Bugloss

Anchusa arvensis is a plant species of the genus Anchusa. Its common names include small bugloss and annual bugloss. This is a hairy annual herb which may reach one half to one meter in height.

This plant draws one's attention to itself with its startlingly blue flowers (5-7mm across). The corollas of these pretty flowers have five petals and a white centre and they are borne in clusters, blooming from April to September. Bugloss has lanceolate leaves which have wavy edges, the lower leaves being stalked, the upper clasping the stem. Like the rest of the plant, the leaves are covered in stiff bristles. This rough, hairy annual, reaches up to 50cm, and is found on disturbed and sandy soil. A native plant, it belongs to the family Boraginaceae.

The plant is native to Europe but is well-known elsewhere as a noxious weed.