Forget-me-not is one of the most beautiful flowers you will have in your garden! They come in different types of colors that will likely bring a lot of uniqueness into your house and surrounding areas.
This type of flower is easy to plant and maintain that you will be surprised at how many you have managed to grow (even if it’s in a small space).
Here’s everything you need to know to grow forget-me-not plants!
Continue reading this article about forget-me-nots; I will be answering all of your questions here!
Facts about Forget-Me-Not Plants
Before we dive into what you need to know about forget-me-not care, let’s talk facts.
First up – the botanical name. The Forget-me-not flower scientific name is Myosotis, and they belong to the Boraginaceae family of plants. They are members of the genus Myosotis. It tends to spread quickly throughout a garden, and it can reach up to 2 feet in height.
These delicate flowers are known by many names, including wood forget-me-not, true forget-me-not, scorpion’s tail, and mouse ear. It’s such a hardy plant that you don’t need to be a master gardener to grow it. In some cases, it’s considered an invasive plant!
This flower has five petals, and they prefer to be placed near water; it is considered a wildflower; hence, they do not require much maintenance on our behalf.
If you have a wet area, then do not hesitate to spread some forget-me-not seeds, they will do you a favor as they will absorb this extra water.
The forget-me-not, found growing in woodland settings, is a plant that is known to tolerate wet soil and grow in beautiful clusters. This versatile plant reseeds readily and has gorgeous spring flowers. Aside from its beauty, the plant, also known as mouse ears, was once prized for its medicinal properties.
Although they aren’t used as often for various medical conditions, it’s important to know what these blue, pink, white, and purple flowers are capable of. After all, these short lived flowers were used for more options than you can imagine for many years!
When grown in a carefully controlled garden, gardeners would grow this flower with hairy stems for the plant’s ability to treat wounds, address symptoms of what we now know as Alzheimer’s disease, and much more.
Lastly, forget-me-not can be ornamental flowers, but they can also act as a right companion plant in your vegetable garden. Especially if you want to attract pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds), they tend to be attracted to the intense flower colors.
The good news? Forget-me-nots prefer minimal care. Besides removing spent blooms to encourage more seed heads, you don’t have to do too much to provide proper care for these small flowers.
Let’s take a closer look at their (minimal) care requirements…
Common Types of Forget-Me-Nots
There are two primary varieties of forget-me-not plants: they could be Myosotis sylvatica, or Myosotis scorpioides.
Here are the most common types of forget-me-not plants:
Woodland Forget-me-nots
Scientifically known as Myosotis sylvatica, this type of forget-me-not has blue or white flowers. It can be seen in early spring, and it can grow up to 4 inches long. It is a short-lived plant, so make sure you take plenty of photographs!
Victoria Rose Forget-me-nots
Also known as Myosotis sylvatica, this flower will bloom at the end of winter if you live in a warm area; if not, it will bloom in the early spring. It has pink petals with yellow-eyed tint, and it can grow up to 4 inches long.
Watering Forget-me-nots
They are scientifically known as Myosotis scorpioides. This flower is a herbaceous perennial, which means that even though the top of the flower will die during winter, its bottom part will likely survive harsh climate conditions.
As its name suggests, you will be able to see this type of flower near wetland, lakes, or rivers, as it is its preferred habitat.
Field Forget-me-nots
Scientifically known as Myosotis arvensis, this flower can grow up to 16 inches long, making it one of the longest forget-me-nots. It has bright blue petals, and it can be found in a wild form in nature.
Alpine Forget-me-not Flower
They are scientifically known as Myosotis alpestris. Sometimes it is also known as ‘’Scorpion Grass’’. It is a biennial plant that has bright blue petals with yellow eyed-centers. They are very hardy. Thus, they will bloom throughout the summer.
Strict Forget-me-not Flower
They are scientifically known as Myosotis stricta. This plant is gorgeous as it has very unique light blue flowers. They are straightforward to maintain, hence, why they can survive even on rocky outcrops!
Early Forget-me-not Flower
They are scientifically known as Myosotis ramosissima. It prefers dry and hot climates; this is why it will flower at the beginning of summer. It is an annual herb that can now be found all over the world.
Tufted Forget-me-not Flower
They are scientifically known as Myosotis laxa. This flower has light-colored petals, and it can be found near ponds or rivers, as they are an aquatic and terrestrial plant.
You will be able to see red, purple, blue, and pink tufted forget-me-not plants, although the most common ones are the light blue variety.
Changing Forget-me-not Flower
Scientifically known as Myosotis discolor. This plant likes to grow in disturbed areas, such as roadsides. It is considered a perennial herb, and it is relatively easy to propagate and maintain.
These flowers are unusual as they will go through several stages where their color seems to change. They will start by being cream or yellow, they will then become pink, and lastly, blue; hence its name, as they are always changing colors.
Broadleaf Forget-me-not Flower
They are scientifically known as Myosotis latifolia. This plant has oval-shaped leaves, and they are medium-sized. The broadleaf forget-me-not can now be found in the world’s Northern Hemisphere.
Lapland Forget-me-not Flower
Scientifically known as Myosotis decumbens. This type of flower can grow up to 15 inches. It is a perennial herb, and it can only be found in Northern Finland, hence its name.
How To Grow and Care for Forget-Me-Not Plants
Out of many flower species, scorpion grasses are straightforward to maintain because they are considered wildflowers.
In fact, most depredators or diseases are not even attracted to forget-me-not palnts, and this is great, especially if you would like to plant them inside your vegetable garden to attract pollinators.
Since most forget-me-not plants are perennials, they will appear year after year in your garden. They will also propagate very rapidly, so make sure you have enough space to place them.
How To Plant Forget-Me-Nots
You can easily grow new plants from old seeds; you will simply need to sow the seeds in your chosen location right in the middle of summer. The seeds will start to acclimatize, and they will bloom the following year.
As previously stated, some forget-me-not types will spread out quickly; thus, they are also considered an invasive flower in several areas.
You don’t need to use fertilizer on your flower clusters – since this is such a versatile plant, it doesn’t need much in terms of nutrients. It’s self-seeding and typically starts to spread in the early fall when the blossoms have died back.
To prevent self-seeding, you can divide your plant (more on this below). If you absolutely must fertilize, you can use an all-purpose fertilizer. This can be useful if you’re noticing yellow spots on your plant.
There aren’t many common pests that affect this plant.
How To Propagate Forget-Me-Nots
You can divide all of the plant’s rhizomes, or you can let them self-seed; if you choose to cut the rhizomes, make sure you do this in early spring, and you need to plant them as soon as you cut them.
On the other hand, if you choose to let them self-seed, then you will not need to do anything as they will do all of the jobs.
How To Water Forget-Me-Nots
If you have these flowers in your garden, then you will need to water them regularly and abundantly, especially if you have the Water forget-me-not flower. However, when they grow in the wild, they do not need to be watered as they will thrive with rainwater only.
The most important thing to remember about growing forget-me-nots is that avoiding overhead watering is so important. Keep the leaves dry to avoid fungal diseases. Although these plants thrive in woodland gardens and prefer wet soil, the leaves shouldn’t stay wet.
Also, moist but well drained soil is key for this short-lived perennial! They often found growing along streams, the woodland forget-me-not needs to not be in standing water or you’re going to have problems with powdery mildew disease.
Finally, this is a plant that requires deadheading, especially if you want to give them the longest blooming period in your flower beds or rock gardens. Pluck the spent blooms from the white flowers as they die back (starting in early summer) and you’ll be rewarded with more pink, purple, white, or blue flowers as the season progresses!
FAQs
Here are some common questions about Forget-me-not plants:
What colors are associated with Forget-me-not plants?
Forget-me-not plantsare beautiful because they have unique color combinations, which will depend on the type of flower you have. They are one of the few plants with bright blue petals, but you can also see light pink, cream, white, yellow, and purple petals.
Where can I find the Forget-me-not plant?
There are more than 70 species of the Forget-me-not plant. Some of them are native to specific continents, such as Asia, Africa, and Europe; however, nowadays, you can find them everywhere globally.
They will thrive best in moist habitats, so wetlands, rivers, and even lakes are the places you need to look at to see if you can find some forget-me-nots.
They are found in more than six USDA zones and are a good choice for gardeners with an early frost date (you’ll sow seeds a few weeks before the last frost date in colder climates). They’re easy to grow and can thrive in both full and partial sun exposure.
Where to plant Forget-me-not plant?
You can plant them in a sunny or shady spot, as long as it has well-drained soil. You can make forget-me-nots a companion plant with some other types of colorful flowers in order to make a vibrant flower wall.
Ideally, these plants prefer a neutral soil pH – again, as long as you keep the soil most. This is key. The ideal soil type is moist but well-draining.
You will need to make sure you plant plenty of these flowers as they are very small.
Do forget-me-nots need to be fully exposed to the sun?
Some of the forget-me-not varieties will thrive under the sun, but they all need to be in an area where they won’t receive the scorching noon sun throughout summer; otherwise, they will soon die, in particular, if you live in a hot place.
Are forget-me-nots toxic?
This is a myth! You can have forget-me-nots near children and pets, and nothing will happen.
People used to think this type of plant was poisonous because they were confused, as other kinds of flowers are also called ‘’forget-me-not’’ and are the poisonous ones! For example, the Cynoglossum amabile or the ‘’Chinese forget-me-not’’ is very toxic.
How do you use forget-me-nots in the garden?
The good thing about this flower is that you can use it as a ground cover in your vegetable garden. You can also use it as an ornamental plant both indoors and outdoors.
Conclusion
As you could see, forget-me-nots are effortless to plant as they require little to no maintenance.
Forget-me-nots can be grown from seeds, but you can also allow them to spread out by self-seeding; although, you need to pay close attention to them; otherwise, they could spread out quickly if you don’t control them.
Up Next: Forget Me Not Flower Meaning and Symbolism
Image by depositphotos.com/scis65
