Mature size & growth rate

How big does Borage (Borago officinalis) get?

Also called Starflower, Bee Bush.

More about borage

About Borage

Borago officinalis · also called Starflower, Bee Bush · herb

Borage is a fast, bushy hardy annual grown for its bristly cucumber-flavoured leaves and edible, star-shaped blue flowers that pollinators adore. It germinates and blooms quickly in full sun and poor soil, self-seeds prolifically, and resents transplanting. Note: despite culinary use, it is ASPCA-listed as toxic to pets, so keep it away from grazing cats and dogs.

Mature size: Typically 45-90 cm tall and 30-45 cm wide; can reach 1 m in rich, sheltered conditions.

Watch for — Flopping and lodging: Tall, soft growth (worse in rich soil or shade) splays and breaks. Grow in lean soil and full sun, or give a light support; deadhead to keep plants tidy.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Borage reaches its full size within one growing season — there is no "long-term" size, just how big it gets before you harvest or it dies back. Indoors and in a pot, expect typically 45-90 cm tall and 30-45 cm wide. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — can reach 1 m in rich, sheltered conditions. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

It sizes up fast and once, racing from seedling to full size in a single season; after cropping it is finished, so size is a within-season question.

Growth rate and years to mature

Borage is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Its feeding profile backs this up: needs little to no feeding. rich soil and nitrogen feeds cause weak, floppy stems. a thin compost mulch at planting is ample for a full season of bloom.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the borage repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast borage grows.

How to keep borage smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For borage specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of borage from the start — that is the most reliable size control for an annual.
Grow it in a smaller container to naturally limit how large it gets.
For some crops, pinching or pruning the growing tips keeps the plant shorter and bushier.
Sow a little later or space plants closer if you specifically want smaller individual plants.

How to grow borage bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for borage the accelerators are:

Full sun, warm soil and steady water are what drive a crop to full size fastest.
Sow at the right time for your zone so it gets the whole season to size up.
Feed appropriately for the crop and never let it check (stall) from drought or cold.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The borage light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When borage outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for borage:

It sprawls beyond its bed or container before harvest — usually a spacing or support issue.
It flops or needs staking once it hits full height.
Once it has fruited or bolted, it is at its final size for good — the next plant is a new sowing.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the borage repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the borage propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Borage size — frequently asked questions

How big does borage get?

Borage reaches typically 45-90 cm tall and 30-45 cm wide when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (can reach 1 m in rich, sheltered conditions.). It sizes up fast and once, racing from seedling to full size in a single season; after cropping it is finished, so size is a within-season question.

Is borage slow or fast growing?

Borage is a moderate grower. Expect a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Borage reaches its full size within one growing season — there is no "long-term" size, just how big it gets before you harvest or it dies back.

How long does borage take to reach full size?

Roughly a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep borage smaller?

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of borage from the start — that is the most reliable size control for an annual. Grow it in a smaller container to naturally limit how large it gets. For some crops, pinching or pruning the growing tips keeps the plant shorter and bushier. Sow a little later or space plants closer if you specifically want smaller individual plants.

How can I make borage grow bigger or faster?

Full sun, warm soil and steady water are what drive a crop to full size fastest. Sow at the right time for your zone so it gets the whole season to size up. Feed appropriately for the crop and never let it check (stall) from drought or cold.