In few flowers is subtle beauty so well achieved as in borage. Its blue flowers, star-like in form, may not suggest the brilliancy of summer flowers to the mind at first, but once seen cannot fail to engage admiration. This flower has been an herbal favourite for centuries and growing it in your garden will allow you to enjoy all its benefits.
I’m really looking forward to talking about borage, one of my favourite blue flowers. Borago officinalis is a plant that grows every year and is covered in star-shaped blue flowers.
I can’t help but notice how beautiful this garden ornament is. Every year, I grow borage so that the bees can enjoy the flowers alongside me. It’s a must-have for the bee garden.
There is a lot more to the plant than just its unique blue flower. It has many medicinal benefits and uses in the garden. If you are interested in borage, please read on to learn more about this fun flower!
What is Borage?
Borage is an annual herb with blue star-shaped flowers that is native to southern Spain and Morocco. The flowers have brown anthers and turn pink after pollination.
Part of the same family as comfrey, the plant has pointed, oval-shaped leaves and grows in loose clusters. You’ll find white, prickly hairs along with the leaves and stems. The plant grows 1 to 2 ½ ft tall.
now the plant can be found in many parts of europe, north africa, north and south america. it is a favourite among many gardeners!
The History of Borage
Borage was traditionally seen as a magical plant by Celtic people. They would add the leaves to wine to give themselves a boost of energy, which was often done by crusaders before they went on journeys.
According to John Gerard, a 16th-century herbalist, borage was the herb of courage. He said that “Borage, bring always courage,” and that “a syrup made of the flowers of borage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholy and quieteth the phreneticke or leunaticke person.”
Celtic people used mistletoe as a form of liquid courage for people who were thinking of getting married.
Some people say that the name of the plant borage comes from the Celtic word borracha, which means a person with courage or bravery. Other people say that the name comes from the Latin word borra, which means rough hairs.
Borage Health Benefits
There are many health benefits that can be gained from blueberries.
ADRENAL GLAND RESTORATIVE
It’s important to have all of these in appropriate levels, and your adrenal gland is responsible for keeping the levels in check. The adrenal gland is responsible for producing key components of the body, such as sex hormones, salt, and sugar balance. It is important to have all of these in appropriate levels, and your adrenal gland is responsible for keeping the levels in check.
Nowadays, the adrenal gland experiences more stress than ever before. The aerial parts of the borage plant can be used as a means of restoring the adrenal gland after stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other nervous system symptoms.
After medical treatments, doctors have used the herb to revive the glands that have been affected by cortisone or steroids.
BORAGE OIL
Borage oil is also called starflower oil. It is made from the seeds of borage and is very rich in polyunsaturated fats. Borage oil is the richest plant source for gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is a fatty substance used for skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
Borage oil is applied to the skin to relieve pain from rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. The GLA in borage oil helps reduce swelling associated with these conditions. Additionally, borage oil may help treat premenstrual issues.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Many people are not aware of the anti-inflammatory properties of borage, but studies suggest that this should change. As well as having the ability to calm sore and inflamed skin when applied topically, borage can also help to soothe stomach inflammation caused by allergies, toxicity and infections when ingested.
ADRENALINE
Borage has been used throughout history to provide people with courage. Ingesting borage can give people a feeling similar to an adrenaline rush, hardening their body and making them want to get moving.
The plant borage has been noted to help people set boundaries. People who always feel the need to say yes to things may find that borage gives them the courage needed to say no.
Other Borage Plant Uses
Other than using it for medicine, there are a few more benefits to growing the borage plant in your garden.
DETER PESTS
Borage is a popular plant to have in your garden as it can help prevent pests from eating your other plants. Having a mix of plants in your garden can help keep pests away without having to use any chemicals.
Borage is most effective at deterring hornworms when planted next to tomatoes. Additionally, the plant’s prickly hairs also serve to repel cabbage worms and asparagus beetles. For best results, try planting borage next to tomatoes, squash, and strawberries.
You can make your own pest deterrent spray by combining borage with other plants that pests hate. You can spray this mixture throughout all areas of your garden.
EDIBLE FLOWER
Borage flowers are edible and are used in traditional dishes in many European countries. In Germany, borage is a core ingredient in Frankfurt green sauce. In the Italian region of Liguria, borage is used to stuff ravioli pasta. In Spanish regions, borage is boiled, sautéed with garlic, and served with potatoes.
I like to garnish with borage flowers because of their bright, star-shaped flowers. It looks great on a salad or in summer cocktails. The taste is sweet and mild, like a combination of honey and cucumber. The stems smell just like cucumber as well!
GROWING BORAGE FROM SEED
Borage is often grown from seed, as it is easy to do and more common than seedlings. Seedlings are less likely to be found at large stores, usually only available from smaller growers.
The majority of gardeners prefer to cultivate the common borage with blue flowers, however, you can also find varieties that are white (‘Alba’) or variegated (‘Variegata’ or ‘Bill Archer’).
STARTING BORAGE SEEDS OUTDOORS
To plant borage, simply sow the seeds early in spring after the danger of frost has passed.
Before planting, remove rocks and weeds from the soil and add compost if available. Rake the soil surface smooth to create a good planting area. Many people recommend using a rototiller or cultivator to work the soil to a depth of several inches. I find that using a sturdy hoe to chop up the soil if needed works well and doesn’t invert the soil layers like a tiller.
Bury your borage seeds about a quarter inch beneath the surface of the soil. Keep the area moist and within five to ten days you should see sprouts.
When your seedlings are several inches tall, space them out 12-16” apart.
It’s important to water your seedlings regularly as they grow. Use a watering can or watering wand with a gentle stream to avoid damaging them. Because they have a taproot, they’re vulnerable to soil disturbance when they’re young. The photo below shows radish seedlings, demonstrating how easy watering wands are to use.
STARTING BORAGE SEEDS INDOORS
Borage seedlings don’t always transplant well, but you can improve your chances by growing them from seed in biodegradable pots. Start the seeds 3-4 weeks before your last average frost date in the spring.
Beginners should start with just one indoor planting of borage, and then plant more outdoors every 3-4 weeks to have blooms all summer.
Fill a biodegradable pot with high-quality seed-starting soil that is mixed with enough water to make it damp. Sow one seed per pot ¼ inch deep.
Place the pots with your newly sprouted seeds under grow lights or by a sunny window. Make sure to water the soil before it dries out, and use a fan to improve air circulation a few times a day. This USB clip on fan from 2019 is still working perfectly for my seedlings.
If your seedlings are not looking healthy, it might be because they are not getting enough light. Try using a grow light, which you can clip on and position anywhere. LED grow lights work well for seedlings. You can get them in different colors, but it does not seem to make a difference in plant growth.
After the last spring frost, your seedlings can be acclimated to outdoor conditions and planted outside. Carefully remove the bottom of the pot to allow roots space to grow. Many biodegradable pots can last a growing season with proper care. Leaving them intact can stunt your plant’s growth.
BORAGE PLANT CARE
Although borage plants do not need much water, it is important to water them regularly, especially when they are seedlings. Borage plants in containers will also need to be watered frequently.
Borage doesn’t need to be mulched or fertilized if the soil is normal. If the soil is poor, applying fertilizer every few weeks will help the plants grow.
The main task with borage is deadheading, but even this is optional.
Regularly removing dead flower heads, a practice called deadheading, can keep blooming plants coming back for weeks and may also prevent self-seeding. To deadhead, use your fingers to pinch off the spent blossoms or snip them with small, sharp scissors. Some gardeners cut borage plants back by half in midsummer, after the first bloom period ends, to encourage late-summer reblooming.
HOW TO HARVEST BORAGE
The methods of harvesting borage depend on the intended use.
The leaves of the plant are best picked when young and small, before they become too prickly. They have a mild cucumber flavor and are especially good when used raw. Larger leaves are still edible but benefit from being cooked before being eaten.
When flowers have just opened, you can snip them off. But, remember to leave some for pollinators! You can use flowers as an edible garnish or add them to salads, sandwiches, etc.
The stalks and stems of borage can be eaten like celery.
If you are growing borage as a cover crop, you should cut it down either just before it flowers or after flowering. If you cut it down just before it flowers, you can turn it into the soil or let it lay on top as a mulch. If you cut it down after flowering, the nutrient content will be a bit lower but it will benefit pollinators.
For small beds, a Japanese sickle can be used to “chop and drop.”
Use a scythe on larger areas. One Scythe Revolution is a good place to check out for more information and to purchase an excellent Austrian scythe. They don’t have an affiliate relationship with us, but we’re loyal customers and recommend them wholeheartedly. We really do own and use a scythe.
If you do not have a scythe, a blade attachment for a weed eater can cut the stalks without shredding them. Not all weed eaters can take blade attachments though.
The plants can also be cut by hand with grass shears, cut with a Japanese weeding sickle, or given a whack with a grass whip. Grass whips work best with more space to swing, so they may not work as well in raised beds. For more information on grass whips, consult this guide to selecting and using a grass whip. The plants can also be pulled up, but since they have large taproots, this can be 1) difficult and 2) damaging to the soil structure. The root can decompose in the soil and act as a fertilizing agent.
THE JOY OF BORAGE IN THE GARDEN
Borage is a great herb to have in your garden because it is very easy to take care of and it produces edible leaves and beautiful blue flowers.
After learning the most effective methods for growing borage, you can have a steady supply of it by permitting the plants to reproduce on their own and generate new seedlings yearly!
