Alkanet - Anchusa officinalis
50 Seeds
Sow Late Spring.
Perennial.
Height 90cm (3ft).
Prefers damp soil in partial shade.
It is best to plant Alkanet just below the soil surface. Plant after the last frost of spring. The soil should be moist and ideally have a pH between 6 and 7. Alkanet requires between one and four weeks to germinate. When starting plants off from seed indoors, the seeds should be planted six to eight weeks in advance of when they are due to be put outside; ideally after the last frost of spring.
Can be be grown in full sunlight or partially shaded condition. They bloom from late spring through to Autumn with flowers of blue through to purple.
This plant can cause skin irritations be sure to wear gloves when working with it.
Green alkanet forms a rosette of bristly, pointed, oval leaves up to 40cm (16in) long. Sometimes the leaves have small white speckles. Loved by bees and butterflies.
Alkanet
From the family Boraginaceae
Also known as Summer forget-me-not, Anchusa, Bugloss, Italian Bugloss, Dyer's Bugloss and Cape forget me not.
Anchusa officinalis, also knowns as common bugloss or common alkanet, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. It is native to Europe and small parts of western Asia, but has been escaped from cultivation to grow in additional locations in Europe and the Americas. The flowers are noted for their popularity with bumblebees due to a large nectar flow. The plants have been used in traditional medicines, but were falling out of favor by the early 1800s. They are still planted in gardens for their popularity with bees and their blue flowers.