Leaves - foxglove, borage, green alkanet, etc

snapshot of leaves late summer

When I noticed the buds on the borage in the pot below, I realised how difficult it can be to differentiate plants based on leaves. It could have been green alkanet only the buds made it definitive. Some leaves can be so similar.

I noticed I had a few similar plants in my garden and took some photos. I was thinking they were from only a couple plant families but, in fact, five: Asteraceae (lesser knapweed, fox-and-cubs, melancholy thistle), Boraginaceae (borage, green alkanet, pulmonaria), Brassicaceae (honesty), Caprifoliaceae (Knautia macedonica, teasel, red campion), Plantaginaceae (Foxglove),  Scrophulariaceae (buddleja). This is a snapshot of leaves in my garden this week.

left to right, foxglove, borage, teasel

and a few days later, thinking corn marigold bottom left

green alkanet, borage

borage

green alkanet with a late flower

green alkanet self-seeded in this pot, it is a great self-seeder

foxglove left, green alkanet right, Chinese lantern top of trough

in the pot below: top teasel, below fox-and-cubs, right red campion (better view below) and green alkanet

fox-and-cubs

red campion, teasel left, green alkanet below

left Japanese anemone, right Pulmonaria rubra

lesser knapweed (Centaurea nigra)

another view of the knapweed

left knautia macedonica, right fringecups, below right green alkanet

melancholy thistle, bottom right green alkanet

honesty

wood avens

forget-me-not

black nightshade

buddleja