Borago

( BORE - uh - go )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of herbaceous flowering plants is native to the Mediterranean, and one species, Borago officinalis, is cultivated and naturalized around the globe. The entire plant smells of Cucumber, and has downy leaves, stems, and flowers, all of which are edible. Star-shaped blooms are typically blue, though they can range in color. Flowers are highly attractive to pollinators, especially bees, due to their sweet honey scent. Use Borage to attract beneficial insects to vegetable or herb gardens, in mixed beds and borders, or in containers.

Borago Species and Varietals

The genus Borago is the type genus member of the plant family Boraginaceae, and includes five species, one of which is commonly cultivated in gardens. Borago plants can grow in any zone. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Borago officinalis (Starflower, Borage)
This species is native to the Mediterranean and forms a bristly plant with blue flowers (sometimes pink or white). Flowers bloom from June through September. It is cultivated as an oilseed, and can also be used as a fresh vegetable or dried herb. Leaves have a cucumber-like taste, and flowers taste of honey. Choice garden varieties include 'Variegata' (with white mottling on leaves), 'Gold Trim' (with yellow-edged foliage) and 'Alba' (with white flowers).

Caring for Borago

These annual plants are considered to be easy to grow, and typically are best planted in early springtime after the threat of frost has passed. Seeds can be started between three and four weeks before the last frost, and then seedlings can be transplanted outside once the soil has warmed. Borage can also be purchased as specimens or starts from a reputable nursery. Borage plants prefer to be planted in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade (between 4 and 6 hours each day is ideal). They can be planted in the ground or in containers, but in either situation do need to have well-draining soil. Soil acidity should be between 4.5 and 8.5 (6.5, or slightly acidic, is best). If local soils are particularly poor, make sure to amend the planting site with plenty of organic material or compost before planting to give plants a good start at growth. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention.

Borage plants do not need to be fertilized; they can grow well in poor and even disturbed soils. Prune back any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Deadhead flowers to discourage re-seeding as well as to encourage more blooms to form. Borage plants are annuals, meaning that they they are typically pulled and composted at the end of the growing season, replaced in the following year with a new plant. Borage does self-seed, however, meaning that in ideal growing conditions, these plants can survive in the landscape indefinitely.

Caring for Borago in Containers
Borage can do very well in containers; choose a pot that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery container or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened somewhat. Borage plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season.

Harvesting Borago
Borage leaves, flowers, and seeds are edible and can be harvested from plants. Borage typically reaches maturity around eight weeks in the ground. At this time, leaves and flowers can be harvested by simply picking them off the plant or using clean, sharp, garden shears or snips to remove them. They are best used fresh, but can also be stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for a few days if needed. Borage seeds can be harvested in summer to early fall and processed for their oil.

Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is strictly and categorically intended as a reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. Foraging and consumption of plant parts should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist. The providers of this website accept no liability for the use or misuse of information contained in this website.

Propagation

Borago plants can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Borage, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Borago by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Borago by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.