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Green Alkanet Scientific Name: Pentaglottis sempervirens Other name: Evergreen Bugloss Family: Boraginaceae Perennial, member of the Boraginaceae Family. Native to south-west France, and the Iberian Peninsula, but is now naturalised throughout the British Isles. Prefers shaded, damp areas. It was brought here for the red dye which can be extracted from the roots, but escaped from cultivation. The leaves are rough and covered with hairs. The lower leaves in the basal rosette have no stalks, but the upper ones on the stems have stalks. The stems can reach up to 75 cm. The bright blue, forget-me-not-like flowers appear from April to July and arise from the upper leaf axils in clusters with two small leaves behind them. They are edible and are sometimes used to decorate salads. The succulent taproots make this a difficult plant to uproot and it will often regrow from pieces left behind. Weedkillers to use:- Glyphosate is systemic so is taken down to the roots. Other plants with similar leaves include Comfrey, Tuberous Comfrey, Borage, Foxglove Follow these links for further details on Weeds, Weed Removal and Weed Prevention.