Cordia verbenacea packet of 5 seeds, organic Borage (Boraginacea) Hardy to Zones 8 to 12 (Bouillon Bush, Erva Baleeira, “Black Sage” Varronia curassavica, Cordia curassavica) Perennial woody bush to small tree to 12 feet tall, native to Brazil, flowering white, aromatic, giving way to fleshy red fruits on drooping terminal racemes. Sturdy multistemmed bushes with rough, dark-green, trichome-laden leaves. Traditional use (S. American herbalism): Infections, cough. Source of antibiotic essential oils humulene and caryophyllene: analgesic, antiinflammatory and muscle relaxant. Plant prefers sun to part shade and moist soils. May be grown in potted culture and kept trimmed back to size, brought indoors or into the cold greenhouse for the winter. May also act like an herbaceous perennial and die back to the root only to resprout in spring. Sow seeds in warm soil. Germination in 40 days. High rates of germination and ease of germination–no replacement or refunds on cordia seed. Space plants 12 feet apart.