Botanical name:  Borago officinalis
 
Common Names:    Burrage, beebread, star-flower, talewort, hjulkrone (Danish), bourrache (French), gurkenkraut (German), borraja (Spanish).

Habitat:    Borage is endemic to the Mediterranean region but has spread from there to other parts of Europe and North America.
The herb has for ages been cultivated as a garden plant for its ornamental value, health benefits, medical effects and as a source of nectar for bees. It thrives best in calcareous and nutrient-rich soil.

Plant Description:    Borago officinalis is an annual plant of the Boraginaceae family (the borage or forget-me-not family). The plant is covered with stiff coarse hairs, and it can grow up to 70 cm high or 28 inches.

The stem is erect with oval or lanceolate leaves that are rough and wrinkled.
The large star-shaped flowers are in sparse clusters. They have five petals that are purple at first but then soon turn blue. The flowering period is from July to August. The flowers produce a lot of nectar which makes them very attractive to bees.

The plant usually produces four seeds from each flower. The seeds contain around 30 percent oil thats used commercially. Unfortunately, the seeds ripen over a long period of time and fall to the ground when they are mature, which makes it difficult to harvest them in large quantities.

Plant Part/s Used Traditionally:    The whole herb, leaves, flowers and the oil extracted from the seeds are used in herbal medicine.