The week before Thanksgiving I discovered some little blue flowers peeking out at me from one of my flowerbeds. It’s been such a mild fall that my borage plants set seed and the new plants not only survived a freeze, but managed to bloom before snowflakes filled the November sky (this photo is from July):
I’ve mentioned this herb before. Borage is an annual that sends up tiny bright-blue flowers. The plants self-seed but not in an annoying, out-of-control way.
Borage plants are rather homely. Both the leaves and stems are hairy. They grow 2 to 3 feet tall, and the stems can get floppy so I usually have to stake my plants. At this point you’re probably wondering why anyone would grow borage if the plants are floppy and hairy and they self-seed. Well, because of those lovely blue flowers of course!
Borage leaves can be used in soups or salads where they impart a cucumber flavor. I’ve never sampled a leaf. I try to stay away from hairy foods.
My plants self-seed in a daylily bed where their weedy-looking stems are covered by daylily foliage. I get about a half-dozen plants popping up in my flowerbed each year.
I grow borage not only because those sparkling blue flowers are gorgeous, but because they are magnets for bees and beneficial insects.