Bourrache officinale
Borago officinalis
Une plante annuelle méditerranéenne rude et étalée, cultivée pour ses grappes ouvertes et décoratives de fleurs retombantes bleu vif en forme d'étoile durant l'été. Les tiges ramifiées et les feuilles froissées, vert-gris mat, sont hérissées de poils raides et dégagent un goût et un parfum de concombre. Facile dans les sols pauvres et secs, tolérante à la sécheresse, elle attire irrésistiblement les abeilles et se ressème d'elle-même d'année en année.
Climate fit: moderate (69/100)
Pollinator
Edible
Filler
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Low water
Mature size
12-36" tall · 18" apart
Hardy in zones
2a-11b
brutally cold to nearly frost-free winters
AHS heat range
1-11
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
No
Related products
Sponsored
Heat and sun protection
Shade cloth, shade hoops, cooling mulch, and heat-stress monitoring tools.
Search heat and sun protection on Amazon ->
Drainage and aeration
Perlite, pumice, raised-bed mix, aerators, and drainage-focused containers.
Search drainage and aeration on Amazon ->
Plant support
Stakes, cages, trellises, ties, clips, arbors, and heavy-duty supports.
Search plant support on Amazon ->
Transplanting and establishment
Trowels, transplant spades, starter fertilizer, root stimulators, and watering bags.
Search transplanting and establishment on Amazon ->
Fertility and feeding
Compost, balanced fertilizer, slow-release plant food, and organic amendments.
Search fertility and feeding on Amazon ->
Seed starting
Trays, cells, humidity domes, heat mats, grow lights, and seed-starting mix.
Search seed starting on Amazon ->
Plotwright may earn a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.
A documented larval host for the Painted lady — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Cold hardiness
Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 45 ecoregions — 45 climate-resilient through 2070. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
›
Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
›
Arizona Mountains forests
›
Atlantic coastal pine barrens
›
Blue Mountains forests
›
California coastal sage and chaparral
›
Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
›
Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
›
Central Tallgrass prairie
›
Central-Southern Cascades Forests
›
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Bourrache officinale (Borago officinalis). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/borago-officinalis
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC0 1.0 — public domain dedication
Backs 1 field
Image