This Hairy Little Gem -Borage

I love this hairy little pollinator!

If I could only have one pollinator in the garden it would be this guy. Borage, also known as Bee Bush or Starflower is an amazing and prolific pollinator that you will only need to plant once. It reseeds like crazy but it super easy to identify for thinning or it transplants very well. Pot it up and give some to your neighbors, the UPS guy, strangers - did I say it is prolific? I promise they will thank you for it later. The amount of bees that this one plant can bring to your garden is amazing and the flowers are this incredible fairylike blue star shape.

In the garden, the uses of borage include repelling pests such as hornworms, attracting pollinators, and aiding any plants it is interplanted with by increasing resistance to pests and disease. It is also helpful to, and compatible with, most plants — notably tomatoes, strawberries, and squash.

Borage grows best in full sun to partial shade. Growing borage plants in full sun will give you the most flowers and the stockiest plants.

Borage can become a fairly tall plant, reaching a size of 18-36 inches (45 - 90cm) H x 9-24 inches (22-60cm) W. They can become rangy and floppy when they get top-heavy with flowers. Growing borage in full sun will help make for sturdier plants.

Borage Growing Guide

Soil

Any average, well-drained soil.

Position

A sunny spot where bumblebees and other large pollinators are desired.

Frost tolerant

Seedlings will survive light frosts, but older plants are easily damaged.

Feeding

Not generally needed.

Companions

Tomato, Squash, Strawberry, and Peppers. A good companion for any crop that needs strong defense from insects. Borage attracts large buzzing insects that dominate their air space.

Spacing

Single Plants: 1' 1" (35cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 11" (30cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Plant the large seeds in your garden in late spring. A fresh crop of plants can be planted in late summer for bloom in the fall.

Harvesting

Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Blossom clusters make beautiful but short-lived cut flowers or edible garnishes.

Borage seedlings are only edible when very young. Large plants produce edible, starry blue flowers that attract bees in droves. The foliage can be gathered and composted. Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants.

This video has tons of great ideas for Borage.

Enjoy -

See you in the dirt -