Borago officinalis

Borage is a freely seeding, easy growing annual plant with striking blue flowers and leaves with a flavor similar to a cucumber. It is considered an herb, but is often grown in vegetable gardens where it attracts pollinating bees and is considered a good companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. It may even deter tomato hornworms and improve the flavor of tomatoes growing nearby.

Varieties- Borago officinalis is by far the most common type sold. Organic seeds are available.

Ideal Location- Borage prefers a sunny location with rich well drained soil, however it will grow in almost any type of soil, including poor.

Cultivation- It is best to direct sow borage, however it can be sown indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost. Transplant seedlings when they are 3in/7.5cm tall and before they become ‘pot bound’. Barely cover seeds and keep well watered. When seedlings are 2-3in/5-7.5cm tall thin to 12in/30cm apart.

Plant Care - Plants in poor soil will benefit from periodic feeding with an organic fertilizer rich in phosphorous. This will help keep them in flower. Plants can be pinched or pruned, to encourage branching and to keep them shorter.

Problems- Borage is generally problem free

Harvesting- Harvest leaves and flowers as needed. Older leaves will get prickly, making harvesting anything on the plant a bit unpleasant. Borage is open pollinated and it is very easy to collect and save the seed from flowers allowed to remain on the plant and turn brown. Borage self-seeds readily, if allowed to go to seed naturally. Excess plants are fairly easy to remove from the garden.

Uses –The flowers add a bit of flavor and a great deal of color to salads, soups, dips & spreads, open face sandwiches, beverages and ice cubes. The flowers can also be uses as a tea. As with all edible flowers, use sparingly until you know how they affect you. Borage is said to have a mild laxative effect.

Sautee or steam borage leaves and eat them like spinach. The stems can also be peeled and eaten raw or cooked. The stems can be used like celery. The taste is milder than spinach and celery..

Medical Uses- Use borage as a diuretic. Borage contains the diuretics malic acid and potassium nitrate. The mucilage in borage works as a demulcent, which soothes mucus membranes. It will help relieve the pain of conditions such as bronchitis.

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