Aegonychon purpurocaeruleum

FamilyGenus: Aegonychonheimisch in Deutschland

🌿

Species

interact

🔗

Interactions

documented

About this species

A native perennial of semi-shaded spots, producing purplish-blue flowers from spring to early summer on lime-rich soils.

Ecological network

Click to highlight connections · Click again to open species page

Netzwerk wird geladen...

Pollination

Ecological significance

As a native perennial, it forms part of natural woodland‑edge and rocky‑slope communities without posing an invasive risk. Its blooms offer a low‑level nectar and pollen source early in the season, supporting small numbers of bees and other pollinators.

Annual cycle

New growth emerges in early spring from a woody rootstock, followed by flowering from April to June. Seeds ripen through summer and the plant gradually retreats underground in autumn, completing its annual cycle as a deciduous perennial.

Safety note

No toxicity information is available for this species.

Standort & Merkmale

Light

Halbschatten

Moisture

Trocken

Soil

Mittelzehrer (Normaler Boden)

Bloom time

Apr – Jun

Soil reaction

Basisch / Kalkhold

Bioregion

Continental

Nectar value

Pollen value

Pflege & Anbau

In cultivation, site in dappled shade or light woodland edge on a free‑draining, lime‑rich soil. Ordinary garden loam of neutral to alkaline pH is suitable, provided drainage is sharp. Water regularly during establishment but avoid waterlogging; once rooted the plant copes with dry periods. No supplementary feeding is required on average soils. Cut back spent stems after flowering if self‑seeding is unwanted, or leave seed‑heads as foraging for birds. Division or root cuttings can be used for propagation in early spring.

Scientific profile

Aegonychon purpurocaeruleum is a herbaceous perennial of the borage family, native in Great Britain. It forms clumps of upright, leafy stems and bears tubular, purplish‑blue flowers from April to June. The bloom colour shifts with age, opening a rich violet‑blue and fading slightly. Leaves are narrow, hairy and deep green. It favours semi‑shade and flourishes on well‑drained, alkaline to calcareous ground, often in open woodland, scrub margins or rocky slopes. The plant tolerates dry spells once settled and performs best where soil is not heavily enriched; excessive nutrients are not needed. Its flowers provide modest amounts of nectar and pollen for visiting insects.

Bestäuber & Besucher

3 Arten interagieren mit dieser Pflanze

Anthophora crinipesAnthophora plumipes Anthocharis cardamines

Sources & data origin

•TraitCH — CC BY 4.0TraitCH 2.0 contributors; imported as source-preserving NaturKompass taxon evidence.

•Interaktionsdaten via GloBI (CC-BY 4.0)

•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)

•EuPPollNet — Kuppler et al. (2025), DOI: 10.1111/geb.70000 (CC BY 4.0)

•Database of Pollinator Interactions (DoPI) — Pocock et al. (2022), DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3801 (CC BY)

•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)

•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)

All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible. Attribution according to license terms. Full source overview →