The much-loved, blue Forget-me-nots or Mouse Ears, known botanically as Myosotis (Myos is Latin for mouse and otis for ear), have the ability to stimulate nostalgic memories. For some gardeners they may recall the frolicking, carefree times amid the dainty drifts of Forget-me-nots scattered around a childhood friend's rambling cottage garden. These dainty Forget-me- nots are the icons for the 2000 odd species of herbaceous plants comprising the 'Borage' or Boraginaceae Family.
Representatives of this family include the delicate Tasmanian natives (Austral Forget-me-not and Sweet Hound's Tongue), accent plants (sweetly scented Cherry-Pies and intriguingly named Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis), culinary and medicinal herbs (Borage and Comfrey) as well as vigorous weeds such as the infamous Paterson's Curse Echium plantagineum.
It is easy to understand the reasoning behind Forget-me-nots other common names, once you observe a plant in full bloom. The name 'Mouse Ears' comes from the ear shape of their hairy leaves, while 'Scorpion Grass' relates to the similarity that their curled flower heads have to scorpion tails. This latter feature prompted their early medicinal use in salves of crushed leaves for soothing scorpion bites. The native Mouse-ears (Myosotis australis) can be easily confused with the weedy 'Wood Forget-Me-Not' (Myosotis sylvatica). This weed is notorious for smothering moist woodland sites akin to soft blue blankets, attractive as they maybe, for those bush goers, who are unaware of its significance as an invasive weed.
The small Tassie woodland herb, 'Sweet Hound's Tongue' (Cynoglossum suaveolens) is worthy of growing in your grassy woodland patch or outdoor display containers, if only for its highly fragrant white flowers and hairy tongue-like leaves. The plant's scent is the reason for its mutually beneficial relationship with a few species of inconspicuous nocturnal moths. Although the moths mainly pollinates at night to help protect them from being easy bird fodder, its more conspicuous day feeding caterpillars act like liquorice allsorts for honey eaters, thornbills, wrens, robins and pardalotes.
Its name Cynoglossum derives from Latin Cyno for dog and you guessed it, Latin glossum for tongue. Herbalists crushed their fruits and leaves, before mixing them with swine grease to make a salve for healing dog bites. The roots and leaves have successfully been used in teas to treat coughs, colds and diarrhoea. Poultices of leaves have proved useful for relieving insect bites, burns and even haemorrhoids. As it contains an alkaloid which in sufficient amounts, is capable of not only causing nasty skin reactions in some susceptible people, but also liver damage to grazing stock, caution is recommended.
The weed, 'Paterson's Curse' has plagued drier areas, since its introduction from Europe in the 1840's. It is one of many Echium species, which are hardy blue flowering herbs and important nectar source for apiarists. Interestingly, in the 1880's the 'Paterson's Curse' name was attributed to a NSW farmer named Paterson, who was the cursed source of a large infestation of this plant that had spread across the Cumberoona region in NSW.
Its other common name 'Salvation Jane' comes from either its ability to supply fodder during severe droughts or its flower shape, which reminds one of its similarity to the bonnets worn by Salvation Army ladies. Like its weedy brother 'Viper's Bugloss' Echium vulgare, whose flowers' shape is akin to a snake's head (ekhis is Greek for viper), they are both prolific seeders. The seeds are easily carried by animals, water or contaminated fodder and can live for many years in the soil. Of course, with a name like 'Viper's Bugloss' it has been used as a treatment for snakebites.
Of all Borage family members, the striking flowers displayed by the many 'Heliotropes' provide an ideal option for a summer bedding display or potted garden display. The 'Cherry-Pie' of them all is the delightfully scented violet or lilac flowering shrub Heliotropium arborescens. A perfume industry extracting the flower's active ingredient 'heliotropin' operated until the recent laboratory synthesis of heliotropin. As a feature plant, it is irresistible to butterflies and a few aggressive nectar-feeding birds such as the 'New-Holland' honeyeaters. This idea provides a reminder not to inadvertently have your garden dominated by nectareous plants, as it can limit with in your garden the diversity of native bird to only a few domineering honey-eaters.
From early Roman times 'Borage' and 'Comfrey' have been respected for their medicinal and culinary attributes. The old Greek proverb 'I, borage, bring always courage' alludes to its effect of stimulating courage and joyfulness. Borage's (Borago officinalis) finely shredded young leaves and blue flowers provide a subtle cucumber-like flavour and interest to lettuce and potato salads. When cooked, it produces tasty spinach. The fragrance of fresh borage leaves and flowers added to wines and cool drinks provide a refreshing and exhilarating sensation.
Comfrey or Boneset (Symphytum officinale) has long been applied as an ointment or poultice, made from crushed leaves and/or roots. These set broken bones, relieve bruising, sprains and arthritis as well as act as a styptic (a plant that stops bleeding). As an infusion derived from soaking leaves and/or roots, it arrests internal bleeding from ulcers and retards tumours. Like 'Lungwort', tea brewed from fresh leaves soothes coughs and improves pneumonia. However due to this ability of narrowing blood vessels, any comfrey ingestion needs to be treated with caution.
Both these herbs are ideal for a backyard organic garden system, since they grow, flower and seed prolifically even in dry poor soils. Their fleshy stems, broad leaves and long lasting flower heads can be easily harvested and broken down rapidly enhancing your compost heap. Like most Borage family members they readily attract bees early in the season, ensuring a better pollination for your fruit trees.
Phil Watson