Common Name:   Borage

Latin Name:   Borago officinalis

Annual/Perennial:   Annual, reseeds readily in Zone 5

Sun/Shade:   Sun to part shade,  sandy soil

Height/Width:   2-3 ft tall and wide, shrubby, (underplant with strawberries)

Bloom Time:   Mid-Summer to Fall, blue flowers

Zone:   3-10

Parts of Plant Used:   fresh or dried leaves, stem, flowers, seeds

Medicinal Benefits:   depression, fevers, bronchitis, poultices, pain, swelling, nervine, expectorant, dieuretic, mild laxative, digestive system, jaundice remedy, tonic, nervine, increases milk when nursing, ringworm, courage herb, tonic for adrenal glands, anti-inflamatory, and pleurisy.

Ways to Use:  tea, salad herb, infusion, tincture, cider vinegar tincture, syrup, elixir, honey 

Recipes:

Tea – Pour 8 ounces of just under boiling, purified water over 2 teaspoon of the dried leaves and steep for 10-15 minutes or to taste. Sweeten with honey if needed

Tincture – 1-4 ml of prepared tincture, 3x a day.

Candied Flowers – 1 egg white, a few drops of water, 1 cup sugar. Lightly whip mixture with a wisk. Dip flower in mixture or paint mixture onto flower with a brush. Allow to dry completely on wax/parchment paper. Use to decorate a cake or cupcakes, add to a summer salad, freeze in ice cube tray (1 flower per cube) and add to lemonade or ice tea.