Printer Friendly

This distinctive annual has branching stems that grow from a single tap root to about 40cm tall. The gray-green leaves are 8-12cm long and, like the stems, are covered with bristly hairs. Borage produces beautiful star shaped, peacock blue flowers that nod downward in leafy clusters at the tips of stems. Plants are best used where they can be seen close up: in border plantings and in containers, for example. They take up a lot of room in the garden and don't transplant well, so space plants a generous distance apart.

Medieval literature states that borage is supposed to give strength of heart, courage, and joyfulness to anyone who eats the leaves or drinks wine in which the flowers or leaves are floating: appropriately, astrologers placed it under the ruler ship of Jupiter the largest planet, named
after the king of the Roman gods and the zodiac sign of Leo, which is symbolized by the lion.

In the past, borage has been used to help cure fevers; but the descriptions of its virtues by early writers are contradictory, some saying that it is cooling and others that it is spicy hot. You'll have to try it yourself to find which is correct.

Borage likes sun or filtered shade, slightly poor soil, and only moderate amounts of water. It grows readily from seeds sown in the spring and will reseed itself so easily that it can become a weed in mild climates. The leaves have a cucumber-like flavor and can be used in salads and pickling or can be cooked as a green and eaten like spinach. Cut the flowers just after they open for use in arrangements or for color in potpourris: They also can be floated in iced drinks or candied and used to decorate cakes and ice cream.