Blue flower ...

[Paul mabbott]

... I can't really get by this one - one of the Boraginaceae, I would think but some odd features and the blue rather creamy in places (no hint of redness either). Any thought, anyone?
It's not at all that it was introduced to the overall site although seen in two or three places.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Green Alkanet,

Cheers,

Adam

[Bub-les]

agree its green alkanet
Barbara

[Meta menardi]

Alkanet, I agree. Lots seen today on the way to Whitby, know it well from acid soil near Settle. It seems to like some places, but doesn't move easily. I don't think it is native, but very attractive plant.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Alkanet, I agree. Lots seen today on the way to Whitby, know it well from acid soil near Settle. It seems to like some places, but doesn't move easily. I don't think it is native, but very attractive plant.

No it's a garden escape. I know you are agreeing that it's Green Alkanet, but Alkanet is a different species.

Cheers,

Adam

[Paul mabbott]

Thanks, all. So that's Pentaglottis sempervirens. My book says "soil; not acid" but I would have thought it was on acid sandstone - shall need to check that ....

I've found a similar but different further south ......

[poschiavanus]

It grows extremely well on the Bunter (sorry "Sherwood Formation") in Notts: here's some in a local churchyard which I spotted yesterday.



This is not a planting as the churchyard gets a thorough gardening only once or twice a year.

I imagine it mainly exists on soil which has been enriched. The PlantATT booklet gives its Ellenberg number for acidity (R) as 6, meaning an somewhere between an indicator for moderatly acid to moderately basic soils (sounds like neutral to me). Examples of plants with the same value of 6 are: Ammophila arenaria, Carex sylvatica, Lolium perenne, Ranunculus ficaria. So not acid might be a little strong.

It has a very deep tap root and seems virtually impossible to extirpate from gardens. When not in flower the leaves have an unpleasant harsh prickly feel which makes it easier to tell from plants one wants to keep.

poschiavanus

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

No it's a garden escape. I know you are agreeing that it's Green Alkanet, but Alkanet is a different species.

Cheers,

Adam

Sorry, very sloppy of me.

[Paul mabbott]

Thanks for various points. My first thought, from the colour, was alkanet (although a bit different) but the leaves completely wrong - setose? I didn't test them for allergy-producing properties!

Yes, your reference suggests weakly acid to neutral as opposed to my local soil with its affinity to sulphuric acid!

I'll upload the other species later - probably alkanet proper .....

Originally Posted by poschiavanus

It grows extremely well on the Bunter (sorry "Sherwood Formation") in Notts: here's some in a local churchyard which I spotted yesterday.
This is not a planting as the churchyard gets a thorough gardening only once or twice a year.

I imagine it mainly exists on soil which has been enriched. The PlantATT booklet gives its Ellenberg number for acidity (R) as 6, meaning an somewhere between an indicator for moderatly acid to moderately basic soils (sounds like neutral to me). Examples of plants with the same value of 6 are: Ammophila arenaria, Carex sylvatica, Lolium perenne, Ranunculus ficaria. So not acid might be a little strong.

It has a very deep tap root and seems virtually impossible to extirpate from gardens. When not in flower the leaves have an unpleasant harsh prickly feel which makes it easier to tell from plants one wants to keep.

poschiavanus