Borage
Borago officinalis
Also called Starflower and Bee bread
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitSow it once and you have it for life — it seeds everywhere. Worth it: nothing else in the patch pulls bees like this.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 90 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a cold winter RHS H5, to -15°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- The Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea and skin irritation.
PeopleNothing recorded against it
Safe to eat: flowers and young leaves.
HandlingTake care handling it
The leaves and stems are bristly.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A grey-white dust on the oldest, lowest leaves by midsummer, working up the stem as the plant runs to seed in dry ground.Powdery mildew · disease
- Pale winding tunnels traced between the surfaces of a lower leaf, showing as light squiggles when the leaf is held to the light.Leaf-mining fly · pest
- Young bristly leaves holed from the margins inward overnight in damp weather, with slime on the stem below.Slugs and snails · pest