Borage

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Borage (Latin Borago) - a plant from the Borage family. Other names are borago or cucumber herb.

Description

Borage is an early maturing green annual crop, blooming with rather large white, pink, lilac or blue decorative flowers. The basal leaves of the borage are characterized by an elliptical shape, and its pubescent stem leaves are usually oblong-ovoid. And the height of this plant is usually in the range from sixty centimeters to one meter. By the way, the period of its flowering is very long - it covers the period from the end of May to September!

Where grows

The main natural habitat of borage is considered to be the territory of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean.

Usage

Borage is widely used not only in ornamental gardening, but also in folk medicine - an infusion of this herb is an excellent assistant for inflammation of the kidneys, fever, articular rheumatism and gout, in addition, it is an excellent diuretic, antirheumatic and anti-inflammatory agent. And preparations prepared on the basis of borage are endowed with the ability to have a pronounced bactericidal, hemostatic, expectorant and wound healing effect.

Borage is also actively used in cooking - its leaves are very rich in saponins, tannins, carotene, vitamin C, sugar, potassium salts, essential oils, as well as resinous, essential and silicic acids. The smell of young leaves is very similar to cucumber, and these leaves are often added to okroshka, vinaigrette and salads. It is important to take into account that the first leaves and large cotyledons are characterized by the greatest tenderness. Quite often, borage is also used as an additive to side dishes served with fish or meat dishes. And when rubbed, this plant has found its use as a dressing. However, borage flowers are also often used - candied flowers are an excellent dessert, and freshly picked flowers are put in glasses with wine and with all kinds of soft drinks.

To obtain greens, borage can be safely grown at home, right on the windowsill - as a rule, for this purpose it is planted in shallow boxes filled with light soil mixture.

Growing and caring

It is advisable to plant this handsome man in sunny areas, however, he will also be very loyal to slight shading. Borage grows well on a wide variety of soils, but fertile light soils, characterized by a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction, will still be most preferable for it. This plant is quite demanding for soil moisture, but at the same time it is a very drought-resistant crop. Borage is usually watered as the top soil layer dries up. This amazing plant also boasts quite impressive cold resistance! And it never refuses high-quality mineral supplements!

Reproduction of borage occurs either by self-sowing, or by seeds sown either in the spring or before winter - in the latter case, it is important to have time to do this before stable frosts come. And when multiplying by self-sowing closer to the end of summer, ripe seeds themselves scatter over the site, while seedlings appear only in early spring, and young specimens bloom only in early June. As for pests and diseases, borage is extremely rarely affected by them. But sometimes this plant can still attack the caterpillars of the sorrel lancet or burdock.