Pentaglottis sempervirens - (L.)Tausch.

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Summary

Physical Characteristics

Synonyms

Anchusa sempervirens.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Hedgerow;

Edible Uses

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200]. Sow stored seed as soon as possible in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out in late spring. Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it can be sown in spring in situ. Division or root cuttings in spring[200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Green alkanet

Native Range

EUROPE: Spain, France, Portugal

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Expert comment

Author

(L.)Tausch.

Botanical References

17200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Tak Hoshino   Fri May 9 2008 Is this a plant commonly known as Green alkanet? kay mitchell   Sat Jun 14 2008 This year a plant which looks like pentaglottis sempervirens has spread all over back gardens here in south London. It was not seen in the past. What may have caused this unusually rapid spread of what is basically a pretty, but invasive weed? Thanks... Ella Booth   Mon Aug 25 2008 Where can I get seeds or plants of Pentaglottis sempervirens? Ella Booth jenni watson   Tue Mar 17 2009 This plant, which has been quite invasive in our garden, appears to be quite an irritant to my skin. Has it been reported to be toxic if parts of the irritated skin have been in contact with the mouth as I had a very severe bout of sickness after been in contact with this plant? david   Tue Mar 17 2009 Pfaf has no record of adverse effects, can't find anything elsewhere, a doctor might be a good idea if happens in future. grg   Tue Mar 24 2009 seems to be common and invasive in london gardens - I dont know about elsewhere. Sometimes has white spots/blotches on leaves?? elle   Sat Mar 28 2009 Like others in London I have seen this growing very prolifically in unused ground and it has self-seeded to a nuisance level in my front garden in paving cracks. I wonder if it's one of those plants like buddleja going through a population explosion. Prettier than dandelions but I only let it grow in my shaded alleyway as it would swamp all my other plants. I have been wondering if it is useful in the same way that its relatives comfrey and borage are for making fertiliser tea - someone should look into this. zuena   Fri Apr 17 2009 like Elle, I would like to know if pentaglottis sempervirens has fertiliser properties like comfrey. Wd be useful! zuena. Richard   Wed Apr 29 2009 Apparently no medicinal uses, not pleasant to eat. But full of nitrogen, so great for the compost heap! Green alkanet Rachel   Mon May 18 2009 I thought this was borage when I discovered an invasion of it in my garden in N.London, it is an absolute nightmare to get rid of.and seeds itself all over the place. Shame it does not have the medicinal properties of borage. I believe it is from the same family. Anna   Fri May 22 2009 I wonder if I can eat it, I am eating oyther plants from that family :) Tastes similarly to comfrey and borage when cooked. Dave Hamilton   Fri Jun 5 2009 This is Green Alkanet, it is of the Boraginaceae (or forget-me-not) family. It has small hairs that can be an irritant (see link Botanical Dermatology Database) You can make plant fertilizers or plant feed 'teas' from many plants, I'd choose Nettle and Comfrey over Green Alkanet but if there is a lot of it then why not use it for something! The Botanical Dermatology Database    Jun 18 2013 12:00AM My border collie loves this plant and takes bites from it whenever we walk past it in our local park in south London. I think there must be some medicinal reason he does this but do not know what it is. Francesca O.    Apr 10 2016 12:00AM I was researching this plant as in line with the last comment my border collie seeks out this plant on our walks and eats copious amounts of the youngest leaves on the plant. I too thought this may be because of a medicinal benefit. Add a comment If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves. * Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information. To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately. Subject : Pentaglottis sempervirens   Plant Uses Edible Uses Medicinal Uses Other Plant uses Woodland Gardening Why Perennial Plants? Top Edible Plants Top Medicinal Plants Garden Design Habitats Translations Content Content Help Bookshop Support Us Blog Links Old Database Search Suppliers Contact About Us Privacy Policy PFAF Newsletter *Email Address Stay informed about PFAFs progress, challenges and hopes by signing up for our free email ePost. You will receive a range of benefits including: * Important announcements and news * Exclusive content not on the website * Updates on new information & functionality of the website & database We will not sell or share your email address. You can unsubscribe at anytime. © 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.