borage

When to sow borage?

Botanical name
Borago officinalis
Family
Boraginaceae

Borage is sown from April to May. It flowers from May to September.

Borage is an annual plant. The edible parts are the leaves and flowers.

borage
Photo: Christian Orlandi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Borage through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sowing
Flowering
15913172125293337414549
  • sowing
  • flowering

In short

Sowing
from April to May
weeks 14 to 22
Flowering
from May to September
weeks 22 to 39
Propagation
seed

Growing conditions

☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
little water
❄️
Frost
tolerates light frost
📏
Height
48 to 97 cm
⚠️
Toxicity
in larger amounts, toxic to people and animals, toxic parts: leaves

Companions in the bed

Companion planting is tradition and not an agronomic claim. What is recorded is which pairs sources recommend and which they advise against.

pepper cited

Borage at the edge of the bed is forage for the pollinators. It seeds itself on, so leave it the edge and not the middle.

strawberry cited
tomato cited

Borage at the edge of the bed is forage for the pollinators. It seeds itself on, so leave it the edge and not the middle.

  • “Cited” means the pair is named by one source or two.

Pests and diseases

Listed here is every problem for which the sources name this plant as a host. The problems are not listed in order of how common they are.

Powdery mildew

disease
Signs
A white, floury coating spreads over the leaves, first on the lower and older ones. The leaf under it yellows and dries up. The fruit stays small, because the plant loses leaf surface.
Prevention
Plant resistant varieties, leave an airy spacing and sun, and clear the debris at the end of the season. Unlike most fungi it is not helped by wet foliage, since it spreads in heat and high air humidity, in a dry summer too.

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Sources about the plant: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, Clemson Cooperative Extension, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Royal Horticultural Society, Utah State University Extension, Wikidata. Checked between 14 and 28 August 2026. The problem descriptions also draw on: KGZS, UF/IFAS Extension, University of Maryland Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.