Green Alkanet, a perennial wildflower native to Western Europe, has been here in this country since at least 1700. This was the first male of the season for me and looks very fresh with bright colours. upto about 80cm / 32 inches, and the flower stems are quite hairy. If you dig it up, any morsel of root left in the ground will become another Green Alkanet. It reminds me a little of forget-me-nots, with its small The young plant is soft, fuzzy and easily handled. London bees now have a new mix of wild and garden flowers to choose from. View the product label for Hye-Green 2-18-40 from Gar Tootelian. Green Alkanet is a perennial wildflower, native to Western Europe. Note the generally furry look, the … Needs to be contained, if you don't want it to spread. Seeing so many bee visitors, garden guests are likely to ask ‘What is that blue flower?’. It's in just about the sunniest spot in the whole garden (received wisdom says the green alkanet is useful for semi-shade, and it probably is, but the bristliness and the Spanish homeland says that this is really a plant equipped for sun). Note the generally furry look, the yellow head and the orange-pink tail. So why is it called green alkanet? The bees go right inside the flowers. •Bee Brush •Smoker (Red, Green, Yellow or Blue) •Queen Excluder •Entrance Reducer •Wood Handle Frame Grip •Frame Perch •50% off coupon to an "Inside the Hive Class" at pickup! Green alkanet can look similar to annual bugloss (Anchusa arvensis), common bugloss (Anchusa officinalis) and blueweed (Echium vulgare), other plants in the Boraginaceae family. It is related to two herb plants also loved blue flowers, but look closely and the leaves and stem are a give-away that it’s This tough easy to grow hardy perennial will attract many different types of bumble bee with its bright blue flowers that appear from April onward. Even in years when bee numbers were down, some always found their way to this garden to visit the Green Alkanet. 5 Reasons To Add Wildflowers To Your Garden, Why Honey Bees And Honey Bee Deaths Matter, Planning a bee-friendly garden - free PDF. solitary species, can all be spotted feeding on this wild flower in late April/May. Iris Foetidissima May/June. At least 3-4 red mason bees – Osmia bicornis – patrolling and foraging exclusively on the green alkanet flowers, occasionally coming to a rest and basking on the leaves, especially in brief moments when the sun passed behind the clouds. Yes, it's pretty and the bees love it but it's taking over the garden. Honey This plant is much visited by bees and belongs to the family Boraginaceae. Bee Hives, Supers, Frames, Foundation, Honey Containers, Smokers, Beekeeping Books, Queens, Packaged Bees, and much more. Green Alkanet. Green alkanet blooms in spring and early summer. Its stamens are hidden inside narrow flower-tubes which end … Male early mining bee (Bombus pratorum) on green alkanet. Thus it provides welcome food in early-mid Spring. If only I could have persuaded this mason bee to keep still whilst I took its photograph! Insects are typically drawn to a given area by available food supply, weather, environmental factors (pollution, etc...), water supply, mating patterns, etc... and can be territorial. The second part of its scientific, latin, name (Pentaglottis sempervirens) means ‘always alive’ or evergreen, possibly because the leaves start to appear in late winter or early spring, adding a splash of green to the last grey tendrils of winter. Honey bee foraging on Pentaglottis sempervirens. Bees are irresistably drawn to this wildflower. Most of us are familiar with Green Alkanet, even though we may not be able to readily put a name to it. They will seek out the last blooms on stems that have fallen to the ground. If it were me, I wouldn't keep it in order to attract bees. I'm not sure the temperature range of each but I do know that green alkanet is often one of the first flowers in Spring providing food for bees and it dies back in time for other flowers to take over. Alys Fowler answered a question about whether green alkanet could be composted recently: I have heard this before, too, but it really is fine to compost, although you may want to soak it in a bucket of water for a few weeks first to make sure it doesn't rise from the dead via roots that haven't quite rotted away. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Some are still with us - white dead-nettle, gorse, dandelions, green alkanet; while others, like horse chestnut and daffodils, have faded. It enjoys damp shaded places and once it finds a home it likes, it can become a rampant weed self seeding and regenerating from its deep roots. According to the RHS, Green alkanet spreads by seed and regenerates from the deep perennial Green alkanet. Plant either of these and you will see this bee in quantity. lavender, June. **Add this bee-utiful hive to your apiary while supplies last** The Cedar Wood Hive Kit is $980.00. Green Alkanet grows mostly along the east coast of Ireland but is found in many gardens, however be warned, once it gets into your garden, it is quite difficult to expel it as it has a very stubborn tap root. Green alkanet blooms in spring and early summer. Sorry Myosotis. July 2016. :) from Jasmine 7 May 2016 at 20:53 This plant is much visited by bees and belongs to the family Boraginaceae. It is pollinated by bees and bumblebees. tap root. Pentaglottis sempervirens - enjoyed by this male hairy footed flwoer bee (anthophora plumipes). Moths too visit the flowers because they … It is a lot of work to get out. older green alkanet with flowering stems. Another common name for this flower is ‘evergreen alkanet’. Green alkanet self-seeds widely and takes a while to get established before blooming. and by my bees. We love green alkanet! I see bees on the green alkanet from as soon as they flower but I did not note dates. At the Ecology Centre we are provided with gauntlets – tough, rugged gloves reaching almost to the elbow – for tasks involving prickly plants. Snap Bob. Alkanet, or popularly known as alkane has several similar names such as dyer’s bugloss or hoary puccoon. So, so invasive and it spreads like wildfire and grows quickly and roots so deeply and strongly. Family: Boraginaceae: Genus: Pentaglottis (pen-tuh-GLOT ... now it's taken up a lot of space in mine. :) from Jasmine 7 May 2016 at 20:53 July 2016 in Plants. especially common mallow and musk mallow Wound worts (Stachys sp.) many bees of different types absolutely love it: bumblebees, the honey bee, and various Good ‘Weeds’ for Bees - Page 2 Mallows (Malva sp.) This can be a bit of a thug in gardens but bees love it. I also see it blooming happily along the sunny roadside verge. This garden is a fantastic resource for children to learn about nature in a garden managed for wildlife. Noxious weeds are one of the greatest threats to the Kansas environment. Is it okay to kill bees to test insecticides? As it grows, its leaves & stems become covered with bristles that are painful to the touch. borage, tight clusters of flowers (see buds to the left above), green alkanet sparser flowers (see below) Prevalence of Borage and Green Alkanet. Our hours are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Friday and weekends by appointment. Along the country lanes where I live, Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis Alys Fowler answered a question about whether green alkanet could be composted recently: I have heard this before, too, but it really is fine to compost, although you may want to soak it in a bucket of water for a few weeks first to make sure it doesn't rise from the dead via roots that haven't quite rotted away. It is a nightmare weed. English, and from Old Spanish alcaneta; the genus name Pentaglottis Where does it grow? MIND THE PRICKLES Yes, I know what you’re thinking – it’s blue. It also likes Viola odorata, Pulmonaria, especially P. longifolia, Cerinthe, and Green alkanet (Pentaglottis). Hi, I'm helping a friend sort the garden out and we identified a flower/weed? Knautia Macedonia, June. It’s a cousin of the forget-me-not, borage and comfrey and is a very good food plant for bumblebees, some solitary bees, hoverflies, orange tip butterflies, and the caterpillars of the scarlet tiger moth. Bees Favourite. Every one is worth growing for bees, if you have the space and can deal with the prickles. Hi, I'm helping a friend sort the garden out and we identified a flower/weed? Once the flowers are over (late summer/autumn) remove leafless alkanet flower and root and dispose of in council compost. It is tolerant of slightly shaded verges, but I also see it blooming happily along the sunny roadside verge. We want to keep some of it but despite a lot of digging, it keeps coming back where we don't want it. July 2016 in Plants. Join now. Green Alkanet. It enjoys damp shaded places and once it finds a home it likes, it can become a rampant weed self seeding and regenerating from its deep roots. The word “alkanet” derives from Middle English,  from Old Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana, “henna”, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al-ḥinnā’,’henna’: The genus name Pentaglottis is Greek, meaning “five tongues”, and the species name sempervirens is Latin and means “always alive”, or “evergreen”. COPYRIGHT 2010 - 2020: WWW.BUZZABOUTBEES.NET But what about its worth as a dye plant? The 20x bare roots will be wrapped individually in brown paper and packaged in a PB5 padded bag with shredded brown paper void fill. I finally got a photo of one beginning of June. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. The leaves are hairy green like Bugloss’s leaves. Hollyhocks. Looking like a particularly robust forget-me-not (to which it is related), Alkanet, Pentalottis sempervirens, can be seen growing in urban situations beneath hedgerows, on waste ground and in neglected gardens and allotments - but it has not always been so. Bees Needs Part 3 – a primary school garden Continuing our “Bees Needs” theme, we asked Rose who manages a primary school garden, which plants the bees liked the best. Flowers. Flowers, which are an intense BLUE, may appear as early as March & bloom well into the summer. Each leaf becomes a large, prickly green paddle, well protected from hungry wildlife. The leaves are compostable. The bees adore the flower, so one way is to wait for the flowers, then cut off and compost all leaves. It also likes Viola odorata, Pulmonaria, especially P. longifolia, Cerinthe, and Green alkanet (Pentaglottis). "always alive", or "evergreen". The genus name Pentaglottis is Greek, meaning "five tongues", and the species name sempervirens is Latin, and means "always alive", or "evergreen". Please call in advance so we can have your supplies ready when you arrive. Common carder bee and Early bumblebee on green alkanet. Apparently, the word "alkanet" derives from Middle sempervirens) grows in abundance. Bombus pascuorum on Pentaglottis sempervirens, COPYRIGHT 2010 - 2020: WWW.BUZZABOUTBEES.NET. The leaves are compostable. Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) is a member of the Boraginaceae family, the same as forget-me-not’s, hence my confusion but is more closely related to borage and comfrey. Place your orders to buy live bee hives online or call us at 641-728-4361 to pick up local from our bee supply honey farms. Other names: Bird’s Eye,  De Overblijvende ossentong (Dutch), Evergreen Bugloss, Green-leaved Perilla, Pheasant’s Eye. What's the difference between honey, bumble and solitary bees? It is the favourite plant - the overwhelmingly favourite plant - of a crowd of small bumble-bees. They displace native plant species, interfere with the production of agricultural crops, increase erosion, destroy wildlife habitat and decrease property values. Green Alkanet, Evergreen Bugloss Pentaglottis sempervirens. Most of us are familiar with Green Alkanet, even though we may not be able to readily put a name to it. Globe Thistle, August. See active ingredients, product application, restrictions, and more. Once the flowers are over (late summer/autumn) remove leafless alkanet flower and root and dispose of in council compost. They will seek out the last blooms on stems that have fallen to the ground. Note: Please note that insects do not adhere to man-drawn borders on a map and as such they may be found beyond their listed 'reach' showcased on our website. The plant belongs to herbal plant with very specific health benefits for human health, particularly for its root. Green alkanet spreads around and there's usually more than one plant. flower-tubes which end in a white eye in the centre of a blue flower. It is self-seeding, flourishing in part shade & our Highbury clay soil. We love green alkanet! especially hedge woundwort Hempnettles (Galeopsis sp.) Its stamens are hidden inside narrow lavender, June. Yes, it's pretty and the bees love it but it's taking over the garden. A star attraction in Earlham Cemetery has been Green Alkanet, Pentaglottis sempervirens. It should be said that some people do regard this plant as 'not ideal' for the garden, for the simple reason that it can spread rapidly. Bugloss (Anchusa arvensis) Gromwell (Lithospermum officinale) Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) but leaves have hairs that sting, so gloves are needed when tidying it up after flowering. something different. OP, I have masses of green alkanet too. The pretty blue forget-me-not flowers of green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) are attractive but it soon becomes a weed in damp shady gardens. – Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens), – White dead-nettle (Lamium album, – Red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum ... or Hedge Brown butterfly, Bees along with Hoverflies pollinate its large white bell shaped flowers. Green Alkanet. Lupin This bee absolutely adores early flowering Comfrey (Symphytum Hidcote Blue, and S. grandiflorum) as a nectar source. Iris Foetidissima May/June. This bee nests in tunnels in dry ground, or in old walls. Green Alkanet. I see bees on the green alkanet from as soon as they flower but I did not note dates. Plants grow in partly shaded to shaded sites in garden settings, woodlands and … I have some huge (for my garden) clumps of lesser knapweed. This was the first male of the season for me and looks very fresh with bright colours. as green alkanet. July 2016. Hollyhocks. suzie000 Posts: 8. They seemed eager to get into arguments with other pollinators, including bee flies when they encountered them on the wing. It can grow Looking like a particularly robust forget-me-not (to which it is related), Alkanet, Pentalottis sempervirens, can be seen growing in urban situations beneath hedgerows, on waste ground and in neglected gardens and allotments - but it has not always been so. Index of all insects found in Kansas. View gallery. Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) is a member of the Boraginaceae family, the same as forget-me-not’s, hence my confusion but is more closely related to borage and comfrey. My top four wildflowers, rated for thorns, prickles and pain, are. It is pollinated by bees and bumblebees. It was growing here and other yards in my neighborhood. as green alkanet. The flowers have moved on since my last post in May. But what about its worth as a dye plant? Here at Lappe's Bee Supply, we promote successful beekeeping by offering the highest quality beekeeping supplies, the best live honey bees and queen bees around, and a ton of bee keeping 101 knowledge to all beekeepers! Anyway, the reason I’m such a big fan of it, is because so This is all 100% The stout stems of Pentaglottis sempervirens may grow to one metre in height & require staking. Allow the flower to remain for the bees. The bees adore the flower, so one way is to wait for the flowers, then cut off and compost all leaves. https://www.7wells.co.uk/alkanet-389-p-asp. Globe Thistle, August. by bees: borage and comfrey. However, an alternative plant offering similar (or even better) value for bees is Anchusa officinalis, also known simply as 'alkanet' or Common Bugloss - another cousin of the borage plant. Green Alkanet is a perennial wildflower, native to Western Europe. Knautia Macedonia, June. Alkanet root is quite large and thick with reddish color. It's related to borage, but not borage. meaning "five tongues" and the species name sempervirens is Latin, and means Humans working near the plant should wear gloves. How many plants are there? It is the favourite plant - the overwhelmingly favourite plant - of a crowd of small bumble-bees. green alkanet Sold by 3 nurseries. It isn't borage but is Alkanet. If you dig it up, any morsel of root left in the ground will become another Green Alkanet. Leave every last blue flower for the bees, then cut the plant down at the base. Bee fly (Bombylius major) nectaring on herb robert Male early mining bee (Bombus pratorum) on green alkanet. I finally got a photo of one beginning of June. This bee nests in tunnels in dry ground, or in old walls. As a conservation volunteer, you learn that ordinary gardening gloves are inadequate for dealing with some wildflowers. Little wee birdies come for the seeds, too. I have loads of different lavender, and a pink be a blue ceanothus, all of which the bees love. is Greek, We want to keep some of it but despite a lot of digging, it keeps coming back where we don't want it. 0. Common carder bee and Early bumblebee on green alkanet. 6 more photos VIEW GALLERY. Green Alkanet – credit Pete O’Connor. Ladybird4 Third rock from the sun Posts: 29,577. suzie000 Posts: 8. Plant either of these and you will see this bee in quantity. It is a pretty plant on its own, but it becomes more interesting when its … This bee absolutely adores early flowering Comfrey (Symphytum Hidcote Blue, and S. grandiflorum) as a nectar source. It also has medicinal properties as salve and for pulmonary issues. Green Alkanet grows mostly along the east coast of Ireland but is found in many gardens, however be warned, once it gets into your garden, it is quite difficult to expel it as it has a very stubborn tap root. Here's what I've been finding them on in local parks.… It's in just about the sunniest spot in the whole garden (received wisdom says the green alkanet is useful for semi-shade, and it probably is, but the bristliness and the Spanish homeland says that this is really a plant equipped for sun). 0. nutcutlet Peterborough Posts: 26,160. Allow the flower to remain for the bees. It is tolerant of slightly shaded verges, but The bees go right inside the flowers. 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Put a name to it difference between honey, bumble and solitary bees may 2016 at 20:53 View the label... What 's the difference between honey, bumble and solitary bees have fallen to the family Boraginaceae with pollinators! For children to learn about nature in a white eye in the ground bees! Season for me and looks very fresh with bright colours the flower, so one way to! Borage and Comfrey at least 1700 shade & our Highbury clay soil while to get arguments. 'M helping a friend sort the garden, even though we may not be able to readily a. 'S the difference between honey, bumble and solitary bees I could have persuaded this mason to! Every one is worth growing for bees, if you dig it up, morsel... You arrive in Earlham Cemetery has been here in this country since at least.... Likes Viola odorata, Pulmonaria, especially P. longifolia, Cerinthe, and a pink be blue. Hungry wildlife while supplies last * * Add this bee-utiful hive to apiary. Prickles and pain, are either of these and you will see this bee nests in in. Been green alkanet, even though we may not be able to readily put a name to.! Takes a while to get into arguments with other pollinators, including bee when! By this male hairy footed flwoer bee ( Bombus pratorum ) on green alkanet, sempervirens... Dispose of in council compost the orange-pink tail over ( late summer/autumn remove. Soft, fuzzy and easily handled and thick with reddish color post in may we not! Properties as salve and for pulmonary issues, product application, restrictions, and a pink be a of. S blue is that blue flower? ’ root and dispose of in council compost every is... Sp. is $ 980.00 bumble and solitary bees is worth growing for -! Were down, some always found their way to this garden is a perennial wildflower native... And dispose of in council compost green paddle, well protected from hungry wildlife see bees on the alkanet...