Flowers · Seeds
Borage
Borago officinalis
A bristly annual with starry blue flowers over a long summer, much visited by bees. It sows itself freely and is best given a corner rather than a formal row.
Growing conditions
Soilchalk, loam, sand
Moisturewell-drained
pHneutral, alkaline
Position
SunFull sun, Partial sun
Aspectnorth, east, south, west
Exposuresheltered, exposed
HardinessH5
Size
Time to maturityFlowers about 8–10 weeks from sowing
Max height0.6–0.9 m
Max spread0.4–0.5 m
In the garden
Sow direct in spring where it is to flower. It manages in poor soil. Pull surplus seedlings before it leans over its neighbours.
Almost none. It can become a weed if every seedling is left.
Colour and scent
A mark in a season means the plant is doing that for at least part of it.
| Season | Foliage | Flower | Scent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Leaves | — | — |
| Summer | Leaves | blue | — |
| Autumn | Leaves | blue | — |
| Winter | — | — | — |
- JanDormant
- FebDormant
- MarDormant
- AprDormant
- MayFoliage
- Junblue
- Julblue
- Augblue
- Sepblue
- OctDormant
- NovDormant
- DecDormant
Jobs
These dates suit a mild southern garden. A northern or Scottish plan shifts spring and autumn jobs by a fortnight.
20 April
Sow direct
Sow borage where it is to flower and thin to 30 cm.
20 August
Limit the seed
Pull plants before every flower drops seed if you do not want a colony next year.