Borage is the cheerful, slightly unruly herb with star-shaped blue flowers and a cucumber flavour — and it is harvested for both its young leaves and its flowers. The leaves are best picked young, before they grow large and prickly, and the flowers are picked as they open, a few at a time, all summer long. It is a fast, hardy annual that self-sows freely, so one planting often becomes a permanent, welcome guest in the garden.
Borage takes 50–60 days to mature, according to the Garden Grove crop data. It is a hardy herb in the Boraginaceae family with moderate water needs. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for borage, and use the Harvest Date Calculator to work out your picking window from your sowing date. Browse the full guides hub and the tools hub for more harvest timing advice, and check your local extension service for dates suited to your climate.
Borage at a glance
| Growing factor | What borage needs |
|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 50–60 |
| Category | herb |
| Family | Boraginaceae |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Water needs | moderate |
Signs borage is ready to pick
Borage leaves are ready to pick when they are young, about four to six inches long, soft and bright green, with only a light fuzz of hairs. The leaves should be tender enough to tear easily — if they feel stiff, coarse and very prickly, they are too old for fresh eating and better used cooked. Pick the young leaves from the top of the plant, where the growth is softest.
The flowers are ready when the blue star-shaped blooms are fully open and bright, with the petals spread wide. Pick flowers in the morning, when they are fresh and full of nectar, and choose blooms that are fully open but not yet fading — a faded flower has dull, papery petals and little flavour. The plant should be in full, vigorous growth, with new buds opening daily.
How to pick borage
Pick borage leaves with gloves or with scissors, because the hairs on older leaves are prickly and can irritate skin. Snip the young leaves with clean scissors, taking a few from several plants rather than stripping one plant bare, and leave the growing tips alone so the plant keeps producing. Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried, when the leaves are crisp.
Pick the flowers by pinching each bloom off at its stalk, taking only fully open flowers and leaving the buds to open tomorrow. Carry a shallow tray and spread the flowers in a single layer so they do not squash. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for borage.
The best time of day to harvest
Harvest borage in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun gets hot. That is when the leaves are dry, crisp and most aromatic, because the essential oils are at their most concentrated after a cool night. Leaves picked in the afternoon heat are often limp and less flavourful, and wet leaves picked while the dew is still on them dry slowly and can go mouldy in storage.
Choose a dry day for harvesting if you can, and avoid picking after rain, when the foliage is wet and heavy. If you must pick on a damp day, spread the cuttings out in a single layer in a ventilated spot for an hour before you bundle or bag them. And get the harvest out of the sun straight away — a basket of cut herbs left in the sun for an hour will wilt and lose much of its aroma. Morning picking is a small habit that makes a real difference to flavour and keeping quality.
How often to pick
Borage is a pick-little-and-often crop, and regular picking is part of good plant care, not just a way to get a harvest. Once the plant is established, you can take a small picking every week or two through the growing season, always leaving enough growth for the plant to recover. Each cut encourages the plant to branch and push out fresh, tender growth, so a plant that is picked regularly stays bushy and productive far longer than one that is left alone.
Do not wait for a single big harvest unless the plant is one you cut whole for drying — for most herbs, steady, small pickings give you better flavour and a healthier plant. Take a few sprigs from several plants rather than a large handful from one, and always leave at least two-thirds of the plant intact. If you go away for a few weeks, ask someone to pick the herbs, or cut the plant back before you leave so it regrows while you are gone.
What happens if borage is left too long
Borage left unpicked grows into a large, sprawling plant with coarse, prickly leaves and fewer flowers. The older leaves become too tough and hairy to eat fresh, the stems turn woody, and the plant's energy goes into seed rather than new leaves and flowers. A neglected borage plant can reach three feet across and shade its neighbours.
If your borage has become a prickly giant, cut it back hard — remove the oldest, coarsest stems down to the base and the plant will push out fresh, tender growth within a couple of weeks. Use the old leaves in cooked dishes, where heat softens the hairs, and keep picking the new growth young. The flowers of an old plant are still perfectly usable, so keep picking those daily.
How to store borage
Borage is a fresh-use herb — its leaves and flowers do not dry or freeze well, and they are at their best picked and used within hours. Fresh leaves keep for two to three days in the fridge, wrapped loosely in a damp tea towel inside a bag, but they wilt quickly, so pick only what you need. The flowers keep for a day or two in the fridge in a shallow container, and they are best used the same day.
For longer keeping, freeze the flowers in ice cubes — they make beautiful, cucumber-flavoured ice for summer drinks, and frozen flowers keep for months. The leaves can be cooked like spinach and frozen in portions, though their delicate flavour is best fresh. Because borage produces flowers all summer, there is rarely a need to store it — just pick a few each day through the season.
Succession and continuous harvest tips
Borage is a hardy annual with moderate water needs that self-sows so freely you may only need to sow it once. Let a few flowers go to seed at the end of the season and seedlings will appear in the same bed next spring, often in large numbers — thin them ruthlessly, because borage grows big and will crowd its neighbours. If you want a tidier supply, sow a small patch every few weeks in spring.
Keep the soil evenly moist while plants are young, but do not overfeed — borage in rich soil grows huge and floppy with fewer flowers. The plant attracts bees in large numbers, so leave a few plants to flower even if you do not need the blooms. Deadhead spent flowers during the season to keep new buds coming, and pick the leaves regularly — picking keeps the plant producing young, tender growth.
If you are also growing other herbs and vegetables, our guides to harvesting stevia and harvesting spaghetti squash follow the same picking principles, and check your local extension service for advice suited to your area.
Frequently asked questions
When is borage ready to harvest?
Leaves are ready when young, four to six inches long and soft, typically 50–60 days from sowing. Flowers are ready when fully open and bright blue.
Do I need gloves to pick borage?
For older leaves, yes — the hairs are prickly and can irritate skin. Young leaves are softer, but gloves or scissors are still wise.
Can I dry borage?
Not successfully — borage leaves and flowers are best used fresh. Freeze flowers in ice cubes for drinks instead.
Will borage come back next year?
Yes, it self-sows freely. Let a few flowers set seed and seedlings will appear in the same bed next spring.
What do borage flowers taste like?
Mildly of cucumber, with a sweet, fresh flavour. They are lovely in salads, drinks and as a garnish.