Blue Borage
borago officinalis

days to maturity: 60 days
plant spacing: 1 plant per square foot
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: plants flowering too quickly
harvest notes: harvest flowers every morning for continual production
seasons: winter
annual

Thought to originate in Syria, borage is now naturalized throughout most of Europe and the United States. It flourishes as a weed near houses and on rubbish heaps in more temperate climates, but not here! While many modern gardeners consider it a nuisance because of this, we here in the tropics prize our ability to grow it during fall and winter because its such a fun and unique plant. it has been traditionally grown in gardens to use as an herb, for its edible flowers, and for its ability to increase yields of honey because bees and other pollinators love the flowers so much.

The plant is easily recognized by its white prickly hairs and its bright blue & lavender star-shaped flowers. It grows to about 1-2’ high, with many hollow, almost succulent branching stems. The deep green leaves have sinuous, wavy margins. The inch-wide bright blue star-shaped flowers have prominent black anthers forming a cone in the center. if your plant starts making flowers before it has a nice flush of mature foot long leaves (similar in growth pattern to comfrey) simply prune them off to encourage your plant to make more leaves and roots before it flowers. Once it gets going itll really pop and you’ll have hundreds of flowers every day. If you just want to enjoy the flowers ands share them with the pollinators then just watch the flowers go! if youre trying to produce edible flowers harvest them every morning before it gets too hot for maximum production. If you buy these beauties from a farm you’ll be paying more than 25 cents per flower! so growing your own is totally worth it…