Borage (Borago officinalis) is an annual celeb of the family Boraginaceae. Due to its starry appearance, it is commonly pronounced as starflower. Other than starflower, it is also recognized as bee bush, bee bread, and bugloss. It serves as a bee hot-spot; attracting honey bees, bumblebees, and small native bees. It is recorded that this bee hot-spot was celebrated among beekeepers as they grew it to attract honey bees.
Apart from attracting bees, this ancient plant has been employed by mankind since the Roman era due to its commendable medicinal activities. It can grow up to a remarkable height of 2 to 3 ft. A fine sheath of bristles is splayed all over its stem and leaves. It has true blue colored flowers that contain five perfectly triangular petals. Both the leaves and flowers are edible.
Borage has a long history of its medicinal use. Its leaves are used to help aid a fever, cough, and management of depression. It is also used as a diuretic for blood purification, to ward off inflammation of lungs and for promotion of sedation.
The oil that is extracted from its seeds holds plenty of active ingredients that are responsible for its purported pharmacological activities. It contains palmitic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, nervonic acid, and eicosenoic acid.