Bees love bugloss blue
snakes do not–they say
it’s a remedy
for their venom, still
Viper’s bugloss could
be their cousin—look
how its red stamens
flicker and feel the
bristle-sting of its
round thick stem and the
leaves, rough and pointed
like long sharp teeth or
oxen tongue. It’s a
witch’s sword in a
taut-rooted rosette
ready to brandish
penta-herb magic.
∼
‘Bugloss’ has Greek origins meaning ox’s tongue. The flowers have five petals, five sepals and five stamens.
©2017 Ontheland
Fascinating! Lovely pictures and accompanying verse.
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Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
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My pleasure.
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What a plant, dangerous and pretty at the same time! I enjoyed your verse format for informing us about the Bugloss!
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Thank you Annika. I’m enjoying getting to know some of the plants around me.
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Beautiful poem to the Bugloss and amazing images Janice. Is it a member of the Thistle family?
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Thanks Denis…that’s an interesting question. One of its many names is ‘blue thistle’ yet it does not have real barbs (somehow it stings though…I’ve felt it). Most sources I have seen place it in the Borage family.
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Fantabulous! 🌹🌹🌹😎😎
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Thank you :))
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