Green Alkanet

Pentaglottis sempervirens. What a splendid Latin name.

There is lots of this around the village and as it likes limestone it does well here.

Some people regard it as a weed and it can certainly be difficult to get rid of it. It like to grow next to a building or a wall and is about two feet tall. The stems and leaves are bristly which you can just see on the photo. It stays green all winter and the bright blue flowers appear from march.

It was originally brought into England from Spain in the middle ages because it was valued for the red dye which can be obtained from its roots.