Common Name: Anchusa

General Information

Anchusa azurea is a clump-forming perennial plant with stems up to 100cm tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and sometimes also as a food and a dye. It is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its blue flowers.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe - France to Spain, east to Ukraine and greece; N. Africa - Morocco to Libya; Asia - Turkey to Israel, east to Afghanistan and Pakistan

Habitat

Sides of arable fields, waste places, roadsides and steppes on stony hills[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants are hardy to about -15°c[]. They appreciate a good, organic mulch on their roots in the winter, though keep this clear of the crown or it could cause rot[].
Succeeds in most soils that are well-drained, preferring a sunny position[, ]. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil, though plants can then grow too exuberantly and flop over unless supported[, ]. Tolerates heavy clay[]. Requires a deep well-drained soil[]. Established plants tolerate drought[].
The flowers are a good source of food for bees[].
The plants often self-sow in gardens[].
Many named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[]. The plants tend to be short-lived perennials but they can be propagated by means of root cuttings[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw. An excellent and decorative addition to the salad bowl, or used as a garnish[].

The tender young leaves and young flowering shoots can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is antitussive, depurative, diaphoretic and diuretic[]. It is harvested when in flower and dried for later use. The dried and powdered herb is used as a poultice to treat inflammations[].
Use internally with caution, the plant contains the alkaloid cynoglossine which can have a paralyzing effect[].

Other Uses

A red dye is obtained from the root[]. This was at one time used as a basis for some cosmetics[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in pots of sandy soil[]. An overnight drop in temperature helps germination[]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 4 weeks at 21°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in early spring[].
Root cuttings in autumn or early winter. Late winter is best[].