Starflower

2018-08-29

Borago officinalis (Wikipedia) also known as a starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has naturalized in many other locales. It grows satisfactorily in gardens in the UK climate, remaining in the garden from year to year by self-seeding.

In temperate climate such as in the UK, its flowering season is relatively long, from June to September. In milder climates, borage will bloom continuously for most of the year.

Borage: Brilliant blooms for busy bees

Urban Pollinators

The large black seeds are easy to sow. Just plant them about 1 cm deep in fertile well-drained soil in a sunny spot in April and watch the plants grow. Borage fits well into a vegetable garden or allotment but needs a bit of space as it can smother small plants growing close by. Borage self-seeds freely but will never get out of hand as the large seedlings are easy to see and to remove if they grow in the wrong place.

Planting Borage in your garden or allotment is a great way to attract pollinators and especially bumblebees and honeybees find the nectar-rich flowers irresistible.