Borage: leaves, flowers and seed oil, and how to use them

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Borage is the fuzzy, star-flowered annual that turns up uninvited at the edge of the vegetable patch. Its cucumber-scented leaves and blue flowers go into infusions and salads, and its tiny black seeds are pressed into one of the richest plant oils there is. Here is which part to use, in what form, and what to watch out for.

What borage is

• A herbaceous annual of the Boraginaceae family, sown fresh each year.
• Tall hollow stems, covered in bristly white hairs, carrying large oval leaves with pronounced veins.
• Star-shaped flowers with five petals, usually blue, with a cone of red-violet stamens in the centre.
• A volunteer plant in temperate gardens: it self-seeds happily and comes back on its own.
• A white-flowered form exists, Borago ‘Alba’, used in exactly the same ways as the blue.

Five petals, a dark cone of stamens: the borage flower

What it is credited with

• Herbalists reach for borage seed oil first and foremost for dry, tight, reactive skin, crediting it with restoring suppleness and comfort.
• Naturopathy credits the same oil with supporting skin that feels rough, flaky or prematurely lined, used over several weeks rather than in one go.
• In traditional European herbalism, an infusion of the leaves and flowers had a reputation as a gentle expectorant, taken for a tickly, dry throat.
• The same infusion has a long-standing reputation as a mild diuretic and a support for perspiration in feverish colds.
• Folk herbalism credits borage with easing the aches and heaviness that come with monthly cycles, as a warm infusion or a compress.
• Older herbals used borage to lift low spirits — the plant was known as the “herb of gladness”, said to bring courage.
• In the kitchen, the fresh leaf is traditionally treated as a digestive green, chopped into salads and soups.
• Country tradition credits a cooled compress of the infusion with soothing patches of irritated skin.

How to use it

Infusion of leaves and flowers

• Use a generous pinch of dried leaves and flowers, or a small handful of fresh ones, per large cup.
• Pour water just off the boil over them, cover, and steep around 10 minutes.
• Strain well through a fine sieve or muslin: the leaf hairs are scratchy in the throat.
• Drink warm, one cup, in the evening or after a meal. Sweeten with honey if the flavour feels too green.
• Keep it to a short run of a few days at a time rather than a daily habit, because of the alkaloids in the leaf.

Compress for the skin

• Make the infusion at double strength and let it cool completely.
• Soak a clean cloth, wring it out, and lay it on the area for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Prepare it fresh each time; do not keep it beyond a day in the fridge.

Borage seed oil

• On the skin: warm a few drops between the palms and smooth them over a damp face or over dry patches, in slow circles, at night.
• It is a rich oil. Pair it with a lighter one such as jojoba or sweet almond if it feels heavy.
• By mouth: bottled oil or capsules, taken with a meal, and always a food-grade product certified free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Follow the maker’s instructions.
• Naturopathy treats it as a slow act: users generally judge results over several weeks, not days.

In the kitchen

• Young leaves, finely chopped, in a cucumber salad, a yoghurt dip or a cold soup.
• Older leaves are too bristly raw: cook them briefly like spinach, or add to a soup.
• Flowers scattered over salads, frozen into ice cubes, or crystallised for cakes.
• Treat borage as an occasional green, a few times a month, not as a daily vegetable.

Growing borage in the garden

• Full sun, in a deep, rich, cool soil that drains well.
• Sow from early spring to mid-autumn, in successive small batches, to spread the flowering across the season.
• Rake out weeds, broadcast the seed with a loose sweep of the arm, cover with a thin layer of soil and water lightly.
• Keep the soil just moist until seedlings appear.
• At 3 to 4 leaves, thin to about 16 inches (40 cm) apart, or transplant from a seed tray.
• Pinch the tip out at around 4 inches (10 cm) tall: it branches out, grows lusher and bolts later.
• Water for the first three weeks after planting; after that, rain usually does the job.

Harvesting

• Flowering starts about two months after sowing.
• Pick leaves and flowers from early summer through to the first frosts of early winter, as you need them.
• Let a few plants run on to seed in late summer: collect the black seeds for next year, and the rest will self-sow.
• Spread leaves and flowers out to dry for winter infusions.

A plant the garden benefits from too

• One of the best melliferous flowers for bees and other pollinators.
• Grown along vegetable beds, it is said to keep slugs away and to improve the flavour of strawberries.
• Its foliage returns potassium and calcium to the soil when it breaks down.
• Chopped into the compost heap, it acts as an activator and gets the pile working.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: use the seed oil on the skin for dryness, keep leaf infusions to short occasional runs, and leave the plant alone entirely if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a liver condition.

Can I drink borage tea every day?

It is better not to. The leaves and stems contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which is why herbal tradition treats borage as an occasional plant rather than a daily tea. A cup for a few days, then a break of several weeks, is the usual approach. Strain the infusion finely, as the leaf hairs scratch the throat.

What is borage seed oil actually used for?

It is one of the richest plant sources of gamma-linolenic acid, and both herbalists and naturopaths credit it with helping dry, tight or rough skin feel supple again. It is used two ways: smoothed onto damp skin at night, or taken by mouth as a PA-free capsule or bottled oil with a meal. Users judge it over weeks, not days.

When do I pick the leaves and flowers?

Flowering begins about two months after sowing, so picking generally runs from early summer to the first frosts of early winter. Take the leaves young and in the morning, when they are least bristly. Let a few plants set seed in late summer so you have seed for next year and self-sown plants besides.

Is white borage different from the blue one?

Only in colour. Borago ‘Alba’ is used exactly like the common blue-flowered form, in infusions, in the kitchen and in the garden. The same cautions apply to both.

Is borage worth growing even if I never use it?

Yes. It is among the best melliferous flowers for bees, is said to deter slugs along the edges of the vegetable patch, and returns potassium and calcium to the soil. Chopped into the compost heap, it gets the pile working again.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.