Echium plantagineum
Salvation jane, Salvation Jane
(c) Sigourney Juneau, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sigourney Juneau · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Echium plantagineum (Salvation jane) is a non-native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by annual habit and much larger individual flowers (18-30mm limb vs 9-13mm).
Salvation jane is a naturalized annual found in central California Coast and southern California Coast (San Diego County) in disturbed areas at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces blue-purple flowers in spreading inflorescences up to 15 centimeters long with branches ascending 2 to 8 at a time. Growing 40 to 80 centimeters tall with narrow, bristly leaves that have bulbous-based hairs, it forms spreading branched stems. Its leaves are narrow-elliptic to oblong, measuring 2 to 15 centimeters long and characterized by bulbous-based bristles. The fruit is black, rough, and wrinkled, with fine tubercles covering its surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species. Distinguished by annual habit and much larger individual flowers (18-30mm limb vs 9-13mm).
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: San Diego, Sonoma, Marin
Outside California: native to southern Europe, widely naturalized
Bloom period
Echium plantagineum blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Phacelia: Echium grows as a woody shrub; Phacelia is herbaceous (soft-stemmed) and much smaller.; vs Salvia: Echium flowers are lopsided but tubular; Salvia has distinctly 2-lipped mint-family flowers.; vs Euphorbia: Echium has blue-purple tubular flowers; Euphorbia has tiny flowers with milky sap.; vs Lupinus: Echium has tubular lopsided flowers; Lupinus has pea-shaped flowers with banner petal.; vs Veronica: Echium forms tall tower-like spikes; Veronica has small 4-lobed flowers in loose clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Echium plantagineum native to California?
No. Echium plantagineum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Echium plantagineum bloom?
Echium plantagineum blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Echium plantagineum grow?
Echium plantagineum occurs in San Diego, Sonoma, Marin, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Echium plantagineum belong to?
Echium plantagineum is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Echium.
Is Echium plantagineum invasive in California?
Echium plantagineum is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.