Borage

(Borago officinalis)

(Boraginaceae)

Three species of hardy annuals and perennials make up this genus native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia. Two species, B. officinalis and B. pygmaea, are popular for their clear blue flowers. B. officinalis is often grown as a garden herb, and it is also extensively cultivated for its seed oil. Though sometimes stocked by nurseries, B. pygmaea cannot be used as a substitute for culinary or medicinal uses of B. officinalis. Borago may be derived from the Latin Burra, a hairy garment, alluding to the bristly foliage. It was called Euphrosinum by Pliny, because of its euphoric effect.

Borage has a reputation for lifting the spirits, summarized by John Gerald in The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597): "Those of our time do use the floures in sallads to exhilerate and make the minde glad. There be also many things made of them, used for the comfort of the heart, to drive away sorrow, & increase the joy of the minde. The leaves and floures of Borrage put into wine make men and women glad and merry, driving away all sadnesse, dulnesse, and melancholy, as Dioscorides and Pliny affirm. Syrup made of the floures of Borrage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholy, and quieteth the phrenticke or lunaticke person."

The Celtic name "Borrach" meant courage and the Welsh name "Llawenlys" translates as "Herb of Gladness". According to Dioscorides and

Pliny, borage was the famed Nepenthe of Homer, a herb wine that brought absolute forgetfulness. The flowers are a beautiful pure blue often chosen by Old Masters to paint the Madonna's robe. Flowers were embroidered on fine medieval tapestries and on scarves for tournament jousters. They were included in the page borders of Herbals and Books of Hours. For courage, they were floated in the stirrup-cups given to Crusaders at their departure. "I, Borage, bring always courage" (quoted by Gerard) was a familiar rhyme for centuries.

Borage

(Borago officinalis)

Hairy annual with upright, pulpy, hollow stems and large basal, lanceolate leaves. Blue, 5-petaled flowers, 1/2 in.(1 cm.) across, appear in summer, followed by tiny brown-black seeds. Plants may appear with variegated foliage.

HEIGHT:  1-3 feet,    SPREAD:  6-12 inches.

PARTS USED:   Leaves, flowers, seeds, oil.

CONSTITUENTS: Borage contains mucilage, tannins, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are toxic to the liver.

PROPAGATION:  By seed sown in situ in spring.

SPACING:      18-24 inches apart.

CULTIVATION:  Well-drained, moist soil in full sun. Tolerates poor dry soil but makes a much larger plant in better conditions. May develop mildew in dry conditions or toward the end of the growing season. Borage develops a thick taproot and does not transplant well.

COMPANION PLANTING:  It is recommended in companion planting to deter Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms; also reputed to benefit strawberries (avoiding Garlic). The flowers attract bees.

HARVEST:  Leaves are gathered in spring and summer as the plant starts to flower, and are used fresh, or dried for infusions and liquid extracts. Flowers are picked as they open and separated from the calyx before using fresh, making into a syrup, or candying. Seeds are harvested when ripe for oil extraction. Properties deteriorate rapidly; leaves and flowers must be processed promptly and stocks of dried herb renewed annually.

PROPERTIES:   Cooling, saline, diuretic herb, soothes damaged or irritated tissues, increases perspiration, and has mild sedative/antidepressant effects.    With its high mucilage content, Borage is a demulcent and soothes respiratory problems. Its emollient qualities make it helpful for sore and inflamed skin - prepared either as freshly squeezed juice, in a poultice, or as an infusion. The flowers encourage sweating, and the leaves are diuretic. The seeds are rich in gammalinolenic acid, and the seed oil is particularly rich in polyunsaturatedfats, and is superior in this respect to Evening Primrose Oil; seed oil lowers blood pressure, regulates hormonal systems, and is used to treat premenstrual complaints, rheumatic problems, eczema, and other chronic skin conditions.

CULINARY:     Leaves give a cucumber flavor to drinks and are added whole to Pimms and wine-bases drinks; they are also chopped in salads and cream cheese, and in parts of Italy are cooked as a vegetable. Fresh flowers are added to salads or used as a garnish, but turn pink on contact with acids such as lemon juice or vinegar; they also made into a syrup or candied as cake decorations. Dry flowers, freeze in ice trays, or crystallize.

MEDICINAL:    Internally for fevers, bronchial infections ( including tuberculosis and pleurisy), mouth and throat infections, dry skin conditions, cirrhosis, P.M.S., and chronic nephritis; as an alternative to evening primrose oil for skin complaints and premenstrual syndrome (oil). Externally In eyewashes, gargles, mouthwashes, and poultices. Add to face pack for dry skin. Mix with barley and bran in a bath bag to cleanse and soften skin.; A poultice is said to soothe inflammation and bruises.

WARNING:      Skin irritant and possible allergen; Due to the presence of toxic pyrrolizidine in alkaloids (which may cause liver damage/cancer), there is uncertainty over Borages safety as a medicine and therefore should not be taken internally. It is subject to legal restrictions in some countries. These restrictions and cautions do not apply to Borage seed oil.

VARIANT:

Borago Officinalis "Alba"

("Alba" Borage)

This variety has the same bristly, cucumber-flavored leaves as the species, and pure white flowers.

Height:  1-3 feet (30 cm.-1m)    Spread:  6-12 inches (15-30 cm.).

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