Flower profile

Viper's-bugloss

Echium vulgare

Viper's-bugloss (Echium vulgare) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Not native to West Virginia

Viper's-bugloss is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In West Virginia it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

42states where USDA records it

593WV sightings*

5,544U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: West Virginia

Quick look

Echium vulgare, known as viper's bugloss and blueweed, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae. It is native to most of Europe and western and central Asia and it occurs as an introduced species in north-eastern North America, south-western South America and the South and North Island of New Zealand.
From Wikipedia's article Echium vulgare, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 42 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In West Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 593 research-grade sightings of it in West Virginia, ranking #57 among the 153 flowers on our West Virginia list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In West Virginia, most flowering sightings come in June–August.

Flowering records by month in West Virginia (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (50 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. CAUSES SEVERE PAIN IN THE MOUTH IF EATEN! Digestive upset and liver damage as well as skin irritation from the coarse hairs. It is toxic to livestock due to a buildup…” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to horses

ASPCA's entry “Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)” (Echium vulgare) lists it as toxic to horses. Signs include: Horses: liver disease (must be ingested in large amount or over a long time period) Credit: G.A. Cooper, courtesy of Smithsonian… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records viper's-bugloss in 42 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

West Virginia counties with USDA records: Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Morgan, Ohio, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, Tucker, Wayne, Wetzel, Wyoming.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Introduced; Canada: Waif (occasional, not established); Lower 48 states: Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 496 counties across 39 states; the most are in Virginia (68), Pennsylvania (51), New York (49).

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Virginia waterleaf, Pacific hound's tongue, Distant phacelia, Alkali heliotrope, Virginia stickseed, Wild comfrey, Menzies' baby blue eyes.

More West Virginia flowers

Virginia bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Native

🌼 Blooms in WV: March–April

Wild comfrey

Andersonglossum virginianum

🌼 Few flowering records in WV

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

★ CT state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in WV: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ECVU.
iNaturalist, Echium vulgare: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Echium vulgare (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Echium vulgare (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Evan M. Raskin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.