Echium italicum, commonly known as Italian Viper’s Bugloss or Pale Bugloss, is a biennial or short-lived perennial herb native to the Mediterranean Basin, including North Africa, western Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe. It thrives in open areas such as grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed sites, often in dry, sunny locations. Italian Viper’s Bugloss can reach a height of 30-80 cm (12-31 inches) and a width of 20-50 cm (8-20 inches). It has a rosette of hairy, lance-shaped leaves and tall spikes of creamy white to pale blue flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. The flowers are particularly attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Italian Viper’s Bugloss is valued for its striking flower spikes and ability to attract wildlife. It is used in wildflower gardens, as part of pollinator-friendly plantings, and for naturalizing in informal settings. This plant prefers well-drained soil, tolerates drought once established, and thrives in full sun to part shade. While generally low-maintenance, it can self-seed prolifically under favorable conditions, which may be undesirable in some gardens. It has no major disease or pest issues, but its coarse hairs can irritate skin on contact.CC BY-SA 4.0