Alkanets & Allies
What are they?
These plants are members of the borage family (Boraginaceae). A number of these plants have been used culturally for thousands of years, either as herbs, for their medicinal qualities or as providers of various dyes. This is a very variable group that includes both annuals and perennials, upright plants and ones that form spreading mats. Their common thread is in their flowers, which consist of five petals fused into a tube at the base, but opening to five, rounded lobes at the mouth. Most (and perhaps all) of these plants are not native in our region and may have originated either as escaped garden ornamentals or as accidental introductions as contaminants of crop species.
Where are they found?
The smaller annual species are generally weeds of arable land, usually on lighter soils. Those that originate from gardens may be found persisting for a while in grassy places on roadsides or rough ground.
Identification
The identification of most species is generally not too difficult and is based on a combination of flower colour and leaf details. With the leaves, you should note the overall shape of the leaf and whether it has any markings on it such as pale spots or bumps.
If you don't see your plant on this page, you might want to check some of the other members of the borage family by clicking here
Common Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis
Introduced as a garden ornamental and occasionally found as a garden escape on roadsides and grassy places. Persistent and often spreads to form small colonies of plants. Flowers March to May. A patch-forming species that grows to 30cm in height and has distinctly spotted leaves. Red flower buds turn purple as they open.
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Unspotted Lungwort Pulmonaria obscura
Considered native and very rare, found only in three small woods in north Suffolk (though widespread in mainland Europe). Flowers March to May. A patch-forming species that grows to 30cm in height and has unspotted leaves. Red flower buds turn purple as they open.
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Field Bugloss Lycopsis arvensis
An ancient introduction, now widespread on lighter, sandier soils in cultivated ground. Flowers mostly May to September. Flowers are small and clustered towards the top of the stems. The whole plant is bristly hairy.
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Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens
Introduced from mainland Europe for producing a red dye and perhaps also as a garden ornamental. Now widespread and often abundant in towns and villages along shady footpaths and hedgebanks. Spreads rapidly to form extensive colonies that smother other plants in the spring. Flowers April to July. Similar to other members of the family but regularly grows to a metre in height and has roughly bristly leaves and stems, the leaves often bearing whitish spots.
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Large Blue Alkanet Anchusa azurea
(Azure Alkanet) Introduced from mainland Europe as a garden ornamental and occasionally found as a garden escape on roadsides and grassy places. Flowers June to September. An upright plant to 150cm in height but often much less. Flowers deep blue with the calyx tube divided almost to the base. Can be difficult to tell from Common Alkanet without measuring the seeds, which are typically more than 5mm across.
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False Alkanet Cyanoglottis barrelieri
Introduced from Eastern Europe as a garden ornamental but only rarely found as a garden escape on roadsides and grassy places. Flowers June to September. An upright plant to 80cm in height but often much less. Flowers bright blue with the calyx tube divided almost to the base. Appears as an intermediate between the true alkanets and Green Alkanet, having the narrow leaves of the former, coupled with the flower shape of the latter.
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Great Forget-me-not Brunnera macrophylla
Introduced as a garden ornamental and recorded a handful of times as a garden escape. Flowers April to May. Similar to a chunky forget-me-not but with flowers a deeper blue and leaves broadly heart-shaped.
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Blue-eyed Mary Omphalodes verna
Introduced as a garden ornamental and recorded just a couple of times as a garden escape. Flowers March to May. Spreads by creeping stolons to form low mats of foliage. Leaves broader than those of true forget-me-nots and with long petioles.
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Common Hound's-tongue Cynoglossum officinale
Native. Absent from much of the region but can be locally common on sandy soil in Breckland, the Suffolk Sandlings and the West Norfolk greensand areas. Flowers June to August. Readily told by the deep maroon colour of its flowers and its long, strongly veined leaves.
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Common Fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
(Amsinckia micrantha ) Introduced from western North America and now a locally common plant on sandy, arable land in Breckland, the Suffolk Sandlings and the Norfolk heath areas. Flowers June to September. A slender, straggling, bristly plant that may vary from a few centimetres in height to nearly a metre tall. Tiny yellow flowers open a few at a time from a gradually uncurling flower spike, in the manner of forget-me-nots.
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Yellow Nonea Nonea lutea
Introduced as a garden ornamental and occasionally found as a garden escape on roadsides and grassy places. Flowers April to June. A low, bistly hairy plant, 10-60cm in height and spreading to form leafy colonies. Flowers pale yellow, 6-10mm across. Leaves typically with pale bumps on the upper surface.
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Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale
Native in undisturbed, grassy commons and hedge banks on chalk soils in the west of the region. Generally uncommon and declining. Flowers June to July. A stiff, upright species to a metre in height with stiff leaves that have impressed veins. Flowers small, cream in colour and followed by rock hard, pale purple nutlets. Flowers small, cream in colour and followed by rock hard, pale purple nutlets.
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Field Gromwell Buglossoides arvensis
(Lithospermum arvense) An ancient introduction, probably present on thin, chalky soils as an annual of cultivated ground since Bronze Age times but now much depleted by modern agriculture and regionally rare. Flowers May to July. Smaller than Common Gromwell, to 50cm in height with soft leaves that don't have impressed veins. Flowers small, white in colour.
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Purple Gromwell Aegonychon purpureocaeruleum
(Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum ) Native in chalk grassland in south-west Britain but only a rare introduction or garden escape in East Anglia. Flowers May to June. Grows to 50cm in height with creeping stems that can root at the nodes and form spreading patches. Flowers purplish in bud, opening blue.
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Oysterplant Mertensia maritima
A native plant of coastal shingle, last recorded from East Anglia on Blakeney Point in 1910 and a sad loss to our regional flora. Flowers June to August. Stems creeping to 60cm, the whole plant hairless, glaucous and slightly fleshy. Flowers brilliant blue.
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