Italian bugloss

Italian bugloss: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Leaf rosette from which branched, upright flower stems grow, 90–120 cm tall and about 60 cm wide.

Leaves

Long and narrowly lance-shaped, up to 30 cm, dark green and rough, like an ox’s tongue.

Flower

Small, open flowers 1–1.5 cm across in loose, curled sprays, deep gentian blue with a white centre, from May to July.

Hairs

Stems and leaves are covered in stiff, prickly hairs.

Roots

A deep, fleshy taproot: drought-tolerant, but hard to move.

Lifespan

Often short-lived, 2–3 years, but easily renewed from root cuttings.

Flowering: May–July · Sowing: March–April · Plants: March–May · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• One of the most intense blues in the garden, from May to July.
• A top plant for honeybees, bumblebees and other wild bees.
• Grows quickly and gives tall, generous flowering after just a year.
• Ideal for a dry, sunny border, a gravel garden or a cottage garden.
• Easy to propagate from root cuttings, so you can always renew it.

Italian bugloss: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: only then does it flower freely and keep its stems sturdy.
• Poor to moderately fertile, well-drained sandy or loamy soil; acid, neutral or chalky are all fine.
• Dry to moderately moist; wet soil in winter is its worst enemy.
• A sheltered spot stops the wind from knocking over the tall stems.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Oriental poppy: Flowers at the same time, in orange and red beside the deep blue, and is also cut back after flowering.
• Shasta daisy: White next to blue: a fresh combination in early summer.
• Spurge: Lime-green flowers as a bright contrast.
• Catmint: Fills the gap after cutting back with blue until autumn.
• Golden marguerite: Yellow daisies for the same dry, sunny spot.

Italian bugloss: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May.

1. Plant from March to May, once the worst frosts are over.
2. Choose the final spot straight away: the deep taproot dislikes being moved.
3. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot, mix heavy soil with coarse sand or gravel and add no fertiliser.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, firm in and keep 50–60 cm between plants.
5. Water in moderately and water in dry spells for the first few weeks.
6. Spread gravel around the base instead of compost, so the crown stays dry.

Care

Watering

Once established, only in long dry spells; too much water makes it floppy.

Feeding

Not needed: in rich soil the stems grow long and fall over.

Support

Put in canes or a plant ring in April–May, especially in a windy spot.

Cutting back

After flowering, cut the flower stems back to the rosette: it then forms new rosettes and lives longer.

Gloves

Wear gloves: the stiff hairs can make sensitive skin itch.

Tip: Cut it back to the rosette as soon as it has finished flowering and take root cuttings every few years: that way you always have young plants ready when an old one gives up.

Italian bugloss: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: After flowering, in July, cut back all the flower stems. This is the most important cut of the year.

How:

• Cut the flower stems back to just above the leaf rosette at the base.
• If you snip off faded tips during flowering, it sometimes flowers a little longer.
• If you let seed ripen, it self-seeds here and there, but the plant wears itself out more.
• Wear gloves because of the prickly hairs.

Caution: If you leave the stems after flowering, the plant exhausts itself and often disappears after one or two years.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Root cuttings

In December–February, carefully lift a plant, cut 5–7 cm pieces from pencil-thick roots and insert them upright in a pot of sandy compost, with the top end level with the surface. Keep them frost-free and slightly moist; they sprout in spring.

Seed

Sow indoors in March–April at 15–20 °C, prick out into small pots and plant out in May. Cultivars do not always come true from seed.

Italian bugloss: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: cold is rarely a problem in Belgium.
• Wet soil is the greatest danger: in a wet winter the root rots. A well-drained spot matters more than protection.
• Leave the rosette after the summer cut: it overwinters and grows away again in spring.
• Take root cuttings in winter as a back-up, in case the parent plant does not survive.

Diseases and pests

• Rotting: In wet, heavy soil the plant disappears in winter. Plant in a well-drained, slightly raised spot and renew it from root cuttings.
• Flopping: The tall stems fall over in wind or rich soil. Support them in good time and do not feed.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in a dry late summer. Cut off affected parts and give the plants space.
• Slugs: They eat young rosettes in spring. Pick them off in the evening and spread grit around the base.
• Short life: It often disappears after 2–3 years. Cut it back after flowering and take root cuttings in good time.

Through the year

• January: Take root cuttings.
• March: Sow indoors. Plant after the worst frosts.
• April: Put supports in place. Sow and plant.
• May: Flowering begins. Plant.
• June: Full flower: busy with bees and bumblebees.
• July: After flowering, cut back to the rosette.
• August: New rosettes grow. Water in long dry spells.
• December: Take root cuttings.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name bugloss comes from the Greek for ‘ox tongue’, after the long, rough leaves.
• It belongs to the borage family, like comfrey, borage and forget-me-not.
• In its native range it often grows along field margins and on waste ground.