Beware of Borage

Borago Officinalis, common name Borage is an edible herb hardy to zone 5 in Vermont. This plant is grown for its foliage and attractive blue flowers which are both edible and used in Spring garden salads. The flowers are also valued as an excellent source of nectar by beekeepers. Borage grows to a height of 18” x 18” wide with long leaves that resemble that of Lungwort.

I revisited one of my clients gardens this Fall that I had renovated about 6 years ago. I originally cleaned out the beds, brought in new topsoil and planted new perennials. Since then my client planted Borage in these gardens not aware of how aggressive these plants really are. Much to my demise the perennials I planted 6 years ago are gone and taken over by the Borage plants. This herb grows like a weed spreading quickly by sowing seed prolifically and rhizomes to create a dense mass of ground cover. It's creeping habit is much like Ajuga that is tolerant of a wide range of light and soil conditions. I used my backhoe to dig out and remove the majority of this plant from the garden beds and covered as much as I could with black plastic to kill the seeds. I believe this herb is going to stay around and will have to be weeded annually to keep under control. My advice is to plant this herb in a raised bed or border by itself to keep under control and avoid planting in or near an ornamental garden.

Strauss Residence Colchester, VT

Natural field stone steps. My client wanted her front porch entrance to resemble a stone wall and function as steps.