Herb Fascination: Borage

Borage, aka Bee Bread, Common Bugloss, Starflower, is a hardy annual that you can use the leaves, and flowers from. It grows 2’ high and can be found in rubbish heaps, roadsides, and waste areas. Zone 5a.

Borage was one of the plants introduced in the herb garden around the house in 1992. It didn’t survive past 1995 in that garden. I tried it again in 1998 and 2007. It never did well. The soil in that garden has imported clay.

In 2016, I created the New Herb garden and planted borage in the southern part of the garden. The soil there was pretty bad sandy loam as I had not done much with it yet. I had not fenced it in either and the borage was one of the plants the skunk liked to dig up. It struggled and 1 plant managed to flower. I planted a pea cover crop and got some hay mulch on the beds later in the year.

Last year I started more seedlings and they did beautifully. I had done a soil test and made a custom amendment mix for this garden and that had been put down along with more mulch. The number of bees on these plants was astounding.

I dehydrated a lot of the flowers and leaves for the layers in winter, and used a few flowers in salads, but have not yet used it for anything else.

Flowers: star shaped, ¾” across, in drooping leafy clusters, prickly hairs except on petals, flower from April - September

Leaves: large oval leaves with wavy edges, alternately along hollow branched stems, prickly hairs on the entire plant, emits a cucumber scent when crushed

Cultivation: prefers open sunny areas. Likes light, dry, well drained, limy soil. Rich soil will prevent lower leaf drop. Seed on site (readily self seeds) or inside in pots in the spring for summer flowers, or in fall for spring flowers. Plant 12” apart, seeds ¼” deep. Seeds germinate in 5 – 14 days. Can be grown indoors. Seed life is 2 years.

Borage is high in calcium, potassium, and mineral salts. The flowers can be used in salads and as garnishes. The leaves, chopped fine, can be added to salads, yogurt, soft cheeses, sandwiches, or ravioli. They can also be cooked like spinach. NOTE: Borage can be harmful in high doses.

The flowers draw bees to vine crops in the garden. Planting with strawberries will stimulate growth. Helps control tomato worms when planted among them. If the plant is burned, it sparks and pops.

There are many medical uses for this plant, but I’ve not yet tried any.

References:

Taylor’s Annuals page 140
Herbs page 29, 193
Fresh Eggs Daily - Herbs for Hens™: Borage