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Echium vulgare 'Blue Bedder'

viper's bugloss 'Blue Bedder'

A vigorous cultivar, at 45cm it is rather shorter than the species, multi-branched, with short, crowded spikes of violet-blue flowers, magenta flushed when fading, and pink buds. Very attractive to pollinating insects

Synonyms

Echium plantagineum L. 'Blue Bedder'

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 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

Exposure

Exposed or 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: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
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: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed outdoors at 13-16°C (41-45°F), in late summer and overwinter as seedlings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Prairie planting
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required but flowering can be extended to four months if plants are deadheaded

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs or glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite under glass

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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