General: Upright mound of large oval leaves with stems of small, blue, star-shaped edible blooms. Foliage has a mild cucumber taste. Seed oil is a source of gamma-linolenic acid.

Culinary Uses: The large leaves have a mild cucumber flavor and can be steeped in hot water for a refreshing summer tea. This herb can be used in soups, salads, borage-lemonade, strawberry-borage cocktails, preserves, borage jelly, various sauces, cooked as a stand alone vegetable, or used in desserts in the form of fresh or candied flowers.

Medicinal Uses: A low calorie herb whose contents include multiple phytochemicals such as calcium, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, B, and C. Borage is a source of an essential oil that is distilled from the vegetative parts of the borage plant and has been used to treat arthritis by restoring joint health. It has also been used as a cooling agent for fevers and topically for inflammation and swelling.

Ornamental Uses: Blue star-shaped blossoms seem mismatched against the hairy foliage of the sprawling borage plant, but the flowers hold up remarkably well after picking.