Green Alkanet
More piercing blue flowers are to be found in the wilder spaces of Otley, the pretty flowers of the forget-me-not relative of green alkanet are buzzing with activity, they are extremely popular with our bees and bumblebees. Whilst it is now widely naturalised, it is actually native to south-western Europe and was introduced into British gardens back in 1700, but had already made its escape into the wild by 1724! Alkanet is self-seeding, with long taproots which yield a reddish dye, which is why it was cultivated by monasteries for dying cloth.
By River Six
