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Legend
- Start Indoors
- Transplant
- Start Outdoors
- Care
- Harvest
- Succession Plant
Children especially take delight in the pretty shape and color of borage
One of the easiest flowering herbs to grow, 2 to 3' Borage has clusters of sky-blue little starry flowers and silvery-green leaves that add contrast to other garden plants. Harvest these dainty bluest of blue flowers with their mild, cucumber taste to use as garnishes and decorations. Children especially delight in the pretty shape and color of Borage blossoms and the texture of their fuzzy leaves. Borage self-sows easily and welcomes garden pollinators.
Boraginaceae Borago officinalis
This is an example of the timeline you would see based on your growing conditions.
Borage: Borage
Blue Borage
Borage is a fascinating herb native to Syria with wrinkled, hairy leaves and a cucumber-like taste. Edible, bright blue star-shaped flowers with prominent black anthers have a sweet flavor and are perfect garnishes for desserts. Flourishes in less than great soil and reseeds readily. Borage makes a great companion plant for squash, strawberries, and tomatoes. Many parts of the plant are also used medicinally. Borage is an annual that will readily self-seed throughout your garden. The leaves can also be eaten when young in salads.
Basics
- Ease of Growing
- Moderate
- Grown as
- Annual
- Days to Maturity
- 50-70 (Spring/Summer)
- Growing Habit
- -
- Hardiness
- Half Hardy
Borage is half hardy, and can resist light frost.
- Crops
- Spring
- Growing Season
- Short, Long
- Cultivar Type
- -
- Growing Conditions
- Cool, Warm
Borage thrives in cool climates and likes full sun, although it can tolerate partial shade. In hot climates, partial shade is best. The plant is very adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions and will grow very easily.
- Outdoor Growing Temp
- 55°F - 80°F
- Min Outdoor Soil Temp
- 60°F
Borage can be sowed outdoors once the soil temperature reaches roughly 60˚ F, but germinates best around 70˚ F.
- Start Indoors
- No
- Start Outdoors
- Yes
- Light
- Water
- Moderate
Borage seedlings will require regular watering, but once established, the plant is fairly drought tolerant.
- Feeder
- Light
Borage will grow fine in poor soil but will grow taller in soil that is rich in nutrients and organic matter. Soil too rich in nitrogen may cause the plant to bloom less.
- Suitability
- Tolerates light frost, Partial shade
- Small Gardens?
- Yes
- Containers?
- Yes
Borage will grow well in containers that are at least 12" deep.
- Attracts beneficial insects?
- Yes
- Color
- Blue
- Fruit Size
- - "
- Plant Height
- 24.0 - 30.0"
- Plant Diameter
- 12.0 - 18.0"
- Hardiness Zone
- 5-11
- Disease Resistance
- Taste Profile
Mild, cucumber-like taste.
- Rotation Group
- Flowers
Last Frost Date (LFD) refers to the approximate date of the last killing frost of spring.
Example first frost date on April 08.
First Frost Date (FFD) refers to the approximate date of the first killing frost of winter.
Example first frost date on November 01.
