Anchusa capensis
Thunb.
Boraginaceae
Common Name:
Plant growing in the University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley, California, USA
Photograph by: Daderot
Public domain
Plant growing in the University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley, California, USA
Photograph by: Daderot
Public domain
Close-up of the flowers
Photograph by: Stickpen
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
General Information
Anchusa capensis is an erect, biennial plant growing up to 60cm tall.
Often grown in ornamental gardens, where it is usually treated as a self-seeding annual, there are several named varieties[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Southern Africa - Namibia, Lesotho, S. Africa.
Habitat
Disturbed areas such as roadsides, usually in dry, sandy soils[
295- Title
- PlantZAfrica.com
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.plantzafrica.com
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Biennial |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of drier areas, mainly in the subtropics but also moving into the tropics in Namibia and northern S. Africa.
Grows best in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Flowers - raw or cooked[301. The vivid blue flowers are prized as an addition to salads of all kinds[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. They are also added to cold drinks, pasta, puddings, custards, icing and hot or cold soups[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Leaves[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - does not require pre-treatment, it usually germinates freely within a week or two.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
