green alkanet folklore
The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. In May, tiny WHITE flowers appear, with the delicious fragrance of vanilla rising up from them. Each native wildflower is illustrated, with a small, hand-printed tale of where it grows, when it flowers, how it got its name, and its past history with humans has it fed us, healed us or poisoned us? He says some people cook the leaves but he does not recommend it. Allspice comes from a tree in the myrtle family that grows in Central and South America. of the Celts, also native to temperate Europe and Algeria, and known to the ancient, rown in physic gardens of apothecaries and monasteries for medicinal, urposes as well as churchyards to foil evil spirits who might be hanging around. It spreads by seed like borage but sticks around like comfrey. All products are independently selected by our editors. There are many spiritual and cultural contexts for cannibalism and it is also true that colonizers and, indeed, many groups throughout history used the charge of cannibalism to demonize others. In the past, Alkanet root was used to improve the appearance of low quality wines and ports, and to give an . A story of finding seeds and growing alkanet. The larva are carnivorous, so each is given its own plant; they feed on the flowers and seedpods. A wildflower of wet ground, Purple Loosestrife can be found at the edges of ponds, rivers and ditches. So why is it called green alkanet? In 1752, Britain changed its calendar from the old Julian style to the Gregorian version that most of Europe was already using. Rain on St Swithins Day, 15 July, will bless the apple orchard though, traditionally, if it does rain that day, it will continue to rain for 39 more. Making a fertiliser out of it is one way to tackle it. Its stamens are hidden inside narrow flower-tubes which end in a white eye in the centre of a blue flower. It was particularly cultivated by monasteries because the roots of the plant produce a rich red that is ideal for ecclesiastical cloth. Hello! Bramble 2. Blog. RF2C4XYF7 - Green Alkanet or Evergreen Alkanet (pentaglottis sempervirens), close up of a single flowering plant isolated from the many around it. Fresh green leaves of Garlic Mustard, also known as Jack-by-the-Hedge, give way in April and May to small WHITE flowers. It is a valuable bee plant, and, according to Pliny, acted as a sort of sign-post, in case any bee was in danger of getting lost. The rounded leaves become long and broad, with prickles along their edges, down to their now-pointy tips. Pure Dyer's Alkanet Powder (Alkanna Tinctoria) - Natural Textile Dye - 100% Natural Powdered Alkanet - Herbs Alkanet Root Powder (Net Weight 1.76oz/50g) 4.3 out of 5 stars 108 1 offer from $9.99 1 Answer. When space is at a premium, as here in Highbury, the largest, lowest leaves can be removed; aim to leave every last blue flower for the bees, then cut the plant down at the base. Plants grow in partly shaded to shaded sites in garden settings, woodlands and disturbed sites such as roadsides. Masses of dry, dusty brown buds form at the stem-tips of this native perennial. Green alkanet blooms in spring and early summer. . Green alkanet does have piercing blue flowers not dissimilar to forget-me-nots and borage, and hairy leaves that look a bit like comfrey , but once you get to know this plant it's easy to spot: the blue is sharper than a forgot-me-not - really, really bright, the leaves are too big for forget-me-nots and the flowers don't have the same star . BB, You are quite correct Jasmine. Can you eat the flowers of this plant, i.e put in Salads like you can with the leaves and flowers of Herb Robert???? Wildflower biography sketches are from Imagine Islington, a Millenium display for the Angel Mall organised by the Islington Ecology Centre. 8000wildflowers Posts: 278 March 2016 Thanks both (nutcutlet and Jimmy). Plants didnt know this, of course, but it muddled folklore, making some customs even stranger to modern eyes. It grows to approximately 60cm (24") to 90cm (36"), usually in damp or shaded places and often close to buildings. John Gerard, in The Herbell, or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597): Those of our time do use the floures in sallads to exhilerate and make the minde glad. I'll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the information! Once flowering season is over (late summer) remove leafless flower and root and dispose of in council compost as theirs gets hot and is therefore suitable. Now that the harvest was in, in pre-industrial rural areas there was little to do and this in itself was cause for celebration. Where the leaves clasp the spiny stem, rainwater collects in the joins. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. It was unwelcome in the cornfields, where its tough stems blunted farmers scythes, earning it the name Hurt-sickle. It is not generally considered a native, but it is not an uncommon hedgeplant in Devonshire. Green Magic Flowers, Plants & Herbs in Lore & Legend, Lesley Gordon. Alkanet needs a warm and dry climate to grow, thriving on sandy soils. In Natures Forgotten Folklore: Myths and Magic in Islington he is, as he says, merely scratching the surface. (Above) basal leaf. The roots remind me of dandelion roots. Farmers have been bringing in their crops since Lammas (1 August) but it is traditionally a busy time in the still-room, too, foraging hedgerows for herbs, berries, fruits and fungi, preserving them in alcohol, syrups and drying them. Culpepper, the medieval authority on the medicinal uses of plants, recommended it for curing hot inflammation, old ulcers, burns. It is still the busiest weekend of the year for garden centres. Every one of them worth growing if you have the space and can deal with the prickles. Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I've read stuff from.Many thanks for posting when you've got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this page. I am a little disturbed by the insert about the Arawak using Allspice to cure the meat of their fallen enemies. The plant is sometimes also cultivated in Britan, but by far the greater portion of the Alkanet used here is imported either from the Levant or from the neighbourhood of Montpellier, in France. Please let me know if you're looking for a author for your blog.You have some really good posts and I think I would be a good asset. I have three children; two are grown, and I have been practicing magick alone and with family and friends for over 30 years. . It is represented by a single species, Pentaglottis sempervirens, commonly known as the green alkanet,[1] evergreen bugloss[2] or alkanet, and is a bristly, perennial plant native to southwestern Europe, in northwest Iberia and France. So why is it called green alkanet? A cold snap was known as blackthorn winter because frost suddenly arrived after the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) had blossomed. For one season we had Woad in the garden, after finding a young plant at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening, Peckham Slugs and snails loved it, so it was moved around and kept in a pot until it matured and flowered. It'll be Alkanet as Borage is an annual. 3AM. It can grow to a foot in height, but taller plants nearby may take its share of sunshine and crowd it out. It regrew, but the new growth too was eaten and its stringy, unpalatable root dug up and eaten as well. Yes, the deep roots are easiest to get up when the soil is very damp wet too! Its not the odd on coming up its masses every time : ( Its got large broad leaves which are slightly hairy. (Below) leaf on stem. The selection of native plants includes Chickweed, Milkwort and Shepherds Purse small and easily overlooked by many of us. PURPLE flowers appear along the sides of its little drumlike structures from July to September, visited by honeybees and other insects. Its large paddle-shaped leaves are bristly & hairy, as are its stout stems - these may grow to one metre in height. I use natural colours because not only are they much safer for all skin types but because they produce the . Common Name Index The English named it Allspice because it is said to have the aroma of many spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and juniper berries. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Its glossy leaves are purple underneath; in full sun, stem, stalks and flower bases are tinged with purple. True solstices, in winter and summer, are fleeting moments when the sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost point, but the day around that point will be the very shortest or longest of the year. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. At the Ecology Centre we are provided with gauntlets tough, rugged gloves reaching almost to the elbow for tasks involving prickly plants. 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. Hedge Bindweeds WHITE trumpet flowers, in bloom from April to July, are much favoured by bees. In this video I compare it to comfrey and borage. The name "alkanet" is also used for dyer's bugloss (Alkanna tinctoria) and common bugloss (Anchusa officinalis). Photos: Gillespie Park. In our Wildlife Garden it comes through from next doors concrete garden, where vegetation is cut back once a year. Part of the pleasure of growing a native wildflower is knowing it has lived a life and earned itself a reputation, and perhaps a folkname or two. In days gone by, however, knowing what each time of the year would bring was a matter of life or death. Allow the flower to remain for the bees. Alkanet Stock Photos and Images. Every one of them worth growing if you have the space and can deal with the prickles. The following spring three plants appeared, and we have had Jack-by-the-Hedge ever since. It's not actually a native plant to the UK and arrived here at some point during the . In this booklet for Islington Council, Conservation Ranger Richard Meyers collects some of the stories, folknames and legends surrounding our local wildlife There are traditions from a rural way of life before the industrial revolution, and tales from other countries who share some of our flora and fauna. The small flowers, much visited by bees, are a bright PINK. Or is it something unique that your life is missing?Spellcasting is an art that must NOT be taken carelessly. They bring in the bees and give the garden the feeling of a woodland glade. Friends Andy and Jean bought a beekeepers house; in the bee-friendly garden, Borage had been allowed to grow anywhere it liked. In some of the nearby Highbury gardens, it makes a handsome free-standing shrub. Green Alkanet. Late onion snow was considered a good thing, however, or at least for the allium crop. It flowers from June to August; each flowerhead is a flat disc of tiny CREAM flowers with a single red flower in the centre. It is also used in colouring spurious 'port-wine,' for which purpose it is perfectly harmless. Valued as a herb for treating wounds and sore throats; in North America, where it was taken by early settlers, it is called Woundwort. Easy to grow, all year round, English Ivy can reach 10m x 5m, in sun or shade. The flowering season for White Campion, according to Horwood, was from June to July in 1919; it now blooms from May to September. Allspice is useful in all healing mixtures. Yes - I have also just ID-ed this fella in our local fields. You can only grow allspice in tropical areas. The bees adore the flower, so one way is to wait for the flowers, then cut off and compost all leaves. It likes sunshine and has no problems growing in London Clay. Dit betekent "groene alkanet". The plant produces small white flowers, and later, the berries grow in clumps, green at first, then purplish-red. There were houses for wildlife (Who Lives Here? Other names: Aarons Beard, Climbing Sailor, Pedlars Basket, Penny Wort, Thousand Flower and Rabbits. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Counterintuitively, it is recommended to cut weeds on the full moon nearest 22 June as they will be at their weakest. Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing ..I'll bookmark your site and take the feeds also?I am satisfied to seek out a lot of helpful info right here in the post, we'd like work out more techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. It seeds itself everywhere: cracks, crevices between paving stones, concrete stairs. The leaves are green and glossy, and the flowers are . Response:On the Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland Facebook page on 4 April 2019 a Skelmersdale, Lancashire, contributor recorded the name blue-eyed Mary for green alkanet. This is a very valuable plant for caterpillars.Snails and slugs will also prefer them before they eat yoyr veggies. This is done by rubbing it with oil in which the Alkanet root has been soaked. Habitats: Green alkanet has been bern described as an urban loving, street fighting bruiser! We find that works well on bindweed and dandelions. Insects such as the Elephant Hawkmoth visit the flowers by day for their pollen, while nectar as well as pollen are available for night-flying moths. Nature's Forgotten Folklore: Myths and Magic in Islington, Richard Meyers. Check out our video to learn more about the benefits of growing borage. My top four wildflowers, rated for bristles, prickles and thorns, are: 1. Green Alkanet, also known as Pentaglottis sempervirens, is a hardy perennial plant that is native to Europe and parts of Asia. If you can get ahold of a suitably sized piece, I dont see why not. Download Alkanet Flowers stock photos. Red Campion, it seems, was known as a snake plant and of the devil or a goblin. The pollinated flowers become RED berries, which are poisonous. 9-10am each day: Chris Packham broadcasts a back garden Springwatch from his home in the New Forest via Facebook and Twitter. Known as Bees-Bread, Borage blooms from midsummer to autumn. Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) has been grown in British gardens since before 1700, and is now widely naturalised.Rather surprisingly it seems to have gathered only three local names: bird's eye, pheasant's eye, and water forget-me-not, all recorded from west Somerset. . www.morningearth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Holden.html. This wild geranium is so prolific in the area, it could easily bear the title of The Highbury Herb. The root, which is often very large in proportion to the size of the plant, yields in many of the species a red dye from the rind. Remove from heat and add 12 drops of peppermint essential oil. Betonys LAVENDER flowers bloom from June till September; they are visited for their nectar by bees and other insects, including the Brimstone butterfly. Attempts at growing a clover patch are ongoing here. Another common name for this flower is evergreen alkanet. Thanks for a marvelous posting! Puccoon ( Sanguinaria canadensis ). This is a plant known as the Green Alkanet. Green alkanet flowers over a relatively long period, particularly if cut back after the first flush. . FLOWERS: The flowers of P. sempervirens have 5 round, sky blue, to light blue-purple, petals that are joined near the center of the flower, around a raised white center. Wax tinged with Alkanet, and applied to the surface of warm marble, stains it flesh-colour and sinks deep into the stone. The flowers close overnight, or during rain. Few gardeners take note of that word officinale, which points to the fact that the dandelion should be treated with respect as a herb used in medicine. Bees are delighted with this herbe above all others when they are straid away, they do finde their way home againe by it. The leaves of balm are still rubbed inside the hives after the hiving of a new swarm, to encourage the newcomers to stay., This perennial from RFs sunny herb garden grew each year to a height of two metres. Allspice is very fragrant and can be used for perfuming soaps. Free or royalty-free photos and images. I think that the best way to deal with it is to drown it and allow it to decompose that way. I also think it is a little odd to mention such a thing when the focus of the article is an herb and not a detailed description of Caribbean Island/Central/South American Indigenous customs pre-European contact. As nut says, just keep cutting it down. I quickly got a reply identifying my plant as green alkanet. The plant has difficulty growing in acidic soil (it is calcicolous). The BURGUNDY flowers of this wildflower, irresistable to many small bees and other insects, appear in June and bloom until first frosts. Apparently recorded in Tasmania at Oatlands that same year, this is a plant that was perhaps introduced into prestigious colonial residential gardens by . Our stand of Purple Loosestrife, from a wildflower sale at the Ecology Centre, grows in the damp shade of the Fern Bed. It is our good fortune that Edith Holden was able to cycle into the countryside and record what she saw there. RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses, Demi Bown, p. 335. Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn. The green alkanet leaves have a bristly feel unlike the soft foxglove leaves. It is dedicated to developing a greater understanding of our shared global garden, encouraging us to respect plants and to protect them., Natures Forgotten Folklore: Myths and Magic in Islington. Folknames: Herb Carpenter, Heart of the Earth, London Bottles, Pick Pocket, Princes Feather, Sicklewort. FOOD FOR FREE, Richard Mabey, Harper-Collins, 2004. Green Magic - Flowers, Plants and Herbs in Lore and Legend, Lesley Gordon, p.162. Hiring a Professional Witch will save you time, money, and frustration! It stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, so it can be used in teas to encourage the appetite or aid in digestion. . also, worn about the neck as an amulet or charm to drive away devils and despair (probably quite, www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/Lovage.php, http://www.foxleas.com/PDF/Gardening%20for%Bumblebees07.pdf. People rioted, demanding back the 11 days of their lives that had gone missing in the switchover, but there would be far-reaching effects too. Alkanet (A. tinctoria) is cultivated in Central and Southern Europe for its dye, which is readily extracted by oils and spirit of wine. Green alkanet is a member of the forget-me-not family, Boraginaceae, and is related to borage and comfrey. My top four wildflowers, rated for bristles, prickles and thorns, are: 1. Only female trees set fruit. Trees must be planted at least 30 feet apart (10 meters) to allow for a full canopy spread. Allspice was used by the Mayans as an embalming agent and by other native South Americans to flavor chocolate. We have had it here in the wildlife garden; it glows in the sunshine. In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice falls between 20 and 22 June, but one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar is St Johns Day on 24 June. another example of green alkanet more green alkanet these are foxgloves which had self-seeded and I planted them in this flowerbed (behind is a bedraggled hollyhock leaf), the foxgloves are soft unlike the green alkanet which have a bristly feel another foxglove The leaves and floures of Borrage put into wine make men and women glad and merry, driving away all sadnesse, dulnesse, and melancholy, as Dioscorides and Pliny affirme. A Little Guide to Wild Flowers by Charlotte Voake * Text by Kate Petty * Published in Great Britain by Eden Project Books, 2007, * www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk * www.edenproject.com, This little book, by award-winning childrens book illustrator Charlotte Voake, can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Our British species, the Common Alkanet (A. officinalis), is a soft, hairy plant with an angular stem, narrow, lanceolate leaves; and forked, one-sided cymes of violet flowers; calyx longer than the funnel-shaped corolla. www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/Lovage.php The flavour is like parsley and celery combined with a hint of aniseed and curry So why arent we all using it by the handful and why is it virtually impossible to buy? Today Id like to redress the balance a bit. This way, you know it's being done by someone experienced and knowledgeable, andI'm also always here to answer questions about your casting and provide follow-up at no additional charge.I've been casting spells for more than a decade and have worked privately with clients from all over the world.You can expect private sessions, customized spells that I'll create just for you, and free consultations before and after spell casting. http://www.complete-gardens.co.uk/forum/register.php?do=addmember, http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/vfh/image/index.php, www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Research/Horticultural_Themes/plantid.htm, www.complete-gardens.co.uk/forum/index.php, www.expertgardener.com/article/plant-identification, www.bibliomania.com/2/1/66/113/frameset.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_alkanet. Garlic Mustard is a food plant for the Orange Tip Butterfly. It could damage young seedlings, though was also said to herald a good growing season. (A Happy Acres original) Olive Oil - 135 grams (30%) including 67 grams of alkanet infused oil and 68 grams of plain olive oil. In this book we see it as it was a century ago, through her eyes. Stick with it! Sorry, but it is not Green Alkanet from which one can get a red dye :-( . Allspice is associated with the element offireand the planetMars. In the Arawak tongue, meat cured this way was known as boucans. it is reminiscent of Borage, Comfrey and other hairy, large-leaved, blue flowered relatives but the flowers are much more like Forget-me-nots in the purest cornflower blue with perfect white centres Botanical painting by J.N.Fitch, Horwoods British Wildflowers in their Favourite Haunts. Bees love it. However, the Sydney Mail's Query Club helpfully identifies the plant in floral borders at the Sydney Botanic Gardens in 1913. Unlike cultivated carrots, the wild carrots root is tough and stringy and not particularly palatable.. It spreads by seed like borage but sticks around like comfrey. Thank you. Dont despair if you dont live in a tropical area. Upright stems carrying smaller leaves, are topped with sprays of bright blue, forget-me-not flowers in spring and early summer Other common names evergreen alkanet evergreen bugloss Synonyms Anchusa sempervirens Pentaglottis sempervirens ( green alkanet ), a blue-flowered plant with evergreen leaves. Prunella vulgaris has a long history of use in traditional medicine. Plant Lemon Balm beside a path, or somewhere it can enjoy human contact, and vice versa. It is also very popular in English cooking and is often added to stews and sauces and used in pickling vegetables. http://www.bestwood-country-park.co.uk/corn marigold, The ingratitude shown to the dandelion is almost unbelievable. Any festivals set by the phases of the moon continued as ever, but set dates, such as Midsummer and Christmas, now fell on the wrong days. Queen Annes lace: stomach calmer and insectfeeder. Mild nights and a full, harvest moon see the dog days of summer, heralding autumn, but there is still much to be done. Alkanet prevents small pox, measles, bruises, and chronic pain. Everything we know about Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan's former UK home, A light and calm Victorian flat in Belsize Park by Alice Davies, The 7 cringiest home decor trends, according to Youtubers and Tiktokers, Spring bulbs to plant for a pretty smattering of colour, The Witches Garden: Plants in Folklore, Magic and Traditional Medicine by Sandra Lawrence. The leaves are compostable. In an extract from a new book from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we take you through a year in the garden of a witch. I am pleased to finally identify it even if I still can't get rid of it!!! Having made itself thoroughly unwelcoming to grazing animals, the Teasel is free to grow to a height of two metres. Botanical painting by J.N.Fitch, Horwoods British Wildflowers in Their Favourite Haunts, 1919. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. About 8 to 10 tons were annually imported from France and Germany. Allspice contains tannins, which provide a mild anesthetic making it useful for the treatment of arthritis and sore muscles either in a soak or apoultice. Plant-Lore Collecting the folklore and uses of plants Hi Bill. www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/wild_carrot This may be true for humans, but one wild carrot, planted in the garden here, was eaten, possibly by mice. A MODERN HERBAL Home Page, Copyright Protected 1995-2021 Botanical.com. The berries can also be added to sachets for attracting the same. Dismiss, Pingback: Fun Quote Fridays: Life Feels Like A Stressed Fracture Alchemic Seer, Yellow Candle Meaning Explained [With Symbolism & Free Rituals], What is Masculine Energy: a Forward-Moving Energy. Bramble 2. I would be interested in hearing what you find out from your sources. et al ., 2016). Combine all of these ingredients in a glass measuring cup. Its WHITE flowers provide autumn nectar for insects, including the Red Admiral and Comma butterflies; its BLACK berries are an important food source for birds in winter. Alkanet is self-seeding, with long taproots which yield a reddish dye. This Asterid article is a stub. The flowers, tiny LILAC snapdragons, bloom from May to September. A Bad Witch's Blog is a participant in the Amazon Europe S. r.l. It loves sunshine and good drainage, and is a valued nectar plant for butterflies such as the Comma. This was the time to hunker down at home, using herbs in their various preserved forms to liven food and treat the diseases of the cold winter. In The Secret Life of Plants, David Attenborough describes how the flowers turn to the wall on which they grow to disperse their seeds. Its leaves make good weed soup pack them into a bucket of water and leave to rot down to produce a rich fertiliser that you can use as plant food. Common names include green alkanet and evergreen bugloss and it is commonly found in damp, shady habitats, especially in urban areas. Fairmile Common, Esher, Surrey, England. The bright yellow flowers of the common gorse, with their light, coconut fragrance, meant kissing was back in season. Allspice can be purchased at most major grocery stores and an even greater variety of preparations can be purchased online. Flowers appear in June, July, and August, and the berries appear shortly after that. In its glory days, five plants from a wildflower sale at the Ecology Centre provided many blooms for bees. Flower colour varies between species, though the hybrid recommended above is a sterile, and does not set seed. Herbs of the spring were many and plentiful. It can be dwarfed by robust plants climbing over it or taking its sunshine. The book is available free, while stocks last, from The Islington Ecology Centre, 191 Drayton Park, London N5 1PH (By personal visit rather than by post.). But however, where I am may be lost.". The plant produces small white flowers, and later, the berries grow in clumps, green at first, then purplish-red. advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. When the flowers are done, cutting stems back by half may prolong the plants season, bringing on fresh leaves, further flowers, and more bees. Fragrant OFF-WHITE flowers appear at intervals along the stems of this easy-to-grow wildflower. Its 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. Edith painted the wildflowers, birds and other wildlife she saw, walking or cycling through countryside around her home in Orton, Warwickshire. In our garden, wrens especially like diving into the Ivy for spiders and small insects. French women were reported to add it to face ointment to give a rosy hue to their skin though this affect didnt last long apparently. It looks like an "oversized" forget-me-not with heart shaped or wide oval leaves (unlike the lanceolate leaves of the common forget-me-nots) and flower sprays that are carried rather above the leaves . Well, you can eat the flowers. In this video I compare it to comfrey and borage. Alkanna tinctoria is a member of the borage family with bright blue flowers and a dark red root. Green alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) flowers in the summer, but Culpeper points out that its long taproot, used for dye and numerous ointments, is at its best before the herb shoots up a stalk. One way is to cut all leaves and compost as they are great food for your heap. It is an evergreen that grows to about 30 feet (9 meters) tall and its glossy, aromatic green leaves reach about 6 inches in length. Donna. No insect cares to even rest its wings by perching on Yellow Loosestrife, which has been used, rather, as an insect deterrent.
green alkanet folklore