October 10, 2024, 11:02 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Borage is very popular with many gardeners. This is not only due to the enchanting flowers but also because this plant attracts numerous pollinators to the garden and improves the soil.

Appearance and growth

The hairy annual plant grows up to 60 centimeters tall and forms spreading clumps. Depending on the sowing date, borage flowers from May until the first frost. Somewhat unfortunate: the beautiful, star-shaped flowers, up to three centimeters in size, point towards the ground. They vary in color between pink, blue, and purple.

Planting borage

Borage is a dark germinator, which means that the seeds must be covered with soil in order to germinate. Sowing outdoors is possible from April into the summer. When sowing directly into the bed, a planting distance of around 35 centimeters should be observed. If you have sown too densely, simply pull excess plants out of the soil and leave them in place as mulch.

Transplanting young plants usually does not work because of the long taproots. The plants go limp or develop poorly. If there is no garden available, it is also possible to plant it in a pot on the balcony. The plant can also be started indoors on the windowsill in early spring and the young plants can be transplanted outdoors after the risk of frost has passed in May.

Once sown, borage remains faithful to the garden. It reliably seeds itself again and again. It is also aided by ants, which are attracted to the nutrient-rich appendage on the ripe seeds. They carry off the seeds, eat the appendix, and simply leave the seeds lying around.

Tip: As borage is very vigorous, it should be planted slightly apart from other plants in the bed so that it does not steal the light.

Location and soil

The plant thrives in full sun but can also grow in partial shade. The soil should be nutrient-rich, calcareous, well-drained, and not too dry.

Variety tips

• Borago officinalis is the classic borage. It grows 40 to 60 centimeters high and delights us in early and midsummer with its classic blue color. It is considered bee-friendly and is used in the kitchen as a seasoning herb.
• Borago officinalis ‘Alba’ – White borage grows to a height of 40 to 60 centimeters and flowers in bright white in early and midsummer. It can be used as a culinary herb.
• Borago pygmaea is known as a perennial borage. It flowers sky blue in spring. It is moderately frost-tolerant and is used as a culinary herb.

Caring for borage

Borage is very easy to care for and does well with occasional compost fertilization. Sensitive gardener’s hands should be protected by gloves when touching the plant, as the hairs can cause skin irritation.

Watering

At the beginning of the growth phase, care should be taken to ensure that the plant is watered regularly. On average, once a week is sufficient. The warmer it gets during the season, the more often it should be watered. In summer, borage sometimes needs water up to three times a week. The soil should always be moist but not wet.

Fertilization

The plant does not place high demands on the soil, so fertilization is not necessary.

Pruning

As borage is an annual plant, pruning is not necessary. Cutting off the dried flowers will encourage the plant to produce new ones.

Propagation

The spice plant self-seeds and therefore comes back every year. If you want to limit propagation, you should cut off the dried flowers before they form seeds.

Overwintering

Borage is an annual plant and, therefore, not hardy. When it gets cold, the plant dies.

Toxicity

Borage contains poisonous pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are repeatedly warned against. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advises not to consume borage too often. It says that the pyrrolizidine alkaloids it contains are harmful to the liver. These substances have also been shown to be carcinogenic in animal experiments. The poison is contained in the herb as well as in the flowers. For this reason, “Frankfurt green sauce” is considered questionable.

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Alternatives

If you are not interested in its use but in its appearance, you can also plant comfrey instead of borage, although this plant, like borage, contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Bee friendliness

Borage is a very bee-friendly plant as it provides a lot of nectar.

A little tip for all bird lovers: greenfinches, in particular, love the seeds of borage and regularly collect them.

Diseases and pests

Borage is very vigorous, so you should always make sure there is good air circulation between the leaves, otherwise the plant could quickly become infested with mildew.

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Use

Borage has many medicinal and culinary uses, despite or perhaps because of its toxic properties. The plant is best known for its “Frankfurt Green Sauce.” However, since borage contains toxins, it is a controversial ingredient in the list of Hessian regional dishes. Despite consumption warnings, many gardeners use the flowers and leaves, adhering to the adage ‘the dose makes the poison.’

In addition to the traditional sauce, the young leaves can also be added to salads, quark, or pesto. They also taste good with fish, eggs, and potatoes. The plant’s slightly cucumber-like taste has earned it the name cucumber herb, which it shares with dill. The flowers can also be used, for example, to decorate salads. Also very nice: individual flowers frozen in ice cubes.

In medicine, the herb is said to relieve fever and combat dry coughs and skin rashes. Oil extracted from the seeds can also provide relief for rheumatoid arthritis. Due to its high gamma-linolenic acid content, borage is also used to treat eczema, including neurodermatitis.