REPORT

Invasive Plant Details

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Common Bugloss

Latin Name: Anchusa officinalis

Priority Ranking: Low Priority

Identification

Flower: Bright blue, funnel-shaped flowers that bloom in late spring through summer.

Leaves: Lance-shaped, rough, and hairy leaves with a greyish-green appearance.

Stems: Erect, rough, and bristly, growing up to 90 cm tall.

Growing Environment: Prefers dry, well-drained soils, roadsides, and disturbed areas.

Growth Habit: A biennial or short-lived perennial herb that forms a basal rosette of leaves in its first year. In its second year, it sends up a tall, flowering stalk covered in rough hairs. In situ, common bugloss often forms loose colonies of rough, bristly plants with vivid blue flowers.

Priority Ranking: Low Priority

Impacts on Environment

Impacts: Moderately invasive, particularly in dry, open areas. It invades pastures, hay fields, crops and rangelands.

Toxicity: Mildly toxic to livestock and humans if ingested due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.