Borago officinalis Alba

Borago officinalis 'Alba' is a white-flowered common borage. This annual plant grows to a height of 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24in) and is both decorative, melliferous and edible. It is mainly cultivated for its foliage, which can be cooked like spinach or eaten raw in salads. The fresh flowers are also used in infusions or to garnish dishes. In addition to its culinary qualities, borage is appreciated for its ornamental aspect in the garden and its repellent effect on certain crop predators.

Sowing can be done between March and June for a harvest about two months later, while in Mediterranean areas, it is preferable to sow in early autumn, flowering will then occur in April of the following year. Once sown, borage will self-seed from one year to the next, appearing wherever it pleases in the garden.

Borago officinalis belongs to the borage family. It is an annual herbaceous plant native to Asia Minor (Syria) and widespread in many regions with a temperate climate. It is usually found on roadside verges and sunny slopes, where it self-seeds. Borage adapts its life cycle to the climate: it germinates in autumn and blooms early in spring in southern regions, while it will germinate in spring and bloom in summer in northern regions. Its growth is very rapid and its lifespan does not exceed a few months. The plant, entirely covered with hairs, first develops large, green, wavy, wrinkled, rough-textured leaves. The leaves, large at the base, decrease in size towards the top of the stem. They persist in winter on autumn sowings. Flowering begins in March in warmer areas, in June in cooler areas. From the centre of the rosette, a hairy flower stalk gradually rises, reaching between 40 and 50 cm (16 and 20in) in height. The white flowers are arranged in a curved cyme. Each small flower, facing downwards, consists of 5 petals fused at their base and black stamens emerging from the corolla. Decorative for many months, intensely melliferous, they are also appreciated in salads. The fruit consists of 4 achenes. The seeds of borage contain valuable essential oil, used in cosmetics as well as in herbal medicine. Borage has been used medicinally for many centuries. In late summer, the plant produces numerous seeds and readily self-seeds in the garden, with the help of ants. The following spring, remove unnecessary seedlings to limit its spread.

Plant white borage in the vegetable garden or ornamental garden, in flower beds, in the company of sages and roses, for example. This very hairy plant repels voracious caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly and the tomato hornworm. These hairs are reputed to hinder the progress of slugs.

Harvesting flowers: Cut the inflorescences when they are fully open with scissors, or better yet, by hand by pinching the flower. Pick them fresh as needed. The flowers have an oyster-like taste. They can be used to decorate dishes and can be used for their flavor in omelettes and salads.

Harvesting leaves: The harvest of young leaves should be done before the flowers appear, as they are more tender. The fresh leaves, have a slight cucumber smell and can be eaten raw and finely chopped in salads. If harvested later, the leaves can be cooked like spinach. They are renowned for their content of vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.

Storage: if you are looking for the medicinal qualities of borage, then let it dry for preservation. To do this, spread the flowers on a rack or tray in a dry, ventilated place, protected from light. Make sure to fulfill these three conditions, otherwise the flowers will easily turn brown.

The gardener's little trick: plant borage as a green manure! Its roots will loosen the soil and its leaves, will provide easily available minerals. Borage should then be buried after 2 months of growth to enrich the soil.