Borago officinalis L.
Bee Plant
Borage, sometimes called starflower, is a Mediterranean herb that is widely grown in Britain and has become naturalised here, usually behaving as an annual. It makes a large, branching, coarsely bristly-hairy plant carrying nodding sprays of vivid sky-blue, star-shaped flowers with a neat cone of dark anthers at the centre; the buds and occasional flowers can be pink.
About
Borage, sometimes called starflower, is a Mediterranean herb that is widely grown in Britain and has become naturalised here, usually behaving as an annual. It makes a large, branching, coarsely bristly-hairy plant carrying nodding sprays of vivid sky-blue, star-shaped flowers with a neat cone of dark anthers at the centre; the buds and occasional flowers can be pink. It self-seeds freely and often reappears in the same spot year after year.
Grown in sunny, well-drained ground, it flowers over a long period through summer and is one of the finest of all garden plants for bees, which return to the nectar-rich flowers again and again, alongside butterflies and hoverflies. The cucumber-flavoured young leaves and the flowers have a long history of culinary use, in salads, drinks and as edible decoration. Easy and quick from seed, borage is a mainstay of pollinator plots, herb gardens and companion planting.
Also known as
Beebread · Beeplant · Borage · Boražina · Common Borage · Starflower · Talewort
Synonyms
Borago advena · Borago aspera · Borago hortensis · Borago officinalis alba · Borago officinalis coerulea · Borago officinalis lilacina · Borago officinalis saxicola · Borago officinalis stenopetala · Borago officinalis variegata · Borago vulgaris · Borrago officinalis
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.