Plant Details

Borago officinalis

Borage, Common borage,Cool-tankard, Tailwort

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Common names

43 names · 30 languages
EnglishYour language
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Cool-tankard
  • Tailwort
Other languages (29)
Dutch
  • Bernagie[2]
  • Borage
French
  • Bourrache officinale[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 玻璃苣、琉璃苣[2]
  • 琉璃苣[2]
Czech
  • brutnák lékařský[2]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik kurgirohi[2]
Finnish
  • rohtopurasruoho[2]
Galician
German
  • Borretsch[2]
  • Garten-Borretsch[1]
Greek
  • Μποράντζα[2]
Hungarian
  • kerti borágó[2]
Irish
  • Borráiste gorm[2]
Italian
  • Borraggine comune[2]
  • Borragine[2]
Japanese
  • ルリヂシャ[2]
Kabyle
  • Chikh Lavqul[2]
Lithuanian
  • Vaistinė agurklė[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Ogórecznik lekarski[2]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Бурачник лекарственный[2]
Slovak
  • borák lekársky[2]
Slovenian
  • boreč[2]
  • Zdravilna boraga[2]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Огірочник лікарський[2]
Welsh
  • Tafod yr ych[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Borago officinalis L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Garten-Borretsch (DE); Borage (EN); Borraja (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 145347; taxon MJ92.
[2] Borago officinalis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Borage — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • borraja — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Boraja — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borraina — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borragem — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borragine — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borretsch — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Bourrache officinale — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • brutnák lékařský — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Hjulkrone — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Bernagie — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • agurkurt — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Бурачник лекарственный — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • rohtopurasruoho — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Μποράντζα — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Ogórecznik lekarski — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • ルリヂシャ — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • harilik kurgirohi — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • 琉璃苣 — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • 琉璃苣 — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • gurkört — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Vaistinė agurklė — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borraggine comune — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borraxe — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Soaxe — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • 玻璃苣、琉璃苣 — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Zdravilna boraga — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • kerti borágó — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • borratja — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Borráiste gorm — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Огірочник лікарський — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Boražina — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • borák lekársky — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Tafod yr ych — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Chikh Lavqul — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • boreč — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Hodan — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.
  • Kaldırık — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 52287; Borago officinalis.

General information

Scientific name: Borago officinalis
Accepted name (Kew): Borago officinalis L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Boraginaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Borago (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Borage, Common borage,Cool-tankard, Tailwort
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.48–0.97 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 0.3–0.41 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Annual
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Occasionally Dry

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Oil, Tea
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Nitrogen fixer, Dye, Oil, Repellent, Bee forage

Description

Leaves can be eaten both raw and cooked. They can serve as an herb in dishes or be added to salads. The leaves have a salty taste and are rich in potassium and calcium. It is best to finely chop the hairy leaves and add them to other leafy greens in a salad due to their texture. Fresh use of the leaves is recommended since they lose flavor and color when dried. The flowers can be eaten raw and are often used as decoration on salads and in summer drinks. They have a sweet, slightly cucumber-like flavor and are also used to make refreshing tea. The dried stems of the plant are used to flavor beverages. The seeds of the plant contain 30% oil, of which 20% is gamma-linolenic acid. The yields from the plant range between 0.35-0.65 tons per hectare. Harvesting the seeds can be challenging because they ripen at different times and fall off the plant when ripe. The flowers of the plant can be used to obtain an edible blue dye that is also used to color vinegar.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/06
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 744087; name ID 2679678; Borago L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1327530; name ID 2679695; Borago officinalis L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Borago officinalis

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 5022490, ID MJ92: Borago officinalis L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Borago officinalis — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 1 ft. 7 in. - 3 ft. 2 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 4 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .