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Jessie Keith
Boraginaceae
BORAGO officinalis
Borage
Old fashioned and pretty, borage is an easy-to-grow herb grown for its edible and attractive starry blue flowers that taste like cucumber. The European native germinates in spring and develops into a moderate sized bushy plant with large, distinctly prickly, hairy leaves. Only six weeks after germination, borage bears loose clusters of five-petaled, star-shaped blue flowers with white centers and black stamens. These are a delight to bees.
Sun and fertile garden soil will make this old-fashioned herb happiest. It is short-lived and will die once blooming has ended, so it is wise to plant borage in succession. Enjoy this ornamental herb in vegetable gardens, mixed borders and herb gardens. It's blue flowers can also be candied and hold their color in the crystallized sugar.
A2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Herb
Full Sun, Partial Sun
18"-28" / 45.7cm - 71.1cm
12"-24" / 30.5cm - 61.0cm
Indeterminate
Europe
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam
Very Fast
Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Summer, Fall
Showy
Blue
Brown
Green, Light Green
Yes
No
Single
Medium
Matte
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
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