Green Alkanet - Pentaglottis sempervirens

The name 'alkanet' comes from the Arabic al-henna. The roots of the plant were once used to obtain a red dye, which Egytian women applied to their hair and nails. The Green Alkanet was introduced to Britain, but when this happened is not known for certain. Experts on the matter believe it came from France or Spain in the Middle Ages, as the plant was often found growing near meieval abbeys, when it was cultivated mainly for the red dye. In more recent times, Green Alkanet was used for tinting oils, and as a cheap port wine.

It is also called Bird's Eye and Pheasant's Eye, due to the eye-like appearance of the flowers. When you come across alkanet, it is often found growing in en mass, as in the picture above. Green Alkanet is closely related to Borage, and both are members of the Forget-me-not family.