What Plant Looks Like Borage?

Appearance. Green alkanet is a member of the forget-me-not family, Boraginaceae, and is related to borage and comfrey.

What plant is similar to borage?

Comfrey is a perennial herb in the same family as borage. Like borage, it has hairy leaves so gloves should be worn when handling it. Comfrey flowers are downward facing bells like borage flowers and range in color from lavender to cream.

Are borage and comfrey the same thing?

Though they are members of the same plant family (Boraginaceae), perennial comfrey (​Symphytum officinale​, USDA zones 4-8) and annual borage (​Borago officinalis​) are two different plants. These cousins both boast dark green foliage and fuzzy leaves.

How do I identify borage seedlings?

Distinguishing Features
Borage is a somewhat gangly plant, but because the star-shaped flowers are so vibrant, this isn’t really noticed. They’re brilliant blue, hanging in downward facing clusters. As the plant matures the stalks and leaves become covered with prickly fuzz.

Is Green Alkanet harmful?

I’ve not heard that alkanet contains toxins, but those leaves are an irritant, as you’ll know if you pull it up without gloves. I would stick to nettles and comfrey when making a liquid feed as they are both safe to use. Green alkanet has very long taproots that are hard to kill; many consider it a pernicious weed.

Are there different types of borage?

Borage Varieties – Are There Different Borage Flowers
Home herb gardeners can select from four primary varieties of borage, all equally beautiful and easy to grow.

What flower looks like a forget-me-not?

Brunnera is an ideal plant to choose if you’re looking for something a little more unusual for the spring garden. Throughout April and May, ‘Jack Frost‘ is covered with lots of small, bright blue flowers which look rather like forget-me-nots.

What other plants look like comfrey?

Potential lookalikes
The lookalike to be most concerned about is Foxglove Digitalis purpurea. In early spring, the young leaves of both plants look very similar, however, there are key features to help with identification: Comfrey – Comfrey leaves have smooth, uninterrupted edges, and sparse, but bristly hairs.

Is borage an invasive plant?

Borage is often referred to as invasive because of its rampant self-seeding habit. However, the seedlings are easy to identify and remove so it rarely becomes a major problem. Borage leaves and flowers are edible and have a cucumber flavor.

Why do farmers grow borage?

One of the main reasons for planting Borage here at Hillfarm is to boost our population of bees, and help them to make our delicious hillfarm honey. Bees absolutely love Borage, and when the flowers bloom they will start collecting the pollen.

What does wild borage look like?

The beautiful little blue flowers have five narrow, triangular-pointed petals. Flowers are most often blue in colour, although pink flowers are sometimes seen in the wild.

Are borage stalks poisonous?

Borage seed oil is LIKELY UNSAFE when products containing a dangerous chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are taken by mouth. Borage plant parts including the leaf, flower, and seed can contain PAs. PAs can damage the liver or cause cancer, especially when used in high doses or for a long time.

Does borage come back every year?

While not as common as thyme or basil, borage herb (Borago officinalis) is a unique plant for the culinary garden. It grows quickly as an annual but will colonize a corner of the garden by self-seeding and reappearing year after year.

What is the difference between borage and green alkanet?

In comparison, forget-me-not’s have much smaller leaves; comfrey’s are more narrow; while borage has a wider, shorter leaf and it’s much more wrinkled in appearance. You can begin to identify green alkanet from the winter presence of large clumps of hairy leaves.

Should I get rid of green alkanet?

Though there is no requirement to control this plant, we do recommend removing green alkanet due to its weedy spread. Plants can be dug up, making sure to remove all or as much of the taproot as possible, as fragments left in the soil can resprout. It is easiest to dig up roots when soil is moist.

What does alkanet look like?

Appearance. Green alkanet is a member of the forget-me-not family, Boraginaceae, and is related to borage and comfrey. Hairy stems to 80cm (32in), leaves broadly ovate and noticeably bristly. Bright blue forget-me-not type flowers with white centre, 8-10mm (½in), open from pink buds and are borne April to June.

Should you cut back borage?

Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Blossom clusters make beautiful but short-lived cut flowers or edible garnishes.

Do you deadhead borage?

Pinch tips of young plants to keep borage compact and bushy and snip the leaves as needed for use in the kitchen. You can also trim the plant if it looks overgrown in mid-summer. Be sure to deadhead blooms as soon as they wilt. Otherwise, the plant will go to seed and blooming will end early.

Is borage toxic to dogs?

Borage is an amazingly versatile herb. It’s wonderful in summer salads and drinks, and its oils are great for your dog’s skin, which is why we love it at Lintbells (more about that later). Oh, and it’s good news for bees, too!

Are borage and forget-me-not the same?

A-Three blue-flowering plants are commonly known as forget-me-nots, and all belong to the Borage family, along with Borago officinalis, or the borage of herbalists.

What is a false forget-me-not?

Wonderfully veined large silver leaves make this one of the most unique and eye-catching shade perennials. Wonderfully veined large silver leaves make this one of the most unique and eye-catching shade perennials.