).

Germination should take about 5 -7 days.


Week 18:

Prick out seedlings into boxes or cell trays when large enough to handle.


Week 21:

Plant out 300mm (12") apart in an open sunny position.