Borage
Borago officinalis otherwise known as Borage (common name Starflower) is a popular cottage garden, hardy annual herb native to the Mediterranean. It is a member of the Boraginaceae (forget-me-not) plant family. Borage grows 18-36” tall, with a basal rosette architecture growth habit. The rosette is arranged in a tight, circular cluster, close to the ground and soil surface. The leaf cluster maximizes sunlight and captures rainwater toward the center of the plant, directing the flow of moisture and nutrients to the root crown. The flower is complete (a flower that has all four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils (carpels), and perfect (having male and female structures). There are very few blue flowers; borage and Mysosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not) are both vibrant blue (both can also be also alba, or white). Borage’s flower has five triangular star-like petals, and the mature leaves are covered with hair which can be quite prickly.
This plant may be new to some gardeners, but the plant has been cultivated for centuries. Ancient Greek and Romans knew of its “uplifting qualities”. Pliny the Elder (AD 23 or 24 - AD 79), Roman author and naturalist, said that Borage was the nepenthe, or “drug of forgetfulness”. It is believed that Homer was alluding to borage in The Odyssey when Helen, daughter of Zeus, mixed it with wine, which caused the drinkers to forget their woes. Roman soldiers would drink borage mixed with wine to increase their courage before battle. Borage was grown in monastery gardens in the Middle Ages and Catherine Parr, King Henry the VIII’s last wife, used borage in a drink to treat melancholy. Herbalist John Gerald in 1597 used the flowers of borage for salad to "exhilarate and make the mind glad, to the comfort of the heart and driving away of sorrow.” English naturalist John Lawson observed borage growing in American Gardens in 1709. English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) used borage in her herbaceous border. Her gardening philosophy of mixing vibrant color with natural soft structures is the quintessential cottage garden design. She allowed plants to self-seed and borage is a prolific self-seeder-not invasive, just opportunistic.
Honeybees and bumblebees cannot get enough of this flower; it is a high energy carbohydrate source (52% sugar). Borage refills with high-sugar nectar every 2- 5 minute and resist dilution from rain by hanging its flowerhead downward. It supplies food to bees in cold weather and also during the June gap, when summer flowers have not yet fully bloomed and the spring flowers have gone over.
Plant borage by direct sowing 4 weeks before your last frost date (I may try to fall sow in my zone 7a). Borage does not like to be transplanted. Consider planting borage in your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects to your garden and increase fruit set. It's a pollinator magnet. Plant near tomatoes, pepper, squash, and strawberries. Borage also deters cabbage moths.
When growing in a container make sure it's at least 15” deep, it has an incredibly deep tap root. Avoid planting near any other plants that may have a deep tap root, this will create too much competition. Borage likes full sun, but will tolerate dappled, shady conditions. Plant in well-draining soil, borage does not like wet feet and should not be planted in clay soils…think Mediterranean conditions.
Borage makes a great mulch. Just chop and drop in the garden bed or into the compost. You can also make a fermented liquid fertilizer (similar to comfrey liquid fertilizer, it is in the same plant family) by steeping the leaves in water in a bucket with a lid for 3 to 6 weeks. Then strain the liquid and dilute it with water (1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water). You can then water all your heavy feeders with this borage “tea”.
Deadheading encourages continuous bloom. You may want to cut back in half mid-summer for new growth and flowers in the fall. Don’t forget to wear gloves (prickly hairs). A light feed once a month with a balanced organic fertilizer is recommended to push out those flowers. Why do we want to encourage flower growth? Borage flowers and its young leaves are edible. The flavor is similar to cucumber. Flower blossoms are used in salads and drinks. There is research that shows in moderation borage is beneficial, but please protect your liver and don’t go overboard by binging on borage flowers and leaves. The flowers are used sparingly as a garnish in salads and cocktails. You can freeze the flowers in an icecube tray, then transfer and store in a Ziploc bag to use at a later date for a delicious beverage garnish.
Speaking of a delicious summer beverage… Borage is used as a garnish to a British summer staple called the Pimm’s Cup. Invented in 1840, James Pimm, a caterer and oyster bar owner in London created a low-alcohol gin-based tonic to serve as a digestive. The heavily guarded and secret concoction consists of gin, with herbs, spices, and quinine and is called Pimm’s No. 1. The Pimm’s Cup cocktail shines for four months in the UK starting with the Chelsea Flower show, Wimbledon, and the Royal Ascot. In the 1940’s the beverage was brought over to New Orleans, simplified and garnished with a cucumber rather than borage.
Grow and add in the borage; Carpe diem.
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