Echium vulgare
| Echium vulgare | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Echium vulgare (common name: viper's bugloss)
Propagation: Seed - sow February-May or August-November in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 15°c.
If the seed is in short supply then it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in any good garden soil but flowers best when the soil is not too rich[1]. Requires a sunny position[2].
The plant is very deep rooted[3].
A good bee plant[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, the Urals and W. Asia.
Habitat: Calcareous and light dry soils, especially on cliffs near the sea[3][4][5]. It is also found on walls, old quarries and gravel pits[3].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked[4][6][7]. They can be used as a spinach substitute[6]. Mild and mucilaginous[K]. Although somewhat hairy, when chopped up finely they are an acceptable part of a mixed salad[K]. Eating the leaves is said to stimulate sexual desire[6]. Use with caution, there is an unconfirmed report of toxicity[8].
Medicinal: Viper's bugloss was once considered to be a preventative and remedy for viper bites[9]. It is related to borage, Borago officinalis, and has many similar actions, especially in its sweat-inducing and diuretic effects[9]. In recent times, however, it has fallen out of use, partly due to lack of interest in its medicinal potential and partly to its content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are toxic in isolation[9].
The leaves and flowering stems are antitussive, aphrodisiac, demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral and vulnerary[3][4][10]. An infusion of the plant is taken internally as a diuretic and in the treatment of fevers, headaches, chest conditions etc[11][9]. The juice of the plant is an effective emollient for reddened and delicate skins, it is used as a poultice or plaster to treat boils and carbuncles[4][9]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[4].
The roots contain the healing agent allantoin[10].
The plant is said to be efficacious in the treatment of snake bites[3]. When chopped up finely, the fresh flowering heads can be made into a poultice for treating whitlows and boils[4].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from the root[4].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves are poisonous[12]. No cases of poisoning have ever been recorded for this plant[13]. The bristly hairs on the leaves and stems can cause severe dermatitis[14].
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.
- ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.