Japanese name: アルカネット Scientific name:Anchusa officinalis
[Overview]
A biennial or perennial 30–80 cm tall.
The whole plant is densely covered with white hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, narrowly lanceolate, and entire at the margin.
The flowers are borne in scorpioid cymes (scorpion-tail-shaped inflorescences), are about 0.8–1.2 cm across, indigo-blue to purple, and the corolla is 5-lobed.
There are 5 stamens.
The calyx is 5-lobed.
The fruit is a schizocarp.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers sun, good air circulation, and well-drained soil.
Rainfall is sufficient for watering.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
To keep the plant from becoming stuffy in summer, it is good to thin out crowded branches.
If you are not collecting seed, remove spent flowers promptly once flowering is over.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
