Boraginaceae FAMILY

Echium vulgare

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The leaves are poisonous[ 20 Title Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Publication Author Riotte. L. Publisher Garden Way, Vermont, USA. Year 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0 Description Fairly good. ]. No cases of poisoning have ever been recorded for this plant[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ]. The bristly hairs on the leaves and stems can cause severe dermatitis[ 207 Title The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Publication Author Coffey. T. Publisher Facts on File. Year 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6 Description A nice read, lots of information on plant uses. ].

Botanical Description

Echium vulgare is a Biennial/Perennial up to 0.90 metres tall. It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurope, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, the Urals and W. Asia.

HabitatCalcareous and light dry soils, especially on cliffs near the sea[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. , 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. It is also found on walls, old quarries and gravel pits[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. ].