Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Echium tuberculatum

Portugese viperina

A short-lived, rosette-forming perennial to 70cm tall, the stems and rough-textured leaves are sparsely covered with stiff hairs. In summer it bears a profusion of deep pink, funnel-shaped flowers

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Boraginaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Echium can be annuals, biennials, evergreen perennials or shrubs, with simple, coarsely hairy leaves and funnel-shaped flowers borne in panicles or dense spikes in summer
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Iberian Pen., N Africa

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, freely-draining soil in a sheltered, sunny, warm site. Protect from winter frosts in-situ using biodegradable horticultural fleece

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 13-16°C in summer, overwintering seedlings at 5-7°C

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.