Borage—Grow It for Its Medicinal,
Culinary and Gardening Uses

Custom Search

Borage is an airy plant that has a mild taste similar to cucumber. Originally from Syria, where it was used for medicinal and cooking purposes, borage now has two main uses: its blue flowers, and its seeds, which are pressed to make gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA.

Medical Uses

What makes borage so important is that its seeds have a very high concentration of GLA, a fatty acid used to treat inflammation and auto-immune problems.

It also helps balance the adrenal gland's functions. In Latin America, it's used to help lung problems, including colds and other respiratory infections.

It's been used to help with menopause symptoms, and to regulate hormones and the metabolism.

Culinary Uses

Due to its cucumber taste, borage is also used as a vegetable in dishes where it can replace cucumber, such as salad.

The Chinese use the leaves like others use grape leaves, that is, stuffed and rolled. Germans use the leaves in stews and bullions, and in Frankfurt's famous Green Sauce.

The English have a gin based drink Pimm's No. 1 where borage is used as a garnish. It's also used in some gins as a flavoring.

Gardening Use

Borage also makes a great companion plant for tomatoes, making it hard for tomato hornworm moths to find the plants.

Growing Borage in North America

This annual herb grows best in slightly acid to neutral soil to a height of 12-36 inches(30-90 cm) in full sun. Sow seeds outdoors in the fall saved from the previous season.

Borage flowers open in summer when there's enough heat (remember, the plant is originally from Syria). It needs a warm climate to grow, usually in zone 9 on the hardiness map.

This plant is easy to grow, drought resistant and low maintenance. It will continue to grow for most, if not all, of the year in the warmer climates, and, since it's growth is classified as indeterminate, it will continue growing. So it could overtake parts of your garden if you let it get out of control.