Early-flowering borage (Trachystemon orientalis)

Features and Characteristics

Trachystemon orientalis, commonly known as early-flowering borage, is a tough, rhizomatous, shade-loving, weed-smothering, perennial ground cover that is native from Bulgaria to the Caucasus and Turkey. Pendant, borage-like, white-throated, bluish-purple flowers (each to 1/2” wide) bloom in early spring (March-April) in loose-branched panicles (scorpioid cymes) located atop branched, hairy, pink-tinted flowering stems rising to 18” tall. Flowers bloom at a time when the foliage is just beginning to develop. Flowers have tubular corollas with five spreading to slightly reflexed petals. Large, coarsely-textured, long-petioled, heart-shaped, bristly-hairy, overlapping, medium to dark green basal leaves (each to 12” long) typically mature to full size after flowering has finished to form a dense but attractive foliage mat rising to 18” tall but spreading over time to 24” wide or more.

Genus name comes from the Greek words trachys meaning rough and stemon meaning stamen in reference to the hairy filaments found on species flowers.

Specific epithet is in reference to the Orient in reference to the distribution of this species.