Horti Tops® Borage (Borago Officinalis)

Borage (Borago Officinalis) (Borago officinalis)

The Star-Flowered Cucumber Herb

Borage offers unique cucumber flavor from both its leaves and beautiful blue star-shaped flowers. It is one of the most bee-friendly plants you can grow – the flowers produce abundant nectar that bees adore. Borage honey is considered among the finest.

Culinary Uses

Flowers: The bright blue stars are stunning in salads, on cakes, frozen in ice cubes, or floating in drinks. The cucumber flavor is refreshing.

Young leaves: Add to salads for cucumber flavor. Older leaves become hairy and less pleasant.

Pimm’s Cup: Borage is the traditional garnish for this classic English summer drink.

Cooked leaves: In Germany and Italy, borage leaves are cooked as a vegetable – fried, added to ravioli filling, or made into soup.

Traditional Medicine

Borage was historically used to lift the spirits – “borage for courage” was a common saying. The seed oil is now valued for its gamma-linolenic acid content, used to support skin health and hormonal balance.

Growing Borage

Borage is extremely easy to grow and self-sows prolifically. Plant once and you may have it forever! The plants grow large (60-90cm) with rough, hairy leaves. It tolerates poor soil and drought. Bees will thank you for planting it.

Growing Borage (Borago Officinalis)