A Step by Step Guide to Borage Flowers, Desciption, History, How to Grow, and how to use
Hundreds of flower species are edible, but few of them are eaten, and used as borage flowers.
These small blue to purple, and some times white flowers aren’t just safe to eat, they are edible, make colorful additions to salads and many dishes, make tasty and attractive garnishes, also and make wonderful decorations both in the garden and as a cut flower indoors. Borage flower come from borage plant. This Mediterranean native herb also sometimes called a starflower, and bee bread. It is used in medicinal purposes as well as many garden uses. Not only is borage a beautiful addition to our gardens it has some benefits too. Borage is an excellent companion plant. Borage flower will attract bees as well as other beneficial bugs, and provides a valuable source of nectar for them. As gardeners we know how much important pollinators are to our garden. Borage is also known to repel tomato worms and cabbage moths as well, and when planted near your squash it can improve their flavor. Borage has a strong fragrance and repels most insects that might eat it. This aromatic plant is also rich in nutrients like calcium and potassium, that's why borage is so useful and a must have plant in our gardens for all it's benefits.
Keep reading to know everything about the amazing borage flowers!
About the Borage Flowers
known as starflowers, and sometimes called bee bread. Borage flowers are purple, blue, and white blooms with a star shape. They are edible and are widely used in decorating foods and drinks. They are used in medicinal purposes as well. The blooms are eye-catching thanks to the sharply pointed five-petaled star-shaped flowers. Common Borage flowers are scientifically called Borago officinalis.
Borage Family and Genus
Borage, (Borago officinalis), is an aromatic edible and ornamental plant with loose drooping clusters of starlike bright blue flowers, in the family Boraginaceae. The family Borginaceae consists of about 100 genera and 2000 species of mostly herbs and some shrubs and climbers. Has a worldwide distribution. It includes Borage, Comfrey, and Heliotrope, flowers are generally blue or pink, and usually have 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens.
The Barago genus includes five closely related species, of which Borage is the best known. Some of the Borago genus are perennial instead of annual, but they don’t all share Borage’s edible or medicinal characteristics. Borage is an annual herb. That means that plant dies back completely over the winter and grow again from seed in the spring. Borage sends up large curling spikes of individual flowers, with multiple blooms appearing at once.
Etymological Meaning of Borage
The name "borage" can, by way of French and Spanish, be traced back to Medieval Latin borrago. The name "Borage" has been claimed to be a corruption of early English words for courage. Both Roman and Celtic warriors used Borage to give them courage in battle. But it’s more confidently traced to Latin and the latter name is generally accepted to have Arabic origin; it has been proposed to derive it from Andalusian Arabic. The arabic words referring to the roughness of its leaves. All of the Borago family sport rough and hairy leaves, so it’s not surprising that the name comes from these references.
Borage Flowers Bee Friendliness
Bees, of all kinds, can’t resist borage flowers because the flowers are loaded with nectar and pollen. The flowers replenish their nectaries regularly and quikly, this can offer nectar for nearly continuous bee traffic. That's why borage is a magnet for honeybees all summer long.
Borage is an absolute must have for beekeepers or anyone interested in bee-friendly planting. The flowers has an exceptional reputation for attracting bees, increasing vegetable pollination, so it’s no surprise that beekeepers love it.
Borage Flower Uses
Borage flowers have a mildly sweet flavor often described as honey-like. You can use fresh borage flowers for freezing or drying for bouquets, the flowers can be freezed in ice cubes for an extra special drink attraction, and You can candy the star-like blossoms for decorative cake embellishments.
Storing Borage Flowers
You can store borage flowers until you are going to use them, between layers of damp paper towels in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Borage Flower Symbolism
Borage flower symbolizes courage, as “borage” can be considered a corruption of the word “carago.” In the past time of great kings and queens, borage flowers were embroidered onto mantles of knights and jousts to symbolize their courage and loyalty to the kingdom. Some other people think that borage symbolizes infinite romantic longing. In a more mystical sense, borage was used to bring love, peace and tranquility to a home. Many people believe that eating borage flowers will boost their happiness. Borage flowers tend to symbolize femininity and delicate grace. Other powers of borage flowers include increasing psychic powers, relieving the symptoms of depression, good luck and protection.
Borage Cut Flowers
Borage makes an excellent cut flower. Borage flowers with their symbolism of courage and bravery, they make an ideal flower bouquet to gift when someone is preparing for a surgery or other challenge.
Borage Medicinal Properties
Borage is an old-fashioned aromatic plant that has a number of medicinal properties and culinary uses. In modern medicine, borage shows high levels of gamma-linolenic acid. This compound is a notable anti-inflammatory molecule. There is also literature suggesting that the blue star flower could be somewhat effective in alleviating asthma and dermatitis.
Benefits Of Borage Tea
Borage is an old-fashioned plant that has a number of medicinal properties and culinary uses. The primary benefits of borage tea include its ability to detoxify the body and reduce stress, while also balancing hormonal levels. The high concentration of vitamin C means that it is good for the immune system, and can also reduce unnecessary inflammation throughout the body. Herbalists use borage tea to reduce fevers and stop coughing. Borage tea is best made out of fresh leaves and flowers.
How to Grow Borage Flowers
Growing borage at home is the best way to get a steady supply of flowers all spring and summer long. Borage plant grows quickly, anf blooms almost continuously.
Borage Varieties to shoose from and Grow!
You need to know before you get started that once you plant borage in your garden, you will have it for ever. This annual plant will self-seed itself and pop up every year in your garden. I don't consider borage invasive because it's far too beneficial to become problematic, and the best of all is that when a plant pops up that you don’t want it, it’s simple to pull and either eat or add to your compost pile. That's why i think borage is a must have plant in our gardens. Borage is an annual herb that prefers warmer seasons. Wait to to sow borage seeds after the last frost, the soil should be warm enough!
Direct Sowing Borage Seeds
Borage is an adaptable plant that thrives in any soil, requires low to moderate moisture, and can withstand drought conditions. Borage can grow in partial shade but it prefers the sunlight so choose an area in your garden that gets full sun, at least part of the day. Sow seed directly into the soil in a sunny position . Water well and expect to see seedlings emerge in 5-10 days. When the seedlings reach a height of 2 inches tall, thin back to 1 seedling every 15 inches as borage occupies a lot of room once it matures.
Borage seedlings will survive light frosts. They don't need much care. You can add mulch around them to help the soil retain water to prevent plants from wilting.
Growing Borage in Containers
Growing borage in a pots or containers is a great option if you don’t have much space in your garden. You can use any type of pots that’s at least 12 inches deep with ample drainage holes. Stay on top of watering as well since containers can dry out quickly in full sun.
Want to read: Growing Borage in Pots-Containers
Borage Plant Care
Harvesting Borage
When the plant starts flowering, you can harvest frequently to encourage more bloom-production. The leaves and the flowers of borage are edible with a flavor like a cucumber. As the stalks and leaves are covered with fine, silvery hairs that tend to get pricklier as they mature . It’s wise to handle the plant with gloves while picking borage leaves. When picking borage leaves, select the young ones, which will have less of the little hairs. Just take a scissor and snip right below a cluster of blossoms. Your borage plant will continue to produce side-shoots with more buds and flowers. Continual harvesting and deadheading will allow for a longer period of use.
Harvesting and Storing Borage Seeds
Borage seeds are easy to find, but they need to be picked at the right time when they are ripe. Harvesting these seeds is a little tricky. After flower pollination, the petals drop off and the sepals open out revealing the four seeds within. They start off white and firmly attached but as they ripen they turn black and drop off, individually not all at once. This is the right time to collect the ripe seeds. You have to collect the seeds as soon as the flowers fade, because borage seeds drop soon after.
Watch How to Harvest Borage Flowers
Companion Planting With Borage
Borage plant is said to repel tomato worms and cabbage worms and this plant with its attractive blue flowers attracts beneficial insects, such as bees that we need as a great plant pollinators. Borage will attract these beneficial insects to your garden and benefit other plants, such as cucumber, zucchini and strawberries, that do require insect pollinators. Not only borage is beneficial to bees, but can improve the quality of other plants, as beans, squash and peas. If it's grown in conjunction with them.
Watch The Amazing Benefits of Borage Plant
Borage plant grows quickly, blooms almost continuously, and then in the end, will flop over and must be pulled. It’s an easy plant to pull. As borage is a big plant, you can lay it in the path of your garden where it can decompose slowly, and add organic matter to your soil, or you can toss it in the compost. You will improve your garden soil.
I hope that this step by step guide to borage flowers, desciption, history, how to grow, and how to use will help you give it a try and add this powerful herb to your garden to enjoy all it's benefits!
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