# Overwintering Borage



## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Borage is a prolific seeding annual (single year). You do not overwinter it as much as the seeds will come back next year. As I have found, good luck stopping them.
As for overwintering just pick a perennial from the bee friendly list that is hardy to your USDA zone and you should be set. The perennials are usually more interested in survival for the first year so will bloom on the second (like the bi-annuals).


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

minz said:


> As for overwintering just pick a perennial from the bee friendly list that is hardy to your USDA zone and you should be set. The perennials are usually more interested in survival for the first year so will bloom on the second (like the bi-annuals).


Any recommendation on the plants that you prefer? I would like to try some too.

Yes, the Borage is hard to control. During the early Spring time here we don't have that many bee blooming plants.
So I thought Borage would be a good experiment to try on overwintering them for the early Spring pollen and nectar source.
Though other plants might be good to overwinter too. I have not found much of those yet.


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## Kidbeeyoz (May 8, 2013)

I have heard that borage plant flowers may be beneficial in the control of American Foul Brood.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I would have to say the larger the plant, the fewer that you would need. I get a lot of spring bloomers, I need some fall ideas. Spring I get a lot of shrubs in the area, Pieris Japanica, is the real name we call it Mountain ash bush. The early spring flowers like crocus and daffodils are hard to kill and the bees are all over them. Fruit trees for us are plum at about the same time as some maples (and a month before apple and pears). Plant buckwheat in September, 12 weeks prior to frost. I do not have a fall flow so maybe goldenrod would be one to try.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Bird's Foot trefoil--summer-FAll
Chicory
Yellow/white sweet clover
sainfoin
Nyger--up to frost kill
Canola
Sunflowers
Autumn sneezeweed
asters
mexican heather
sunchokes--can be invasive
cosmos
poppy
joe pye weed
swamp sunflower
hairy mountain mint, etc.

And there are so many more Fall plants for them. Do a net search for them.


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