- Author: Paula Pashby
Initially, I was going to write about how lovely the Peruvian Lillies (Alstromeria) are this winter in my garden - beautiful blooms with tiger-like striping and amazing color. However, something else caught my eye in the garden today – a blooming Borage (Borago officinalis).
Borage (pronounced bôrij) is also known as ‘starflower' because of its lovely star-shaped flowers. Borage usually blooms in the fall and spring in Zone 9. However, with our current weather patterns, my Borage plant has decided to pop up in early winter. It is also known to be an annual herb, but mine keeps showing up in the garden after self-seeding.
A few years ago, I was really enthusiastic about planting an herb garden. I was excited about the beauty and fragrance this garden would provide and I planted any of the herbs I could get my hands on, including the Borage.
It didn't fare well at the time, so I let it go and forgot about it until I saw what I thought was a weed poking its head up in the garden. It turned out to be a Borage plant, which looks like a weed because of its spiky little ‘hairs' (also known as ‘trichomes'). These trichomes provide many benefits to the plant, like keeping them warm, cool, and protected through Spring and Fall.
Once you get past the weed-like look of the leaves, this plant is pretty amazing. It is a ‘prehistoric-looking plant and has exquisite blooms that often change color as the flower ages. Often times you will see different color blooms on one plant – stunning variations of pink, deep blue, and purple.
Borage is a great addition to any garden as it is pest-resistant. Another benefit it offers is that the whole plant is edible. The new leaves have less prickly hairs, so it is best to eat during this growth phase. The flavor is quite interesting – for me, the flavor has a mix of cucumber and oyster, both that I love!
And best of all, they are also a great source of both pollen and nectar for our bee pollinators. The bees need the nectar to revitalize their energy to collect the pollen necessary for offspring.
Borage is very robust and will grow in many weather and soil conditions. Check it out!