Common Bugloss

Common bugloss Anchusa officinalis L. Borage family
Key identifying traits Flowers are blue to purple (occasionally pink) with white centers and straight rather than the curved tubes found in annual bugloss Flower stem initially coiled like a fiddleneck, but uncoils as flowers open Leaves are fleshy with a rough hairy surface; basal leaves to 8" long and oblong; stem leaves narrow and smaller Mature plants can have several flowering stalks Each flower can produce four seeds (nutlets) Biology and ecology A perennial plant 1-2' tall with a tap root First year growth is a rosette; second year a single flower stalk, subsequently many stalks Flowers from May through July Spreads by seeds only Grows in dry areas including dry land alfalfa fields where it’s succulent leaves cause mold in baled hay Common bugloss is native to Europe Control Prevention – Learn to identify plants; know your property; beware of fill dirt, hay and seed from outside your area Biological – None known at this time Cultural – Good competitive vegetation helps prevent infestation but doesn’t stop it entirely Mechanical – Cultivation, digging and pulling can all be effective if sufficient tap root is removed Chemical – Difficult due to the hairs-best with adjuvant added to help penetrate through hairs; best timing is in early spring when plants are in the rosette stage; the PNW Weed Management Handbook does not list this weed, but recommendations for other biennial/perennial borages might work. SCNWCB staff has had luck with glyphosate and 2,4-D in combination with dicamba and/or metsulfuron	rosette
	flowers
	flowering plants
*Where found –* Common in the Enterprise region of Stevens County and occasionally elsewhere in the southern 2/3 of the county. Large infestations in northern Spokane County; first reported in Washington state in Spokane County. MSdoc pdf