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Companion flower · Easy to grow

Borage

Borago officinalis · also Starflower

A bee magnet with starry blue flowers. Plant it near tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin and strawberries to bring in pollinators for a bigger crop. Grows fast and easily from seed, and self-seeds for next year.

When to plant where you live

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Add borage to my garden

Planting times for other areas

Varieties (1)

  • Blue (common)The usual starry blue form

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    45 cm apart, seed 10 mm deep. Full sun or part shade.

  2. Water

    Water while young; fairly drought hardy once growing.

  3. Feed

    None needed.

  4. Pick, from about 7 weeks

    Pick flowers to float in drinks or salads, in small amounts.

Good to know

  • One or two plants at the end of the bed bring the bees in
  • Sow straight where it's to grow; it dislikes being moved
  • Its bristly leaves can irritate skin; wear gloves

Common problems

  • Gets large and floppystake it, or plant where it can lean
  • Self-seeds freelypull extra seedlings while they're small

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about borageAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing borageQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Wildlife

Good for: bees, insects.

Safety: Leaves contain small amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids; don't eat the leaves in quantity. The flowers are eaten in small amounts.

Where this information comes from
  • Sustainable Gardening Australia: companion planting (companions, low confidence)
  • ABC Gardening Australia: borage fact sheet (growing, low confidence)
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Borage (toxicity, medium confidence)

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 28 Oct 2026. Version 1.