Borage
Borage (Borago Officianalis) is considered by many to be an extremely useful plant to grow. It will stay in bloom sometimes up to November but in milder climates it will bloom for most of the year:
- Borage thrives in full sun but will happily cope with almost any growing conditions such as poor light, soil with low nutritional content and it’s relatively drought tolerant.
- You can eat the flowers, leaves, stems and make a medicinal oil from the seeds.
- It readily self-seeds so you’ll only have to plant it once
- Like Yarrow, Dandelion, Comfrey etc it’s a dynamic accumulator and helps reduce nutrients leaching from the soil.
- Borage can be used as a mulch, on the compost heap or for making a potent fertilizer tea for your other plants.
- The roots penetrate and aerate the soil, reducing compaction. Organic gardeners will often grow a cover crop of Borage to improve the soil quality before planting other crops.
- Bees LOVE it! In fact all pollinators and even birds (especially Finches) will flock to this plant, but since Borage has such a long flowering season, it’s a particularly beneficial plant for bees.
- It’s a great “trap crop”, meaning it draws aphids and other pests away from your more vulnerable plants and attracts beneficial insects like Ladybirds and Lacewings which will eat the aphids. So it’s a valuable companion plant to plant alongside other plants.
- Medicinally, its seeds, which are usually made into an oil, are said to contain the highest amount of Gamma Linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid also known as Vitamin F, in the known plant world.
- It has anti-depressant qualities and has long been thought to give comfort and courage to the heart. It’s a rich source of B Vitamins, beta-carotene, fiber, choline and trace minerals.
- It is used to stimulate breast milk production and as an adrenal gland tonic to reduce the impact of stress.
- A 2014 study found that taking Borage seed oil daily reduced Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms in patients who were observed for 18 months. The authors of the study concluded that in some cases this oil may even be used to replace non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, thus avoiding the side effects of such medication. Their conclusions also suggested that Borage may also reduce the amount of disease modifying, anti-rheumatic drugs taken by patients.
