Viper's Bugloss (Echium)

Due to its ingredients, the viper's bugloss ( Echium ) can be used in a similar way to comfrey. Its brightly colored flowers attract many bees and other insects.

Use in the kitchen:

Is viper's bugloss edible? Viper's bugloss, comfrey , borage , coltsfoot, butterbur, lungwort and stone seeds have three things in common: they are traditional medicinal plants and former food plants, but they also contain alkaloids that are toxic to the liver. Occasional consumption of small amounts was once considered harmless, but it is now advised against.

Vegan recipe with viper's bugloss:

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment ( BfR ) recommends avoiding the consumption of foods containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). That's why we don't present a vegan recipe for viper's bugloss - as we usually do with the ingredients.

Purchasing - where to buy?

Viper's bugloss seeds can be purchased online or in specialist shops.

We have not yet found any viper's bugloss products in supermarket chains such as Coop , Migros , Denner , Volg , Spar , Aldi , Lidl , Rewe , Edeka or Hofer as well as in the organic supermarkets Denns and Alnatura .

Echium oil from the seeds of the plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ) is approved as a novel food and must contain a minimum of 10% by weight of stearidonic acid (one of the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, see below) of the total fatty acids. The content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids must not be detectable (detection limit of 4 μg/kg). ² Nevertheless, there is a risk that it may contain harmful pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). ¹

In 1992, the Federal Health Office ( BGA ) in Berlin strictly regulated the approval and marketing of medicinal products containing PA, which particularly includes certain medicinal plants and their preparations. Since then, only preparations containing a daily dose of less than 100 µg PA (for external use) and 1 µg PA (internal use) have been approved as medicinal products. This regulation also applies to viper's bugloss oil. ¹

Ready-made preparations or capsules containing Echium oil are available in pharmacies. Here, the pharmacist is responsible for only dispensing PA-free products. ¹

Found in the wild - Season:

Viper's bugloss species (viper's bugloss) are annual or perennial, herbaceous plants that can reach a height of up to one meter. The above-ground parts of the plant are characterized by their bristly hairs. They survive the winter with the help of their deep taproots. ³

The bristles of the common viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ) are short and stiff and knotty at the base. The leaves are lanceolate and reach lengths of up to 10 centimeters. When does the viper's bugloss bloom? The flowering period (season) is from May to October. The petals are initially pink to violet, later turning blue to sky blue. ³

The plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ) reaches a height of up to 60 centimeters and the above-ground parts of the plant are covered with soft bristles. The elongated, egg-shaped leaves have long stalks and are arranged in a plantain-like rosette. The flowering period is from April to July. The funnel-shaped, broad flowers are blue and later purple-pink. ⁴

Echium species are found on dry fallow land, sandy soils, dry grasslands, on stony banks, railway embankments, shallow slopes, walls, in quarries, gravel pits and in ruderal, arable and weed communities. ^3.5

Storage:

Well-dried viper's bugloss roots should be stored in glass jars or cardboard boxes lined with kitchen paper. Even a small amount of residual moisture can cause the roots to mold. Plastic or metal containers are not suitable for storing viper's bugloss roots, as they break down the allantoin when they come into contact with metal. ⁶

Ingredients - nutritional value - calories:

The ingredients of the viper's bugloss include anthocyanins, allantoin (approx. 1.2%), choline, bornesite, alkannins, mucilage and a total content of 0.12% of alkaloids. The alkaloids are found in all parts of the plant in fairly high concentrations. ^1,5,7 These also include the two pyrrolizidine alkaloids consolidin and heliosupine. ⁵

Echium species contain high amounts of various polyunsaturated fatty acids. The oil composition of the Echium species is similar. Particularly noteworthy is stearidonic acid ⁹ , which is only found in this concentration in fish oils. ⁸

The absolute oil content of the seeds of the common viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ) is 22%. The fatty acid pattern of the Echium seed oil ( Echium plantagineum ) consists of 28% α-linolenic acid (ALA) , 12% stearidonic acid (STA), 18% linoleic acid (LA) , 12% γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and 17% oleic acid. ⁸

Health aspects - effects:

Stearidonic acid has a positive effect on skin metabolism (e.g. acne, sun damage, skin aging) and on inflammatory processes. Stearidonic acid-rich oil is also used in the accompanying therapy of prostate and colon cancer as well as in the treatment and prevention of neurological disorders. ^5,9 Stearidonic acid-rich oil of plant origin has so far been obtained mainly from viper's bugloss oil. ⁹

The main medicinal ingredients of the viper's bugloss are allantoin and choline. Chemically produced allantoin is now an important component of creams and medicines, e.g. for treating wounds or for loosening the skin to allow the active ingredients to penetrate.

Allantoin dissolves wound secretions, liquefies pus and stimulates new tissue formation. The drainage of fluid from the wound surface promoted by allantoin also serves to flush out germs and bacterial toxins. ²²

Choline promotes blood circulation, particularly increased blood flow to injured tissue. The active ingredient reduces the leakage of tissue fluid and thus the formation of edema and allows hematomas (bruises) to disappear more quickly. ²²

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects:

Is viper's bugloss poisonous? Viper's bugloss contains potentially harmful pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Of the 660 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) identified to date in plants, around 95 are hepatotoxic (liver toxic), pneumotoxic (lung toxic), genotoxic (gene-altering), teratogenic (malformation-causing), mutagenic (gene-altering) and carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Their liver toxicity manifests itself acutely in the blockage of liver veins, and in the long term in the development of liver cirrhosis and liver tumors. The liver is the primary target organ of PA-related damage, but other organs such as the lungs can also be affected. ^11,12,13

Since it is not possible to define a safe intake level for genotoxic and carcinogenic substances, food should contain as little PA as possible. Even small intake levels can increase the risk of cancer, especially if consumed regularly. Herbs such as comfrey, borage or viper's bugloss, which can themselves form PA, lead to high exposure. ¹² Here, the risk can best be controlled by taking precautionary measures or by avoiding them. ¹⁴

There are numerous documented cases of poisoning from PA-containing plants or PA-contaminated foods in the literature. These can include honey, herbal teas, herbs, spices, salad, food supplements and grain contaminated in third world countries. While severe poisoning is often fatal, a full recovery is possible in milder cases. ^11,12,14

The PA-producing viper's bugloss is a source of contamination for honey and for pollen products sold as food supplements. ^11,15 In honey from plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ), PA levels of up to 950 μg/kg and 2,634 μg/kg were measured. In honey from common viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ), PA levels were between 1,263 μg/kg and 2,850 μg/kg. ¹⁰

The oil extracted from the seeds can also contain small amounts of PA. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment ( BfR ) has therefore set a health guideline value of 0.1 µ/kg/d. Exposure to this amount of PA is not likely to cause any acute damage to health. Studies of food supplements show that botanical food supplements containing plant material from PA producers contain the highest concentrations of PA. In contrast, according to the BfR, oil-based food supplements from PA-producing plants are free of PA. ¹⁶

The viper's bugloss is poisonous to livestock and rodents (e.g. rabbits) due to its content of consolidin and pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Horses die about six months after eating the plant. ^4,7,14

Use as a medicinal plant:

Viper's bugloss currently plays no role in traditional herbal medicine or in conventional medicine. Ingredients such as allantoin, choline or polyunsaturated fatty acids do not rule out an effect. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence or monographs - neither from the umbrella organization of national European societies for phytotherapy ( ESCOP / European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy ) nor from the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products ( HMPC ).

Folk medicine - natural medicine:

Viper's bugloss roots are used in a similar way to the roots of comfrey ( Symphytum officinale ) - due to the toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, they are only used externally and on intact skin. The roots of both plants contain allantoin and choline, which gives them a similar healing effect. In contrast to comfrey, which the Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products ( HMPC ) classifies as a traditional medicine, ⁷ the importance of viper's bugloss is minimal.

The roots of the viper's bugloss can be used to make ointments or poultices to relieve musculoskeletal injuries and skin problems. ^5,9 In Great Britain, the plant was used externally for swelling and wounds. ¹ However, applications with viper's bugloss roots are no longer common today. ⁷

You can read how to safely use viper's bugloss roots in our article about comfrey (under: "Use as a medicinal plant"). A recommended alternative are comfrey root preparations made from pyrrolizidine alkaloid-free plant hybrids, which you can get from the pharmacy.

In the past, a traditional tea (40 g/l) for internal use was prepared from leaves grown close to the roots to suppress coughs, induce sweating, induce diuretics and purify the blood. ^{5, 7, 17} In Great Britain, the infusion of the viper's bugloss leaves was used as a cooling tonic for fever and as a mild sedative. ¹

Please note that internal use and use on injured or broken skin are no longer recommended (see above).

Occurrence - Origin:

Most of the approximately 65 Echium species occur in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. According to Wikipedia , 28 species are found exclusively on Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands. ¹⁸

The common viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ) is widespread in Europe and Western Asia, for example throughout Germany. ³

The plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ) is a Mediterranean species native to the entire Mediterranean region, parts of Western Europe, and the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira. In North America and Australia, the plantain-leaved viper's bugloss is considered a harmful neophyte. ⁴

Growing in the garden or as a potted plant:

Viper's bugloss is a recommended plant for rock gardens and dry stone walls. ¹⁹ Seedlings or seeds are used for cultivation. When should you sow Viper's bugloss? The seeds are sown in spring or late summer to autumn directly outdoors or as a potted plant in deep tubs. ²⁰

The plant prefers a sunny and dry location. The soil should be well-drained, sandy, loose, deep, low in nutrients and, if possible, calcareous. ²⁰

For dark germination, the seeds are covered with 2 to 3 cm of soil. In cool outdoor conditions, they begin to germinate after about six weeks at temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. ²⁰

Potted plants should be fertilized every two to three weeks with a conventional flower fertilizer and watered (preferably with calcareous tap water) when the soil on top has dried out well. Outdoor plants, on the other hand, do not require any further care. ²¹ Powdery mildew is a typical disease that can affect the leaves and stems.

If you want to prevent the plant from self-seeding, cut off the flower heads as soon as they have wilted. ²¹

The common viper's bugloss is hardy. Species from warmer regions are grown in pots so that they can overwinter in a frost-free and bright place. ²¹

Tip: Touching the leaves can cause skin irritation. If you have sensitive skin, you should wear gloves when handling the viper's bugloss. ²¹

Cultivation - Harvest:

The disadvantage of commercial cultivation is that the harvest is not particularly productive. Each flower produces a maximum of four seeds, which fall directly to the ground, making harvesting difficult. The main cultivation regions for viper's bugloss are Great Britain (South England), continental Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. ^1.9

Risk of confusion:

Occasionally, it is confused with the common ox tongue ( Anchusa officinalis ), which also belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae) and contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. ³

Animal protection - species protection - animal welfare:

The viper's bugloss is an important bee plant. The protruding styles and stamens are an ideal landing place for the flower pollinators. Interestingly, the insects fly to this place more frequently around 3 p.m. In addition to bees and hoverflies, more than 40 species of butterfly are among the frequent visitors. ^3.19

The flowering period is from June to September, which is why it is referred to as mid-summer nectar. Nectar includes the entire food supply of a flower for insects, i.e. nectar, pollen and honeydew. The nectar value of the common viper's bugloss is high and the pollen value medium (nectar value and pollen value scale: none, low, medium, high, very high). The freshly bloomed, reddish flowers are particularly rich in nectar. Up to 429 kg/ha honey yield is possible on areas with viper's bugloss per flowering season. ^3.19

General information:

The genus of Echium includes 65 species and belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae). ³

The genus name Viper's Bugloss comes from the conspicuous styles in the calyx, the ends of which are split like snake tongues. ³

In Central Europe, the most common species is the blue-flowering common viper's bugloss or blue viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ). ¹⁸ The plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ) is another well-known species of viper's bugloss ( Echium ). ⁴

Alternative names:

In German-speaking countries, the common viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare ) has numerous alternative names such as Blue Henry, Himmelbrand (Austria), Starrer Hansl (Austria), Eisenhart (Eifel near Altenahr), Frauenkrieg (Silesia), Stolzer Heinrich (Upper Saxony), Knohf (Eifel near Dreis), Natterkopf, Natterkraut, Wild Ochsenzung, Otterkopf, Quakerkutt, Saurüssel (Austria), Schlangenkopf, Steinzungenwurz, Falscher Wayd, Frauenkrieg or Zwongkrokt (Transylvania). ³

There are a few regional names for the plantain-leaved viper's bugloss ( Echium plantagineum ), such as plantain-viper's bugloss or ox-mouth (Mark Brandenburg). ⁴

In English, the common viper's bugloss is called viper's bugloss or blueweed and the plantain-leaved viper's bugloss is called Paterson's curse, Patterson's curse, Salvation Jane or purple viper's bugloss.

Literature - Sources: