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Boraginaceae FAMILY

Anchusa azurea

Anchusa azurea

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Plants are hardy to about -15°c[1]. They appreciate a good, organic mulch on their roots in the winter, though keep this clear of the crown or it could cause rot[2]. Succeeds in most soils that are well-drained, preferring a sunny position[3, 4]. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil, though plants can then grow too exuberantly and flop over unless supported[4, 2]. Tolerates heavy clay[5]. Requires a deep well-drained soil[1]. Established plants tolerate drought[1]. The flowers are a good source of food for bees[3]. The plants often self-sow in gardens[2]. Many named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[1]. The plants tend to be short-lived perennials but they can be propagated by means of root cuttings[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in pots of sandy soil[5]. An overnight drop in temperature helps germination[6]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 4 weeks at 21°c[6]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in early spring[5]. Root cuttings in autumn or early winter. Late winter is best[5]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Anchusa+azurea>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Perennials. Volumes 1 and 2. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1991 · ISBN 0-330-30936-9 ↩︎Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
  2. [2]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Popular Hardy Perennials. — Sanders. T. W. · Collingridge · 1926 · ISBN - ↩︎A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]Growing from Seed. Volume 1. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  7. [7]Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. — Polunin. O. · Oxford University Press · 1980 · ISBN 0-19-217626-9 ↩︎A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
  8. [8]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  9. [9]Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. — Chiej. R. · MacDonald · 1984 · ISBN 0-356-10541-5 ↩︎Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.