Cape Forget-me-not (Anchusa capensis)

Family: Boraginaceae
Common Names: Cape-forget-me-not, ystergras, koringblom

The Cape-forget-me-not may be a bit weedy, but its bright blue flowers make it most welcome from spring to summer in the garden display. It grows wild throughout South Africa, preferring dry, sandy places and is often found in disturbed areas such as roadside verges. In spring, Anchusa capensis is easy to find flowering in the fields daisies throughout Namaqualand.

Anchusa capensis is a vigorous herb with tall stems of blue flowers shooting up from clumps of bright green leaves. The long narrow leaves are soft, but rough and hairy when touched. Each plant has many flowering stems which grow to 1 metre. The stems are thick at the bottom getting thinner as they extend, with the new growth often a beautiful deep red. The many blue flowers are carried on smaller branches which are borne all up the top half of the stem, which ends in a small cluster of flowers at the tip. Close up, the small flowers are beautiful with 5 bright blue petals and 5 feathery white scales in the center protecting the stigma and anthers. On sunny days the bees love visiting the flowers.