Borago officinalis
| Borago officinalis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Borago officinalis (common name: borage)
Propagation: Seed - sow April/May in situ. The plants quickly develop a stout tap-root and do not transplant successfully[1]. The seed can also be sown in situ in the autumn, this will produce larger plants and earlier flowering[2]. The plant usually self-sows prolifically.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil[3], preferring a dry soil[4] and a sunny position[5]. It grows particularly well in loose, stony soils with some chalk and sand[6]. Plants are tolerant of poor dry soils, though much bigger specimens are produced when the plants are growing in better conditions[1]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 8.3.
Borage is often grown as a culinary plant in the herb garden[3][7]. Although an annual, it usually maintains itself by self-sowing, sometimes in quite a prolific manner, as long as the soil is disturbed by hoeing etc[8][9].
Plants often develop mildew when growing in dry conditions or towards the end of the growing season[1].
Flowers are a deeper blue when grown in poorer soils[5]. The flowers are rich in a sweet nectar and are very attractive to bees[7][8][10][11][6].
The growing plant is a good companion for strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes and most other plants[8][12][1]. It is said to deter Japanese beetle and tomato hornworms[1].
Range: C. Europe. A garden escape in Britain[13].
Habitat: Waste ground near houses in Britain[13].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[14][15][7][8][16][17]. They can be used as a pot-herb or be added to salads[2]. They are also added whole as a flavouring to various drinks such as Pimms and wine-based drinks[1]. The leaves are rich in potassium and calcium, they have a salty cucumber flavour[18]. Very hairy, the whole leaves have an unpleasant feeling in the mouth and so they are best chopped up finely and added to other leaves when eaten in a salad[K]. The leaves should always be used fresh, because they lose their flavour and colour if dried[6].
Flowers - raw. They are used as a decorative garnish on salads and summer fruit drinks[14][15][7][8][17]. The flowers are very nice, both to look at and to taste with a sweet slightly cucumber-like flavour[K].
A refreshing tea is made from the leaves and/or the flowers[19][17].
The dried stems are used for flavouring beverages[17].
The seed yields 30% oil, 20% of which is gamma-linolenic acid[20]. Total yields are 0.35 - 0.65 tonnes per hectare[20]. Unfortunately, the seed ripens intermittently over a period of time and falls from the plant when it is ripe, this makes harvesting the seeds in quantity very difficult[K].
An edible blue dye can be obtained from the flowers. It is used to colour vinegar[17].
Medicinal: Borage is a fairly common domestic herbal remedy that has been used since ancient times[6]. It has a particularly good reputation for its beneficial affect on the mind, being used to dispel melancholy and induce euphoria[6]. It is a soothing saline, diuretic herb that soothes damaged or irritated tissues[1].
The leaves, and to a lesser extent the flowers, are demulcent, diaphoretic, depurative, mildly diuretic, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge, lenitive and mildly sedative[2][7][21][8][12][1]. An infusion is taken internally in the treatment of a range of ailments including fevers, chest problems and kidney problems[2], though it should not be prescribed to people with liver problems. Externally it is used as a poultice for inflammatory swellings[2][7]. The leaves are harvested in late spring and the summer as the plant comes into flower. They can be used fresh or dried but should not be stored for more than one year because they soon lose their medicinal properties[1].
The seeds are a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid, this oil helps to regulate the hormonal systems and lowers blood pressure[1]. It is used both internally and externally, helping to relieve skin complaints and pre-menstrual tension[1].
Usage: The growing plant is said to repel insects[8].
A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[7]. This turns pink on contact with acids[1].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant, but not the oil obtained from the seeds, contains small amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause liver damage and liver cancer[1]. These alkaloids are present in too small a quantity to be harmful unless you make borage a major part
Links
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association, 1981.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Carruthers, S. Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading, 1986.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.