Common Borage

How to grow Common Borage

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sow direct in April or May where it is to flower, thinning to 30 cm. It has a taproot and dislikes being moved, so avoid transplanting. An autumn sowing in mild gardens overwinters and flowers earlier the following year.

Pruning

Cut back hard after the first flush of flowers and it will often produce a second. Plants get top-heavy and collapse in summer rain — either support them or accept the sprawl.

Propagation

From seed, sown direct. It self-seeds so enthusiastically that one deliberate sowing usually supplies you indefinitely.

Pests and diseases

Powdery mildew is common on older plants in dry summers and is usually a signal to pull them out and let the seedlings take over. Blackfly can build up on the stems.

Value to wildlife

One of the best annuals for bees — the flowers refill with nectar quickly, so bumblebees work the same plant repeatedly all day, and it flowers over a long season.

Notes

The stems and leaves are covered in stiff bristles that irritate skin, so wear gloves when pulling plants up. It self-seeds to the point of nuisance in an ordinary border; hoe off surplus seedlings while they are small, as the taproot makes larger ones harder to remove.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Borago officinalis but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Borago