Anchusa capensis

{{Short description|Species of plant in the genus Anchusa}}

{{Speciesbox

|image=Anchusa capensis 1DS-II 3-0836.jpg

|image_caption=Close-up of flowers with bee for scale

|image2=Anchusa capensis - University of California Botanical Garden - DSC08887.JPG

|image2_caption=At the University of California Botanical Garden

|genus=Anchusa

|species=capensis

|authority=Thunb.

}}

Anchusa capensis, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho.{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:113215-1 |title=Anchusa capensis Thunb. |author= |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=20 May 2021}}{{cite web |title=Anchusa capensis Cape forget-me-not |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/71700/anchusa-capensis/details |date=2021 |publisher=The Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=20 May 2021}} The genus Anchusa is from the Greek word anchousa, which makes reference to its use as a dye base for cosmetic paint obtained from the roots of another plant in the genus Anchusa tinctoria. The species capensis translates to ‘from the Cape’ referring to South Africa{{Cite web |title=Anchusa capensis (Bugloss, Cape Forget-Me Not, Summer Forget-Me Not) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox |url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/anchusa-capensis/ |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu}}

A. capensis typically reaches about {{cvt|60|cm|in}} tall, and grows best in full sun.{{Cite web |title=Anchusa capensis |url=http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Anchusa+capensis |url-status=live |access-date=July 8, 2021 |website=Useful Tropical Plants |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628220304/http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Anchusa+capensis |archive-date=2020-06-28}} In summer, red buds open to reveal small, bright cobalt blue flowers with five petals and five white scales protecting the stigma and anthers.{{Cite web |title=Anchusa capensis (Bugloss, Cape Forget-Me Not, Summer Forget-Me Not) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox |url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/anchusa-capensis/ |access-date=2021-07-09 |website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu}}

In the US, it grows well in zones 8–11.{{Cite web |title=Cape Forget-Me-Not (Anchusa capensis) - Plants {{!}} Candide Gardening |url=https://candidegardening.com/US/plants/c62714c2348f23c0d3607c52d904aefa |access-date=2021-07-09 |website=Candide |language=en-US}} Cultivars include 'Dawn', with white, pink, mauve and blue flowers, 'Blue Angel', with dark blue flowers, and 'Blue Bird', taller and with indigo blue flowers.{{cite book |title=The New Flower Expert |last1=Hessayon |first1=D. G. |year=1999 |publisher=Expert Books |page=20 |isbn=9780903505529}}