Anchusa is a plant that is at home in early England, and enjoys the neglect it receives on warm dry sunny hillsides, or along railway tracks. It has been used to make a beautiful Ruby Red brown dye for fibers, and in oils and soaps where the color will be from more of a red color depending upon how much oil is used. Also known as Dyer’s Bugloss or Orchanet
The Alkanet tinctoria is from Central and Southern Eruope to create the same beautiful red color. Alkanets are a member of the Borage family with hairy stems and leaves. Some people may be a bit allergic and wearing gloves when handling the plant might be a good idea.
Do not use fertilizer or rich compost with this plant as they do prefer poor soils. Now you do not hear that every day. They also do not care to be very wet, so a high and dry spot would be perfect, with good drainage. However, you will need to get to know this plant to make sure you are not over or under watering too. Just like Alkanna (Alkanet tinctoria) it contains anchusin which is a red-brown resinoid colored matter. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol. It is also used in the coloration of mahogany furniture to enrich it’s grain.
It was cultivated in Britain and imported to the Levant region of southern France. The root is mainly used as a dye and not taken internally for use as a medicine. Early on in history it has been used as fodder for livestock.
