Blueweed – description, flowering period and general distribution in Alaska. young plant

Blueweed – description, flowering period and general distribution in Alaska. covered with prickly setae with an admixture of small whitish-gray villi

Blueweed – description, flowering period and general distribution in Alaska. lonely bush

Blueweed – description, flowering period and general distribution in Alaska. sky blue flowers

Blueweed – description, flowering period and general distribution in Alaska. Flowering plant - a very valuable honey plant

Common name:

Blueweed

Scientific name:

Echium vulgare.

Other common name(s):

Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle.

Life form:

Forb, Herb.

Flowering time:

41 days.

Flowering period

in Alaska for this plant is: June ↔ August.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:

300–1,000 pounds honey/acre

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:

Major

General distribution:

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 America.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 52 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

It is a biennial or monocarpic perennial plant growing to 30–80 cm tall, with rough, hairy, oblanceolate leaves. The flowers start pink and turn vivid blue and are 15–20 mm in a branched spike, with all the stamens protruding. The pollen is blue but the filaments of the stamens remain red, contrasting against the blue flowers.

Seasonal development:

It flowers between June and August.

Average rating 4.8/5 based on 19 reviews.

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List of honey plants that may be blooming now in Alaska

See the entire list

Acer glabrum (aka: Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey maple)

Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)

Crataegus douglasii (aka: Black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn, River hawthorn, Western thornapple)

Populus tremuloides (aka: Quaking aspen, Trembling aspen, Aspen, American aspen, Mountain aspen, Golden aspen, Trembling poplar, White poplar, Popple, Alamo Blanco)

Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)

Acer circinatum (aka: Vine maple)

Malus fusca (aka: Oregon crab, Oregon crab apple, Pacific crab apple, Western crab apple)

Rubus spectabilis (aka: Salmonberry)

Salix arbusculoides (aka: Littletree willow)

Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)

Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)

Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)

Salix pulchra (aka: Tealeaf willow, Flatleaf willow, Flat-leaved willow, Paneleaf willow, Thin red willow)

Salix hastata (aka: Halberd willow)

Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)

Salix alaxensis (aka: Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow)

Salix richardsonii (aka: Richardson's willow, Woolly willow)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)

Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)