Viper's bugloss - Echium vulgare - Organic perennial

Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) is an annual, biennial or perennial plant of the rough-leaved family (Boraginaceae). In the Netherlands, it is found mainly in calcareous dunes, on warm, slightly fertilised sandy soil. Outside of this area, it is a rare plant, especially in the northeastern Netherlands.

In Europe, the distribution area runs from Central Scandinavia to Spain. In North America, the plant has been introduced.

The plant is a host plant for Cynaeda dentalis (the only host plant), Coleophora onosmella, Coleophora pennella, thistle butterfly (Cynthia cardui), Ethmia bipunctella, Lobesia abscisana, Lobesia artemisiana, Tinagma balteolella, Tinagma ocnerostomella and the moth Douglasia ocnerostomella .

Viper's bugloss is pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees and by wild bees such as the mandarin bee, yellow-spotted wood mason bee, golden mason bee (Osmia aurulenta), large woolly bee (Anthidum manicatum), small woolly bee (Anthidium punctatum ), falsepeta bee (Anthophora quadrimaculata), viper's bugloss (Osmia adunca), white mourning bee (Melecta luctuosa) and swallow's bee (Osmia anthocopoides).

BIO-NL-01