herbaceous layer
borage
borago officinalis
refills its nectar every two minutes — bees queue for it. seeds itself around the garden, always politely, always where bees need it.
functions
field guide
native to
Mediterranean
height
0.6–1 m
spread
to 0.5 m
hardiness
hardy annual
light
full sun
moisture
moderate
soil
any, self-seeds freely
uses
in the kitchen
flowers and young leaves taste of cucumber
harvest
flowers right through summer
propagation
seed — then it self-sows generously
season
open the calendar →grower's notes
memberspropagation, guild role, and deeper ecology for borage — the members' view.
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relationships — grows well with
see borage on the relationship map →the takeaway
start a guild around borage
plant these together and the relationships on this page start working for you — feeders, protectors, and cover, layer by layer.
- herbaceous
- borage — the anchor
- groundcover
- wild strawberry
- canopy
- apple
- herbaceous
- calendula
works inside: guild ring around a fruit tree · insectary strip · hügelkultur mound · nectar succession