# Borage



## concrete-bees

im in washington and it grows great but start indoors and get it to about 4-5 inches tall before it goes outside - 

bees love it - hell i love it - the flowers are great tasting 

ive never grown a large crop of it to see if the honey is good but its in the mix !!!


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## brooksbeefarm

I planted some borage seed in a 75ft row (after frost date) and it came up and bloomed just fine, and reseeded itself. But if you start it inside like (concrete- bee ) said you could get an earlier bloom. I also planted catnip and cucumbers in the same plot and you could hear the bees working from mourning to dark.:thumbsup: Jack


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## jmgi

I would sow some borage for your bees, the more the better, but if you only have as little as a 5'x10' spot for a bee plant, I would choose borage, it comes up easily, low maintenance, reseeds itself, and produces beautiful blue flowers and lots of them. The bees absolutely love the stuff, they are on the blossoms literally from light to dark. I can't resist sitting in a chair and watching the bees on borage instead of doing what I should be doing! The only suggestion for growing it is that it does tend to get top heavy and fall over somewhat, so if you could plant it up against a fence in a strip and put another shorter fence (1 1/2 ft. or so) in front of it to hold it up would be best. Or maybe use stakes spaced apart with string going around the patch may work too. You'll figure it out once you plant it, but do plant some.


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## Omie

brooksbeefarm said:


> I also planted catnip and cucumbers in the same plot and you could hear the bees working from mourning to dark.:thumbsup: Jack


I have some pickling cucumber seed here that I'm planning to plant this Spring, along with the borage seed and anise hyssop. (I like to can sweet pickles). I grew borage years ago, and they grow very quickly. Interestingly, the borage young leaves are tender and succulent and taste pretty much like cucumbers. In summer, it's very refreshing to float borage tips of baby leaves and blossoms in iced water with a slice of lemon.


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## heaflaw

I planted some last year for the first time in a plot of about 6x40. Most of the plants came up-barely cover the seeds if at all. It seemed like it had to be in bloom for a couple of weeks for the blooms to really produce nectar. Bees were all over it.


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## Bill AR

I was reading in my American Honey Plants book that the Borage honey is very dark and does not sell readily. If its for the bees and not the super then who cares! I am growing Anise Hyssop this year... for the bees. I need late blooming flowers to help with the late summer dearth in this area. I will be interested to see how this turns out.


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## brooksbeefarm

I sell honey at the farmers market,and have never had trouble selling dark honey. Last year was a little strange, i had customers who wanted gallons of dark honey only?:scratch: I had dark and light honey and i was sold out by Nov., this year i'm planting Borge, catnip and Buckweat.:thumbsup: Jack


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## jmgi

The American Honey Plants book seems to contradict the majority of other sources about the color and quality of borage honey. Some say it is a very light colored, almost white honey, and others say it is dark amber. But the taste is said to be one of the best. If you google borage honey, there are lots of places selling it and the pictures show it to be about average amber in color.


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## Omie

I just planted a little 3' x 3' bed of borage seeds. Also planting anise hyssop, calendula, morning glory (the native solitary bees love that), and tall old fashioned white nicotiana.


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## KQ6AR

The borage grows easily here, its already in full bloom.
It re-seeds itself freely.


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## BGhoney

I had several plants in my yard, its also called comfrey, the bees loved it. I chopped up 4 plants and made 100 starts. I planted them in my field a week ago, they are already standing up and sending out new shoots. I have 4 more big bushes in the yard, but i'll let them be, at this rate in 3 to 5 years, I can cover a whole acre. I also read it was very good honey.and light colored


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## concrete-bees

Comfrey and Borage are TWO completely different plants 

please check your info before miss leading people !!!!

thanks 

also if you have comfrey in your yard - ........... have fun !!!!!!!

also Borage had BLUE star shaped flowers and Comfrey has Purple bell shape flowers ??? how can you get the two mixed up???........ 

also borage is spread by seeds not roots !!!!!


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## jmgi

I planted borage seed a week ago and it is just coming up, can't wait till it blooms, the honey bees and bumble bees love it. The deer and rabbits don't bother it either, which is a rare thing around me.


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## Omie

Yes, my borage is just coming up too- here is a photo i took 3 days ago of the seedlings...


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## Dubuquer

That's the stuff! Can't wait until the flowers bloom to see if it is all I have heard about.


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## jmgi

You'll really enjoy watching the bees work this stuff. The flowers must be loaded with nectar all day long.


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## BGhoney

I'm not a plant expert but all over the internet it calls borage ,comfrey .
At paghat.com its states, tuberos comfrey is a large leaf Borage.

Looking at the Pictures of Both, I have Comfrey, rows and rows of bell shaped flowers. The Bees love it. They do fall over with the heavy rain.

I'll have to order a big package of star shaped flower Borage


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## concrete-bees

i understand it sad what the internet as done for our knowldge 

i get "swarm calls" that are swearn is as honeybees only to be hornets 

but borage is Borago officinalis

and comfrey is Symphytum asperum Lepechin 


sorry but ive studied plants and animals for over 20 years -- 

but now we have them seperated and we can move on 

also on your side the bees love comfrey also - seems bumble bees get them first ?? have you noticed that bumble bees perfer purple and dark blue flowers ????

anyhow - didnt mean to start a debate but just wanted to make the notes right
take care


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## BGhoney

Yup, bumbles are up early, but if there not in the flower a honey bee is. I just ordered a bunch of yellow trumpet vines seeds to plant for the bees. 

That is probably the wrong name for it , but oh well. I'm sure some place on the internet it calls trumpet vines, borage also.


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## Adam Foster Collins

I'm planting a little Borage myself. Wikipedia calls Borage "The silver bullet of companion plants". I guess it has a great affect on garden vegetables, like tomatoes.

Also, if you look up The Melissa Garden (a "bee sanctuary" out in California), they have a list of the best plants for bee health and honey production. Borage is listed in their "Top 5 Best for Bees". Lemon Balm and Echium are also there.

We shall see...

Adam


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## Dubuquer

I planted mine early/mid April and it just now starting to bloom. I'll keep you posted on how well the girls adapt to it. Although I'm going to have to buy a bigger step ladder if they keep producing the honey like they have so far this year.


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## Omie

The borage I planted from seed is just beginning to form flower buds now...


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## Omie

My borage is now in full bloom, very robust and tall!

One interesting thing I noticed-
When it first started blooming, the first 10 days or so almost all the bees on it were bumblebees. During the second 10 days period or so of blooming now, almost all the bees on it are honeybees. I check it at various times of day, and this is consistent. Anyone else notice this?

Here are some pix I took early on, right after a refreshing morning rain:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TBmAlszDemI/AAAAAAAAC5M/yeu8lWs0QO0/s1600/dewey-borage2.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TBmAmM6pDFI/AAAAAAAAC5U/sYNhUdR1U0s/s1600/dewey-borage1.jpg


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## tct1w

Im glad to see your post that first bumble bees are on it and then honey bees. There isnt a significant flow of anything around here now,but only see a honey bee on it occasionally. Sweat bees like it too. Peace Dave


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## AltamontBee

Here in New York State I just throw the seeds all over the place in the spring and it comes up pretty quickly. It will often reseed in some areas the following year as well.

Jennifer


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## DavesBees

I'm not trying to change the subject but my wife's one oregano plant has got honeybees on it all day and it is next to lemon balm. The lemon balm is in bloom and the bees couldn't care less. My buckwheat is only visited in the morning until about noon. Omie, Are yours still blooming strong? I plan on trying the Borage next year. My next speaking engagement is on bee friendly plants. One last thing since I'm all over the place. My heritage raspberries are very well attended by the honeybees all day as well.


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## caberwife

I find borage super-easy to grow here, and it self-seeds. I now have blue and white varieties (flowers.) This the first year I've had honeybees (of my own) and borage at the same time, so we'll see how it goes.

Earlier in the summer, the honeybees were going nuts over my blooming sage plants.

Natalie


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## John V

Omie said:


> When it first started blooming, the first 10 days or so almost all the bees on it were bumblebees. During the second 10 days period or so of blooming now, almost all the bees on it are honeybees. I check it at various times of day, and this is consistent. Anyone else notice this?


I've noticed this on my bee balm, echinachea, loostrife, and sunflowers. I don't know if the bumblebees just find them first or if it takes a little while for them to start producing enough nectar to attract honeybees. 

Later, John


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## Omie

I had to cut back some of the more robust stalks of borage....they were gigantic and falling over with their own weight. Side shoots are coming right up from the stalk stumps no problem. Plenty of hyssop and sunflowers blooming now too.


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## jmgi

>Earlier in the summer, the honeybees were going nuts over my blooming sage plants

There are many types of sage plants, all are attractive to bees I believe. We planted our first sage plants this year, Russian Sage, they are about 3 ft. tall right now, and the honeybees are on it all day long, has a great smell that is noticeable from a few feet away. I really like the shape of the plant with its long slender flower spikes and how the flower color contrasts with the stems and leaves. Will put more plants in next year for sure. John


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## jmgi

>Plenty of hyssop and sunflowers blooming now too. 

Anise hyssop is another plant that really attracts the honeybees. I have a two year old patch the is 5x5, the plants are now 5 ft. tall and in full bloom. One thing I noticed this year and last, is that the honeybees didn't start coming to the hyssop blooms until the clover flow was almost over, evidently they preferred the more plentiful clover types. But now the honeybees are swarming over the hyssop all day long. John


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## mrspock

Omie said:


> My borage is now in full bloom, very robust and tall!
> 
> One interesting thing I noticed-
> When it first started blooming, the first 10 days or so almost all the bees on it were bumblebees. During the second 10 days period or so of blooming now, almost all the bees on it are honeybees.


Borage has spread like a weed through my yard. I'm surrounded by it. It's full of bumble bees, but the honey bees have completely ignored it.

I don't get it. More puzzing, as it appears that other people have honey bees foraging the borage.

Anyone have any ideas why this is?


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## jmgi

My only guess would be that there must be other nectar plants that are more popular right now with the honey bees in your vicinity, they will eventually find the borage and stay with it. John


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## bradley39482

does borage grow wild?


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## mrspock

bradley39482 said:


> does borage grow wild?


Not yet, but eventually.

It self-sows agressively. The only barrier to it growing wild is it's historic lack of popularity. As that changes you're bound to see if popping up in a variety of uncultivated locations.


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## larrythebeek

Omie said:


> I had to cut back some of the more robust stalks of borage....they were gigantic and falling over with their own weight. Side shoots are coming right up from the stalk stumps no problem. Plenty of hyssop and sunflowers blooming now too.


I planted 16 Borage seedlings in a small square, about 18" apart... Used a little Miracle Grow 'bloom burst' and they put out a tremendous amount of blooms. So far they are holding each other up, haven't had to trim anything back. The honeybees work them all day long, easily hundreds of bees in that small patch at any time. Once the honeybees decided they were a 'good' thing, they keep the wild bees and ants away. I may scatter some seeds in a few wildflower patches nearby.

I found this link on gathering Borage seeds, scroll down to the picture for instructions:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/seedsave/msg1111525624949.html


Still no luck with the Hyssop for me. The largest plants are only 2" tall, the ones planted in the direct sun are still only 1/2". 

Larry


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## bradley39482

when is the latest one can plant borage, we have long summers in south mississippi, and the winters are very mild!


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## Omie

larrythebeek said:


> Still no luck with the Hyssop for me. The largest plants are only 2" tall, the ones planted in the direct sun are still only 1/2".


I can't figure that one out. _Must be something they do not like there._ Too much fertilizer maybe...got burned?
mine are giant now and blooming nicely, planted from seed a couple months ago.


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## tct1w

Well its a beautiful plant and did see a handfull of bees on mine but the vast majority were bumblebees. Like someone said,there must have been something else for them to forage on. A little sourwood but not high enough altitude here to have any substantial. But,next year is another year. I think mine is getting ready to go to seed,so I will get them and try it again . Peace Dave


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