Viper’s Bugloss is a very odd name for a very pretty wildflower. The roots of this plant have been used to treat snake or viper bites, hence the common name. Echium vulgare is also called blueweed for its stunning, bright blue flowers. The flowers are on a tall, leafy stalk that appears on the plant in the spring and summer. They are bell-shaped with 5 corolla lobes. The flowers are rose-pink when they open and then change to blue as they mature. The stamens don’t change color so the mature flowers are blue with 5 long, magenta-pink stamens. It is a biennial and it is in the borage family, the Boraginaceae. The flowers are rich in nectar and attract a variety of insects. E. vulgare is native to Europe and Asia. It is widely grown in temperate regions as a garden plant. Hardy in zones 3-8.

The viper's bugloss is not sold or shipped to Washington State.