Echium vulgare
Natternkopf
Common names: Common Nettlehead, Blue Nettlehead
Photo: JackyM59 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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Description
Echium vulgare is a biennial wild shrub that produces deep blue, sometimes violet‑shimmering flowers from June to September. It thrives on dry, poor soils such as vineyards and roadside edges and is well suited to sparse garden corners that are difficult to plant otherwise. The entire plant is toxic; it contains compounds that can damage the liver over time, and its leaves and stems are covered in rough hairs that can irritate sensitive skin.
Care instructions
Choose a sunny, warm spot with well‑drained, somewhat poor soil. In its first year it needs little water and tolerates drought well; avoid waterlogged soils. A rosette of leaves forms in the first year, and the plant produces tall flower spikes in the second year. If you allow some seed heads to remain, the plant will self‑sow and provide a reliable bee habitat for years. Deadhead spent stems close to the ground if you find the self‑sowing too profuse. Wear gloves when pruning, as the rough hairs can irritate skin and all parts of the plant are toxic.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, dry, lime-loving
Feeding
Light feeder
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