The soft pink and deep blue of the Viper Bugloss brings fresh color to the garden. Find out here how you can use it to enchant your garden and numerous insects.
Insects are becoming fewer and fewer in Europe, so now is the time to do something. The garden is an effective place for this and the common bugloss (Echium vulgare) is just the right partner: good-looking, easy to care for, native and extremely popular with all kinds of insects.
Origin and Properties of the Viper Bugloss
The common or blue viper's bugloss is one of our native wild plants. Its range extends from Europe to western Asia. It is also widespread in Germany. You can easily recognize the plant by its striking blue flowers. They are still pink when they open, but gradually turn to a deep blue. The stamens and styles protrude excessively long from the flowers. With a flowering period from May to October, the biennial plants not only delight garden owners, but also numerous insects. The leaves of the plant are deep green and narrowly lanceolate. Since the plant belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae), it is densely covered with bristles. The green stalk is often covered with red spots.
Planting and caring for the Viper Bugloss
The viper's bugloss feels particularly comfortable in warm, sunny and dry locations. Wild it is often found on railway embankments or other dry ruderal areas. So preferably plant Viper's Bugloss on sandy, stony or gravelly surfaces in a sun-exposed location. The plant rarely gets too dry. You should only water the first time after planting or sowing. The easiest way is probably to sow the viper's bugloss. Since the plant is extremely robust, this usually succeeds without any problems. Forms in the first yearinitially only a rosette of leaves emerges. Only in the second year does the plant develop shoots with flowers.
You do not need to take care of the Viper Bugloss. He likes it dry and low in nutrients anyway. And even a cold winter is no problem for the plant, because then it retreats into its deep taproot. The plant dies after two years. If you want the plant to self-seed, you should leave the flower stalks after they have faded. Otherwise you should of course remove it before sowing.
The Viper Bugloss as an insect magnet
As a native wild plant, the viper's bugloss has a lot to offer for insects. Its long flowering period from May to October attracts numerous visitors and the high sugar content in the nectar is a great reward. At least twenty different species of butterflies have been identified on the Adderkopf. Including some skipper butterflies (Thymelicus) and the magnificent swallowtail (Papilio machaon). But the flower of the viper's bugloss also offers a valuable source of food for hoverflies, bees and wild bees. Two native wild bee species even specialize in this plant.
The viper's bugloss bee (Osmia adunca) and the rock viper's bee (Osmia anthocopoides) can only occur where the Adderhead grows. The viper's bugloss is therefore predestined for insect-friendly gardens, flowering meadows and bee pastures.
Tip: The Plantura Butterfly Club contains a wide variety of species of butterfly-friendly plants. This is how butterflies and caterpillars find food for months.