Forget Me Not

Common name: forget-me-not

Botanical Names: Myosotis

Origin: most species are native to New Zealand

Colours: blue, pink and white

These little pretty little flowers appear quintessentially British.  Although most species are endemic to New Zealand.  Only a couple of the 50 or so varieties have been introduced to Europe, Asia and America.  They are part of the Boraginaceae family and many share the characteristic of hairy leaves.  The wood forget-me-not is commonly seen in the UK.  It prefers rich moist soil and shady conditions.

Many of the varieties feature five petalled flowers.  In the UK they are most commonly seen in blue, but are also available in pink and white.  They are available in spring and flower in gardens during May and June. They have a vase life similar to other spring flowers of about 5 days.  They are used in weddings for their beautiful soft blue colour and the connections to love and romance they have.

There are several legends relating to the plants name.  One German legend says that a medieval knight and his love were walking beside a river when the knight picked a posy of flowers.  The weight of his amour caused to him fall into the river and as he was drowning he threw the posy to her shouting “forget-me-not”.

Forget-me-nots are easy to grow in your garden once sown they will pop up for years to come often in different places to the previous year.  All they require is a little shake of the seed heads to broadcast them ready for next year.