Borage

Borage (Borago officinalis) came all the way from Syria some thousand years ago. This exotic plant not only survived and adapted but also managed to cover in bright blue vast territories all around the world, from Greece to Italy, Spain to North America. Borage can grow and multiply on its own by letting its multitude of seeds do the job but some people choose to have this specific plant in their gardens and so they carefully buy and plant the seeds in the soil.

This plant can be used as a fine addition to a salad or it can constitute a tasty salad on its own. Both leaves and flowers have a subtle cucumber taste and some people make delicious soups out of them. The star shaped, amazingly blue flowers are specifically chosen to decorate cakes, ice creams, drinks and expensive plates of food in fancy restaurants.

But maybe the most important purpose of Borage lays in its capacity to alleviate the nasty symptoms that occur is just so many diseases. Borage tea seems to have the potency to calm down gastrointestinal pain like cramps and colics, to help mild cases of diarrhea, to reduce asthma attacks and help in cases of other respiratory problems like flu and bronchitis. People also use Borage to reestablish the hormonal balance, to reduce premenstrual symptoms and as a potent remedy in hypertension and some other cardiac problems. The renal system can also benefit from Borage.

Borage seeds produce exquisite oil that is successfully used in many skin problems like dermatitis and acne. Borage seed oil applied regularly on the skin can restore firmness, reduce deep wrinkles and stop the aging process.

Some people choose to have Borage in their gardens because they believe that it has some very beneficial effects on the other plants like tomatoes and strawberries. The blue flowers attract bees and bees are great pollinators.

Borage is a great plant and it seems to have some special gift to offer for every occasion. It is an excellent natural remedy and a blessing for both the eyes and our taste buds.