borage, common name for the Boraginaceae, a family of widely distributed herbs and some tropical shrubs or trees characterized by rough or hairy stems, four-part fruits, and usually fragrant blossoms. Its species are most abundant in the Mediterranean area, but many are native to North America and are cultivated, e.g., the Virginia cowslip, or Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), species of forget-me-not (genus Myosotis), and species of heliotrope (genus Heliotropium). Freijó (Cordia goeldiana) is an important timber tree in Amazonia. The family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Lamiales.

Large hairy annual herb (Borago officinalis), an ornamental species with large, rough, oblong leaves and loose, drooping clusters of starlike blue flowers. It is a member of the family Boraginaceae, which contains mostly herbs but also some trees and shrubs, all found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas and most concentrated in the Mediterranean region. Several other ornamental species are grown in gardens, including the Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), forget-me-nots, heliotropes, and lungworts (Pulmonaria). Borage is also used as an herbal and bee plant and eaten as a vegetable.

Learn more about borage with a free trial on Britannica.com.