Borago

Bore-ray'go. A small genus of European herbs, much liked by bees; also planted in herb gardens.

Description
They usually have stiff-hairy foliage. Leaves alternate. Flowers blue, wheel-shaped, in a loose, leafy cluster.

How to Grow
Easy to grow from seeds sown outdoors 2-3 weeks before the frost-free date and at 30-day intervals thereafter for a continuous supply of blossoms. Space plants 12-18 in. (30-45 cm) apart. Grow in full sun except where the midsummer sun is intense. Borage plants are often placed in the vegetable garden to draw bees to pollinate the vine crops. They prefer warm weather.

Borago officinalis
Borage ; Talewort . To 2 ft. (60 cm) high. Flowers ¾ in. (19 mm) wide, blue or purple, the stamens protruding as much as ƈ in. (6 mm). S. Europe and n. Africa. Borage has a cucumberlike fragrance. Its young leaves may be used in salads, and young blossoms for garnish. Hardy annual.

The botanical name for borage.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: perennial herbs of the Mediterranean region
  Synonym: genus Borago

Borago
Borago officinalis flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: (unplaced) Family: Boraginaceae Subfamily: Boraginoideae Genus: Borago
Species
Borago officinalis - Common Borage Borago pygmaea - Creeping Borage

Borago (Bo-rá-go), common name borage, is a genus of two species of herbs with large, hairy leaves that taste mildly of cucumber, and star-shaped purple-blue flowers which are prized for their flavour. The leaves are often added to teas and salads, and the flowers have been added to wine (Borage has had a reputation to give one courage since Roman times). The flowers are highly attractive to bees.

Books

• Bennett, M. (2003) Pulmonarias & the Borage Family. B.T. Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-8732-1
• Icon Health (2004) Borage Oil - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. Icon Health Publications, ISBN 0-497-00169-1

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