Alkanet Or Anchusa

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 17 (Supplement)

Alkanet Or Anchusa

ALKANETS are members of the Borage family, a herb that was once in great demand as one of the ingredients of* claret cup, nowadays superseded by cocktails. Like large forget-me-nots with blue flowers, they are equalled only by the gentians and delphiniums. There are several varieties, including A. italica, which is probably the best blue herbaceous perennial in cultivation. There are several varieties of this, and we have A. italica Dropmore, a rich cobalt blue; Morning Glory, deep blue large flowers, opal pale blue. Suitable for almost any position so long as it is well drained and sunny, it is particularly useful for hot, dry slopes. There i» no need of manure; in fact, too rich a soil is inclined to cause the plants to go off with a bacterial disease. Like many plants of this family they

have thick fleshv roots and are not long lived, go that it is advisable to always have one or two young plants on hand. The method of propagr t'on is hv means of root cuttings. Dig up a plant and cut the fleshy roots into pieces about 2in long and dibble them into boxes of sandy soil. Cut the lower end a slant so as to show v.likli is the top, as the buds will only be produced at the top of the cutting. Cuttings should be put in just deep enough so that the top is covered with | about £in of sand or sandy aoiL