Philosophizing with AnchuSaS — By Sherman R. Duffy, 



BEFORE undertaking the culture 

 of the Italian alkanets, Anchusa 

 Italica in variety, it is advisable 

 to spend a giddy evening reading 

 Emerson's essay on Compensation. If it 

 has been read previously, read it again. 

 At the conclusion of this literary effort, the 

 reader should be in a proper frame of mind 

 and sufficiently philosophic to succeed. 

 Emerson and calm contemplation would 

 save nurserymen from obloquy, undeserved 

 in most cases, and tranquilize the reader. 

 Here are the facts which usually lead 

 to the annexation of the anchusa: 



"One of the finest tall blue hardy perennials in 

 cultivation; grows from six to seven feet and forms 

 a pyramid of gentian blue flowers one inch in diam- 

 eter, the season of bloom lasting for nearly two 

 months." 



These facts are presented by nurserymen 

 in their catalogues; they may also be found 

 sometimes in gardening magazines. 



Here are the facts which will present 

 themselves when the new owner of an 

 Italian alkanet gets acquainted with his 

 latest treasure: 



That it isn't seven or even six feet tall, growing 

 not more than three feet or three feet and a half 

 in height. 



That the blossoms aren't more than a half-inch 

 in diameter. 



That it isn't a pyramid but one straight stalk 

 with a few straggling branches. 



That it isn't a perennial. 



Cheer up! and return to Ralph Waldo on 

 Compensation. Both sets of facts are 

 more or less true; and, fortun- 

 ately, more than less. The an- 

 chusa as it comes from the nursery 

 is living up to the compensation 

 idea. It's doing the best it can 

 under the circumstances. 



It is very safe to calculate that for 

 every loss of root when a plant is taken 

 from the earth, there is bound to be a 

 corresponding loss of top. They are inter- 

 dependent and theoretically about equal. 

 The anchusa has thick fleshy roots that go 

 deep. It is impossible to dig a plant of 

 blooming size without breaking every last 

 one of them. It is a fair estimate to say 

 that not more than a quarter of the root 

 system can be dug with a saleable plant. 

 Therefore, with three quarters of the root 

 system gone, there will be a compensating 

 deficiency of top. 



But it is not a hard matter to grow the 

 six-footers with patience. Buy the an- 

 chusas in the fall, about the middle of 

 September to the first of November will 

 be a good time. The plants will arrive 

 with possibly eight or nine inches of stubby, 

 thick roots. This is the right material 

 to start with. It would be much better 

 if the roots were a foot long, but nursery- 

 men haven't time to mine for plants to sell. 

 There are times when the plants look as if 

 they had been blasted out of the ground, 

 but on the whole they are as good as could 

 be expected. 



Real anchusas must be hand raised and 

 personally conducted. They are propa- 

 gated by root cuttings. They will not 

 come true from seed and will not divide 



satisfactorily. The roots should be cut 

 into sections from two to three inches long. 

 The cuttings must be kept right end up. 

 Professional propagators have a trick of 



The 



anchusa 

 has a much 

 branched in- 

 florescence. 

 This shows one 

 lateral branch 



cutting the top square and the bottom of 

 a root cutting on the bias so there can be 

 no mistake about it. There will be sec- 

 tions of root ranging in thickness from 

 more than an inch to a quarter of an 

 inch. They should be placed in flats about 

 three inches apart, watered, and placed in 

 a cold frame for the winter. In the spring 

 nearly every cutting will send up tufts 

 of leaves. 



It is time to return to Emerson again. 

 There are to be no six-foot pyramids of 

 blue for a year. When leaf growth has 

 reached a stage where there are three or 

 four leaves, showing that the root system 



341 



is beginning to develop, the young an- 

 chusas are ready for permanent quarters. 

 They need deep, light, rich soil, and sun. 

 They will rot in heavy soil during the 

 winter months and even a percentage may 

 do so in light soil, but they are not nearly 

 so likely to do so their first year as they 

 are the second. They should be well 

 cultivated during the season, given liquid 

 manure now and then and plenty of water. 

 By fall there will be a big rosette of coarse, 

 hairy leaves, about eight inches long and 

 two inches wide. This is a prophecy of 

 the six-foot pyramid of blue. Give them 

 a mulch when the ground freezes and pile 

 a little earth or sand over them so there 

 will be no chance for water to stand about 

 the roots. The next spring, the big flower 

 stalk will start in early May and by early 

 June the flowers will be expanding. How- 

 ever, I never had them grow to one inch in 

 diameter. Half to three quarters of an 

 inch is perfectly satisfactory and with 

 numerous side branches adding to the 

 main column, the pyramid is constructed 

 and in its glory by the middle of June. 

 By cutting off old shoots as soon as they 

 are done blooming, new ones are encouraged 

 and there will be a fair show of bloom until 

 August. 



Cut the blooming stalks to the ground 

 as soon as the flowers have withered, 

 fertilize, and water copiously. A number 

 of new root leaves will appear and the 

 plant prepares for the following season. 

 Save one of the strongest plants for root 

 cuttings. Of these old plants it is my experi- 

 ence that not more than 60 per cent, will 

 pull through another winter. Those which 

 do, however, give the finest bloom. 

 As the plants grow old, the fleshy 

 roots split or become hollow, water 

 collects in the cavities during winter, 

 and they rot. I have never kept 

 one anchusa, blooming size, for more 

 than two winters. 

 To summarize: 



Anchusa Italica is not hardy in heavy soil. 

 It cannot be regarded as more than biennial 

 in any soil. 



A percentage of the plants will be lost in light soil. 



It needs rich, deep, well drained soil to reach its 

 best development. 



Above all, the roots must be kept fairly dry in 

 winter. 



It must be propagated annually to maintain 

 a supply. 



If it is necessary to work three seasons 

 to bring an anchusa to full development 

 and it isn't reliably hardy, it is natural to 

 ask why grow it at all. The most practical 

 reason is that it is the only tall growing, 

 blue, early summer perennial except the 

 larkspurs and its blooming season extends 

 over a much longer period. It is as showy 

 as the larkspur and well worth the 

 trouble. 



There are three varieties of Anchusa 

 Italica commonly offered for sale, the 

 Dropmore variety, Perry's variety, and 

 Opal. The first named is the deep blue 

 called by horticulturists "gentian" blue. 

 Perry's variety is a more robust form of 

 Dropmore and Opal is a paler blue. 



