Red viper's bugloss
Dark red-flowered bugloss of East European and Caucasian steppes; nectar-rich like its relatives, but protected in many countries.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.3-0.6 m
- Life cycle
- Biennial
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Formerly known as Echium russicum, this species has now been moved to a separate genus, Pontechium. It is a biennial or perennial plant of limestone steppes and dry grassland from central and eastern Europe to the Caucasus and western Siberia. Small dark red flowers open in a dense spike at the top of its upright stems. Like most viper's buglosses it is rich in nectar; honey bees and bumblebees visit it regularly.
Flowering
It flowers from May to July; because the spike opens from the bottom upwards, a single plant stays in flower for several weeks.
Honey and pollen
It has no honey of its own and goes into steppe honeys. Like many members of the Boraginaceae it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids; these can pass into honey, but since the plant is scarce its share in the honey is low.
Note for the beekeeper
Because its habitat has shrunk, it is on the red list in many countries; it should not be taken from the wild, and only seed-raised plants should be used in the garden. It is a decorative choice for dry, sunny bee gardens.