Anchusa officinalis

Botanical Description

Anchusa officinalis is an erect biennial, or more commonly perennial, plant that cam grow 40 - 100cm tall[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The stem usually forms branches towards the top[ 74 Title Flora of the USSR. Publication Author Komarov. V. L. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Israel Program for Scientific Translation Year 1968 ISBN - Description An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for food, medicina and a dye. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens. Grown in gardens, the plant has escaped from cultivation and has become naturalized in many areas, especially in northern America, where it is considered to be invasive.