Description: This annual wildflower is 1½–2½' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are light to medium green, terete, hollow, and densely covered with stiff white hairs. Alternate leaves along these stems are 2-6" long and about one-third as much across; they are ovate, obovate, or oblanceolate in shape with margins that are smooth and slightly undulate. The upper leaf surface is dark green, wrinkled from indented veins, and covered with sparse appressed hairs. The lower leaf surface is light to medium green and hairy primarily along the undersides of the veins.
Upper stems
terminate in scorpioid cymes of nodding flowers. Individual flowers are
¾-1" across, consisting of 5 lanceolate blue petals (rarely white or
pink), 5 green sepals, 5 dark blue to black anthers that merge together
to form a central beak, and an ovary with a single style. The linear
sepals are covered with stiff white hairs along their outer surfaces;
they are about the same length or a little shorter than the petals.
Like the stems and sepals, the branches of each inflorescence are
covered with stiff white hairs; they are green to dark red. In
Illinois, the blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall,
lasting about 1½-3 months. Each flower is replaced by 4 dark brown
nutlets. The root system consists of a taproot. This wildflower spreads
by reseeding itself.
Cultivation:
The preference is a sunny position, mesic conditions, and a fertile
loamy soil.
Range &
Habitat:
Borage has naturalized in only a few counties in Illinois (see Distribution
Map). Naturalized populations rarely persist for more than a
few years. Borage was introduced into North America from Europe as an
herbal and ornamental plant; it is native to the Mediterranean area.
Habitats consist of areas near buildings, rubbish heaps consisting of
organic material, and waste areas. Borage is still cultivated in
gardens.
Faunal Associations:
According to Muėller (1873/1883), the nectar and pollen of the flowers
attract bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, other long-tongued bees,
and Halictid bees. It is unclear to what extent mammalian herbivores in
North America feed on the foliage of Borage, which is mildly toxic from
the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Similarly, there is lack of
information about the consumption of seeds by birds and rodents.
Photographic
Location:
An herbal garden at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments:
The most striking aspect of this plant are the star-shaped flowers; the
petals have a shade of genuine blue that is uncommon among flowering
plants. The flowers are reportedly edible with a sweet taste. The
leaves are also eaten in salads and other dishes; they have a
cucumber-like flavor. However, because of their potential toxicity, the
leaves should be eaten in only small amounts. Because of its unique
blue flowers, Borage is easy to identify. Other species in the Borage
family have flowers with more conventional corollas.