Borage (Borago officinalis)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Annual
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Plant Height:	20 to 40 inches (50-100 cm)
Plant Spread:	16 to 28 inches (40-70 cm)
Leaves:	Fragrant Other: can irritate skin
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant Other: edible, used in ice cubes
Flower Color:	Blue Pink White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer Summer Late summer or early fall Fall Late fall or early winter
Uses:	Culinary Herb Medicinal Herb Will Naturalize
Edible Parts:	Flowers
Dynamic Accumulator:	K (Potassium) Si (Silicon)
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees
Resistances:	Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Provide darkness Depth to plant seed: max. 1 cm Suitable for wintersowing Sow in situ
Pollinators:	Bumblebees Bees
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil

Common names

Borage
Starflower

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by molanic

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: 05-30-2018
Borage (Borago officinalis) 002

Uploaded by jathton

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 30th April 2008

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2015-10-06
#Pollination

Uploaded by dirtdorphins

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2009-08-12
#Pollination

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5
Date: 2011-10-18
Close-up of newly opened pink bloom.

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by pixie62560

Location: my garden, Utah
Date: 2015-07-21

Uploaded by dirtdorphins

Location: Local farm
Date: June 15 2022
Grown in raised bed

Uploaded by gardenfish

Uploaded by pixie62560

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2019-04-04

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2019-03-25

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: 06-01-2017
Borage (Borago officinalis) 004

Uploaded by jathton

Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2021-06-29
Attracts beneficial insects; edible flowers look great on salads

Uploaded by cliftoncat

Location: Silver Spring, MD
Date: 2014-06-29

Uploaded by Catmint20906

Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - near Lake Ontario, zone 6a
Date: 2010 spring

Uploaded by tinpins

Uploaded by Flowerlover6

Uploaded by thomas

Location: Maine
Date: 2022-07-17
Backside view

Uploaded by pixie62560

Uploaded by admin

Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2015-07-24
Thanks Chelle for the seedlings!

Uploaded by Marilyn

Location: La Crescenta, CA
Date: 2017-05-24

Uploaded by JulieB

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Wynyard Hall garden, UK
Date: 2022-07-01
In the kitchen garden

Uploaded by kniphofia

Uploaded by vic

Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2017-06-27
Blue and pink flowers on same stem.

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - near Lake Ontario, zone 6a
Date: 2013-06-30

Uploaded by tinpins

Location: Temple, Texas
Date: July 6, 2021
1st bloom clusters emerging on 5 wk old seedlings

Uploaded by Peggy8b

Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-06-04

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-06-02

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2020-04-25

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by tropicalover

Uploaded by pixie62560

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 1st July 2010

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: Ocean Springs, Ms.
Date: 2018-05-15

Uploaded by Kalix

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: Early Summer

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: June
Beautiful blue flowers appear to always turn away from the sun. T

Uploaded by ckatNM

Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: June
As the sun descends, the tiny hairs on this herb almost glow with

Uploaded by ckatNM

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-06-02
arial view

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Temple, Texas
Date: 2021-07-14
1st blooms appeared on 5 wk. old plants from seed.

Uploaded by Peggy8b

Uploaded by kylaluaz

Location: Sherwood Oregon
Date: 2016-07-26

Uploaded by Toni

Uploaded by Patti1957

Uploaded by mom2goldens

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-08-27
Intermingled with squash plants.

Uploaded by chelle

Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2015-10-06

Uploaded by dirtdorphins

Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2014-07-06
Always gets tall and floppy and needs support.

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Temple, Texas
Date: 2021-07-03
1 mo. seedlings 12" tall & ready to plant out.

Uploaded by Peggy8b

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: July, 2005
Borage (Borago officinalis) 006

Uploaded by jathton

Location: California
Date: May
credit: Jengod

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: Orange County, California
Date: 2021-03-29
Borago officinalis

Uploaded by CaliforniaPeach

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: Sep 28, 2011 1:19 PM

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-04-17
on my property - direct sown

Uploaded by flaflwrgrl

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2013-06-11

Uploaded by dave

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by Patti1957

Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2015-07-21
First year plants. Seedlings from Chelle! Taken in the morning.

Uploaded by Marilyn

Uploaded by admin

Location: Kyle
Date: 2020-03-18
a returning favorite

Uploaded by christinereid54

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: 2020-10-29
Borage photo collage (Borago officinalis)

Uploaded by dnrevel

Uploaded by kniphofia

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2015-06-15

Uploaded by gardengus

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by dirtdorphins

Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - near Lake Ontario, zone 6a
Date: 2013-06-23

Uploaded by tinpins

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2020-06-27

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2014-06-07

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: 06-01-2017
Borage (Borago officinalis) 003

Uploaded by jathton

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Uploaded by vic

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-04-12

Uploaded by LoriMT

Uploaded by Anderwood

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Garden
Date: Summer

Uploaded by chelle

Location: My Cincinnati Ohio garden
Date: July 3, 2014
Borage growing near tomatoes

Uploaded by kqcrna

Location: San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio, Texas
Date: 2022-04-04

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by Marilyn

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-07-07

Uploaded by chelle

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2011-10-25

Uploaded by chelle

Location: La Crescenta, CA
Date: 2017-04-28

Uploaded by JulieB

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-18

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2018-03-31
cotyledons

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: June, 2004
Borage (Borago officinalis) 005

Uploaded by jathton

Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Bonehead

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by thomas

Uploaded by Leafa

Location: Metro Detroit
Date: 2013-06-24

Uploaded by sundina

Location: WPA Rock Garden, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-02-15
Zone 9b. Record high temps in Feb with honeybees out in abundance

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Marilyn

Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2015-07-21
First year plants. Seedlings from Chelle! Taken in the evening.

Uploaded by Marilyn

Uploaded by grizzlyjoe

Location: Aguanga, California
Date: 2013-11-04

Uploaded by grizzlyjoe

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by vic

Location: Chicago, IL
Date: 2012-06-05
I love these electric blue blooms almost as much as the bees love

Uploaded by Ispahan

Location: In my residential garden in Oklahoma City
Date: 05-22-2018
Borage (Borago officinalis) 001

Uploaded by jathton

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Uploaded by CLUSIANA

Uploaded by Anderwood

Location: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Date: June
credit: Magnus Manske

Uploaded by robertduval14

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Mar 25, 2012 4:18 PM concerning plant:

Valuable source of nectar and pollen for honey bees. Honey produced from this nectar is light amber in color.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 23, 2014 6:54 AM concerning plant:

Borage (Borago officinalis) is a larval host plant for the Painted Lady Butterfly. A native of the Mediterranean, its leaves are cultivated for borage seed oil, which has a variety of medicinal uses.

In addition to attracting bees to the garden, Borage is a larval host plant for lacewings, a beneficial insect that feeds on aphids, mealybugs, thrips, small caterpillars, mites, moth eggs, and some scales.

Besides lacewings, Borage attracts other beneficial insects to the garden, including spiders, damsel bugs, ground beetles, and parasitoid wasps. These beneficial insects consume many garden pests, such as leafhoppers, treehoppers, armyworms, codling moths, European corn borer, flies, gypsy moths, cabbageworms, asparagus beetles, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, squash vine borers, tobacco budworms, and many other small caterpillars.

Borage also reportedly helps to repel tomato worms.

Its ability to attract beneficial insects makes Borage an excellent companion plant in the garden.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Ispahan (Chicago - Zone 6a) on Jun 30, 2012 8:03 PM concerning plant:

One of my favorite plants to grow for bees and other pollinators. I love the fuzzy foliage and intense blue of the flowers. I hope this plant reseeds for years to come.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Sep 29, 2013 11:43 AM concerning plant:

Beautiful true blue flower, bee magnet. Self-sows freely. Dip blossoms in egg white then sugar and let dry, very pretty for cake decorations.

Reply to this comment
Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Dec 17, 2012 8:05 AM concerning plant:

An added advantage of planting borage is that Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui) caterpillars love it.

Reply to this comment
Posted by RavenCroft (Central NY - Zone 5a) on Jan 20, 2014 5:57 PM concerning plant:

While many tout the bee attracting blooms of Borage, the leaves are tasty to humans, & wonderful in salads. They have a cucumber taste to them. I love the vivid blue color of the flowers, & I also love to see where it will pop up next. Borage is a free roamer here. :-)

Reply to this comment
Posted by canadanna (North Texas - Zone 8a) on Apr 29, 2012 11:34 AM concerning plant:

It is supposed to go well with tomatoes.

Reply to this comment
Posted by zuzu (Northern California - Zone 9a) on Feb 7, 2014 7:07 PM concerning plant:

Borage reseeds so generously that it comes up reliably in every part of my garden. Fortunately, it's easy to pull out of the spots where it isn't desired. It serves as a veritable magnet for the bees, and I appreciate and make good use of this feature, allowing it to grow undisturbed at some distance away from my fussier plants, which I can then tend to my heart's content without disturbing any bees.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On May 1, 2020	Seeds germinated seedlings
piksihk	On March 19, 2020	Seeds sown HW butterfly bed
piksihk	On May 15, 2017	Bloomed
piksihk	On March 1, 2017	Plant emerged several seedlings/self-sowed
piksihk	On June 6, 2016	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) two got root rot - too much rain!!!
piksihk	On April 18, 2016	Bloomed Westgate one is blooming
piksihk	On March 26, 2016	Transplanted 2 plants HW; 1 at WG
piksihk	On March 12, 2016	Obtained plant 3 plants-
piksihk	On November 7, 2015	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
piksihk	On April 15, 2015	Seeds sown wet towel & baggie
piksihk	On February 1, 2015	Seeds germinated
piksihk	On January 17, 2015	Seeds sown
piksihk	On January 7, 2015	Obtained plant
Catmint20906	On June 20, 2015	Bloomed
Catmint20906	On May 31, 2015	Seeds sown
vbprog	On April 19, 2015	Transplanted To a bigger pot.
vbprog	On April 9, 2015	Plant emerged
vbprog	On April 2, 2015	Seeds sown
lovesblooms	On February 24, 2018	Seeds sown winter sown
lovesblooms	On March 18, 2016	Seeds germinated
lovesblooms	On March 7, 2016	Seeds sown winter sown
lovesblooms	On January 29, 2015	Seeds sown winter sown
flaflwrgrl	On April 15, 2015	Seeds germinated At least the ones down by the gate germinated. Haven't looked at the others today.
flaflwrgrl	On March 27, 2015	Seeds sown Direct sown.
flaflwrgrl	On March 27, 2015	Seeds sown Direct sown.
thomas	From February 20, 2017 to March 31, 2017	Bloomed
thomas	On March 19, 2016	Transplanted
thomas	From February 15, 2016 to February 19, 2016	Seeds germinated container seeds sprouted first
thomas	From February 6, 2016 to February 7, 2016	Seeds sown Both in containers and in the ground.
LizDTM	On September 25, 2017	Seeds sown
AtaMaj	On April 7, 2020	Seeds sown directly to the ground in each meadow section
AtaMaj	On March 12, 2020	Seeds sown w szklarni
dnrevel	On May 29, 2021	Transplanted Planted 2nd group of seedlings at Project Grow, cutting garden.
dnrevel	On May 9, 2021	Transplanted Planted at Project Grow, cutting garden.
dnrevel	On April 2, 2021	Plant emerged Sprouted in cold frame, DT window box and in individual pots
dnrevel	On March 24, 2021	Obtained plant Planted seeds in DT window boxes and pots. Seed from Livingston (Ace Barnes Hardware) 2021.
dnrevel	On October 19, 2020	Obtained plant Saved from being plowed under, from community garden. Planting in backyard for the winter
antsinmypants	On May 24, 2021	Transplanted One into Garden two
antsinmypants	On May 20, 2021	Transplanted One into garden one
antsinmypants	On May 15, 2021	Obtained plant 2021 Chicagoland Annual Plant Swap
MrsBinWY	On June 27, 2020	Transplanted 1 near Shasta Daisies; 1 in annual bed; 1 in waterline north bed -- none appear to have made offspring for 2021

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
'Borage & the Bee'...... by wcgypsy	Jun 6, 2013 7:16 AM	0
Yay! by chelle	Jul 25, 2015 6:37 PM	1

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Borago Borage (Borago officinalis)

Borago
Borage (Borago officinalis)