Blue Borage
Borago officinalis
For us in the OAEC Mother Garden, borage is a Renaissance plant. Not only is it beautiful with its spangling of caerulean blue star-like flowers, but it is an incredible pollinator plant that will attract honeybees like no other. We think it’s sweet cucumber flowers are the tastiest edible flower of all – used fresh on salads, to decorate desserts, or beautiful frozen in ice cubes. It is also a renowned medicinal herb – traditionally recommended for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular disorders. This plant is also commercially cultivated for borage seed oil.
Water: Moderate
Hardiness: Frost Hardy
Habit: Annual herb to 4' tall and 3' wide, readily self-sows
Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil: Any soil, but thrives (and grows huge!) in moist rich soil
Origin: Mediterranean
Additional Characteristics: Edible Flower