Borago officinalis - Borage - (Boraginaceae)

Borage is one of many members of this family to occur widely throughout the Mediterranean region. One common species with even deeper blue flowers is Anchusa azurea (Large Blue Alkanet).

Borago officinalis

This gorgeous plant, which is quite rare in Britain other than in gardens where it is cultivated as a culinary herb in summertime, over-winters in the Algarve in Portugal, where we took this photograph in early March. Not surprisingly, Borage is a member of the Borage family (Boraginaceae) and has been mainly grown as an ornamental plant, although its leaves are used to flavour drinks - notably Pimms. These days the plant is also cultivated for its oil-rich seeds.

Borage is common throughout the Mediterranean.