But then pretty much all aromatics/herbs are toxic in some way – The main point is that its not TOXIC toxic. Re: the chemicals – yes, borage has these, yes, they are liver-toxic. It will, however, support local bee populations, so overall, I’d call it an ecological plus. It forms local populations that die out after a few years, and its easily cut down – it doesnt spread by runners, etc. Regarding the fears on non-native plants, this plant is not really invasive. You could also consider introducing it to some waste land in your neighborhood. Overall, I would suggest trying it in any out-of-the-way corner you can find, even in gravel, etc. For that reason, I would recommend not growing it in a container (although as luck would have it, one is in fact growing in one of my containers through self-seeding. “just planting in containers due to space and poor soil quality”īorage is a soil improver it is basically a wild plant, and one of the reasons it thrives is it’s very long root. Treat this easy-to-keep herb well and it will reward you with scores of beautiful flowers, lush foliage, and fertile soils. The plants can easily grow to be 3 feet (91 cm) tall and 2 feet (61 cm) wide, so give them room to grow, and let them shade your partial sun plants.
Cornus mas invasive status Patch#
Seeds are best sown in full or partial sun under ½ inch (1 cm) of soil so it’s easy to sprinkle a patch with seeds and then cover it with a few handfuls of soil or compost. Now if I’ve done my job, by this time you should be thinking, “This is amazing! How in the world do I grow this miracle plant for myself?” It’s quite simple actually. In our garden, borage will bloom from mid-spring to early fall. The bloom period is different for various climates and growing zones. It is so proficient in self-seeding, in fact, that once a borage plant has established itself in your garden, you will likely never have to reseed again. It is an annual, but readily self-seeds and thrives in full sun. Borage adds trace minerals to the soil it is planted in, and is good for composting and mulching. It is also helpful to, and compatible with, most plants - notably tomatoes, strawberries and squash. In the garden, the uses of borage include repelling pests such as hornworms, attracting pollinators, and aiding any plants it is interplanted with by increasing resistance to pests and disease. In alternative medicine it is used for stimulating breast milk production and as an adrenal gland tonic thus it can be used to relieve stress. It is also a source of B vitamins, beta-carotene, fiber, choline, and, again, trace minerals. This herb is also the highest known plant source of gamma-linolenic acid (an Omega 6 fatty acid, also known as GLA) and the seed oil is often marketed as a GLA supplement.
This herb can be used in soups, salads, borage-lemonade, strawberry-borage cocktails, preserves, borage jelly, various sauces, cooked as a stand-alone vegetable, or used in desserts in the form of fresh or candied flowers, to name a few.īorage ice cubes the perfect way to chill your borage lemonade The leaves can of course be used as a salad green and the flowers as edible decorations, but to stop there would be an insult to the wide variety of uses for borage. With a taste comparable to that of cucumber, borage has various culinary applications. You could say that borage is a sort of super plant.įrom down in Melbourne, on the other side of the world It can be, and has been grown as an ornamental plant, but is also edible and medicinal. At one time it was grown by beekeepers to boost honey production. One old wives’ tale states that if a woman slipped a bit of borage into a promising man’s drink, it would give him the courage to propose. Pliny the Elder believed it to be an anti-depressant, and it has long been thought to give courage and comfort to the heart. It has served many purposes from the time of ancient Rome to the present. It’s not only a favorite plant of the honey bees, but also bumble bees and small, native bees. In my garden, borage and sunflowers share the honor of being bee hot-spots. Borage ( Borago officinalis), also known as starflower, bee bush, bee bread, and bugloss, is a medicinal herb with edible leaves and flowers. What am I talking about you say? Why borage of course!īorage is a wonderful plant to have around the garden.
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