I wanted to share this picture of my borage plants that have completely taken over a corner of my veggie patch. If you're wondering is borage good for bees, the answer is a definite yes. These plants self-sowed from a previous planting, and I decided to just let them grow for the bees. And wow, am I glad I did! The plants are constantly humming with honeybees and bumblebees.
It got me wondering: what exactly makes borage such a bee magnet?
Turns out, quite a lot:
- 🐝 Nectar powerhouse: Borage flowers can refill their nectar in as little as two minutes, so bees get a constant food source and keep returning throughout the day.
- 🍯 High sugar nectar + nutritious pollen: Its nectar has a high sugar content for energy, and the pollen is especially attractive to bumblebees. Some beekeepers even plant borage to boost honey production.
- 🌸 Long blooming season: Borage starts flowering in early summer and keeps going into autumn. That’s ideal for bridging the “nectar gap” when other sources are scarce.
- ☒️ Rain-proof nectar: The downward-hanging flowers protect nectar from rain or morning dew dilution.
- 🌿 A bonus for the whole garden: It’s also a great companion plant. It helps deter hornworms and cabbage worms, attracts other beneficial insects, and plays well with tomatoes, strawberries, and squash.
From an RHS Level 2 perspective, it’s a useful example when talking about pollination, plant health, or biodiversity. It’s low effort, self-seeds readily, and brings real benefits.
It’s been great watching how much life these "volunteer" plants have brought to the garden. A small action, but it feels like something meaningful to support local pollinators.
Do you grow borage for the bees too? What are your other go-to pollinator plants? Let me know in the comments.
by InspectionCareful551
11 Comments
Even if all of this is true, AI is not always reliable for research.
But it can be a useful tool if it spurs interest and leads to additional research.
Bee’s and you too
I recently attended a one day course about bees run by a government bee inspector.
At the end of the course we were all given Borage seeds.
As we were told they are excellent plants for bees.
I am so glad I have some borage seeds. I will plant some from now on.
I have a bunch of native flowers and the bees are ignoring my borage in favor of my mountain mint, monardas, and yarrow.
I am in the US, however, where borage is not native, so I would imagine that it is more appealing as a pollinator in it’s native range.
It is also great for “balancing the humors” and giving courage!
https://storiesfromthemuseumfloor.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/borage-a-star-of-nature/
Borage makes an amazing fertilizer as well
“borage for bees and for those who love blue”. Millay
Uggghhhhhh stop using ChatGPT for posts.
The flowers are great to put in ice cubes for gin and tonics 👍🏻