I’ve been coughing my lungs out.
After multiples doses of cough mixtures and popping lozenges and cough drops, I decided to turn to the herb garden for relief. I wonder why I never thought of the Indian borage in the first place.
As it’s always been lauded as a great herb for coughs, I steamed a few leaves with a small lump of rock sugar. Just as well I hadn’t pruned away too much of the herb the last time I gave it a haircut.
Today, my friend, Mag told me that her family has always turned to this herb as the panacea for coughs. “My great-great grandmother would extract the juice from the leaves and drink it.”
Since it was too much bother to extract the juice, I just popped the leaves into my mouth and chewed. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be; I’d have endured much more to beat this dastardly cough. I just hope there’ll be enough leaves on the plant for a few more doses.
That’s my normal Indian Borage. I value it for its medicinal value as well as its lovely thick scented leaves which are covered with a soft fuzz.
The other Indian Borage I have has an additional feature; the leaves have an attractive white edge.
I saw the variegated Indian borage at a friend’s place and loved it.
For some reason the cuttings she gave me rotted away; perhaps due to my over enthusiasm in watering them.
Just as I was lamenting its demise, I saw a tiny leaf that was miraculously spared. I stuck that leaf, no bigger than my fingernail, into the soil. No harm trying, I thought.
I cheered the leaf on, praying that it wouldn’t end up as compost material. Amazingly the tiny spunky leaf took root and grew.
The spindly new growth is now about six inches tall and sports more than two dozen white edged leaves. While this little tyke is still dwarfed by its strapping cousin, I don’t think it’s going to remain so for long.
Care and propagation: partial shade to full sun; garden soil; water moderately. Propagate using cuttings.
I heard that borage is also a good companion plant for tomatoes. For people, it strengthens bones so maybe it strengthens stems? bTW Howwould you extract the juice from the leaves?
you’re probably right, bibi about it being a good companion plant for tomatoes. you can pound the leaves using a small mortar and pestle.
The juice of the leaves are extracted by boiling them in water. You would make a tea out of the leaves and drink it like tea. It is bitter and thus can add rock sugar or better still honey.
By the way where in KL can i get the borage plant?
Sg B would have this, Jazz.
plant lagundi , excellent aginst any kind of caugh
where can i get normal or variegated indian borage, i live in london, uk.
Been trying to figure out what plant I have. It could be Plectranthus coleoides “Variegata,” another type of Swedish Ivy, but it looks like this. I’ve also found the Plecantranthus amboinicus to be called Cuban oregano or Spanish thyme (actually so many names). Think I’ve got the amboinicus because the scalloped edges are similar. I’m fascinated now. I think the common weed “Heal-All” could be related.