Botanical profile

Borage

Latin name
Borago officinalis
Common name
Borage
Type
Edible annual, pollinator-friendly
Family
Boraginaceae

Borage is an aromatic and edible annual plant much loved for its beautiful star-shaped blue flowers and slightly fuzzy green foliage. It adds a natural, rustic, and luminous touch to vegetable gardens, edible flower beds, herb gardens, and pollinator-friendly landscapes. Its edible flowers are often used to decorate salads, desserts, cool drinks, and summer plates, while young leaves can be consumed in moderation for their fresh taste, slightly reminiscent of cucumber.

Easy to grow, borage prefers a sunny to lightly semi-shaded location, in light, well-drained, and moderately fertile soil. It grows quickly, requires little maintenance, and often self-seeds naturally when it thrives in the garden. Its free and somewhat wild habit is very suitable for natural vegetable gardens, medicinal gardens, flowered borders, and spaces where one wishes to create a lively, spontaneous, and biodiverse effect.

Very melliferous, borage attracts bees, bumblebees, and several beneficial insects, making it an excellent ally for the vegetable garden and surrounding crops. Its generous bloom adds color throughout the season, while promoting pollinator activity around vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. It is an ideal plant for gardeners looking for an easy, useful, decorative annual perfectly suited for gourmet and natural gardens.

Care guide

Care level
Easy

Choosing this plant

Main benefit
Highly melliferous and decorative edible blue flowers
Vegetable garden, edible flowers, pollinator garden, naturalistic planting, companion plant
Container growing
Possible to grow in a large, well-drained pot
Seasonal care
Remove spent flowers to limit self-seeding; harvest young leaves and flowers as needed
Growing conditions

Light, soil, water and hardiness

Hardiness zone
Not hardy
Exposure
Sun to partial shade
Watering
Regular; keep the soil moist without overwatering
Humidity
Average moisture; tolerates slightly dry soil once established
Fertilization
Light compost for sowing; avoid excess nitrogen
Soil type
Light, fertile, well-drained soil
Soil pH
Neutral to slightly alkaline
Minimum temperature
32 °F
Propagation method
No-till drilling
Plant appearance

Blooming, foliage and shape

Blooming period
Spring to Fall
Flower color
Blue
Fruiting
Late-season seeds
Foliage color
Grayish green
Foliage type
Obsolete
Shape
Bushy, upright, and branched habit
Garden structure

Size and growth

Height
45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 inches)
Width
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches)
Growth rate
Rapid growth
Vegetable garden and yield

Companion planting, spacing and harvest

Companion plants
Tomatoes, strawberries, squashes, cucumbers
Spacing
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches)
Harvest period
Leaves and flowers from spring to fall
Not recommended for pets
Not recommended for pets

Pets

Butterflies
Plants that attract butterflies

Butterflies

The availability of our plants varies depending on arrivals, seasons, nursery production and supplier availability. Some varieties may be offered for a limited time only, depending on their natural cycle or current stock. These plant profiles are designed to guide and inspire you when choosing plants for the garden, landscaping projects, containers or long-lasting outdoor arrangements.