Ornamental · Boraginaceae
Forget-me-not
Myosotis sylvatica
Tuck it in once and enjoy a spring carpet of tiny blue flowers, because it quietly raises the next generation for you.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
56–70 days
USDA 3–8
Overview
Those soft pools of tiny sky-blue flowers that gather around spring bulbs are forget-me-not, and they are a lovely plant to grow with confidence. It belongs to the borage family and hails from Europe and Asia, where it settles into damp woodland and the edges of streams. In a garden it keeps things low and modest, a biennial that saves its flowers for the second spring and then leaves seedlings behind to carry the story on.
The trait that makes it so forgiving can also keep you busy, and that is a fair trade. It sows itself with enthusiasm and roots from creeping stems, so one little planting grows into a patch and then a colony. That generosity is a gift beneath tulips and daffodils, and you only need to keep a gentle eye out where it might wander into wild ground.
Offer it rich, steadily moist soil and a touch of afternoon shade in hot spots, and it mostly looks after itself. The flowers open across April and May, with a few drifting on into summer, and you can take heart that this is a notably tough plant, holding up through harsh winter lows without complaint.
Care
The short version: give it rich, steadily moist soil, full sun to part shade with a midday break where summers are hot, and a light feed when you plant. Snip the spent flowers afterward and the self-seeding stays friendly.
Light
Forget-me-not is happy in full sun through partial shade, and it does best with morning sun and a rest from the strongest afternoon light where summers run hot. Do not worry too much, but remember that heat with too little shade tires the plant and opens the door to mildew.
Water
Aim to keep the soil consistently moist, and try not to let it bake dry, especially in the heat. This is a forgiving plant that even shrugs off a brief spell of wet feet or shallow standing water, so when in doubt, lean toward damp rather than dry.
Soil
Settle it into rich, well-drained loam or clay that is full of organic matter, and it will feel right at home. A pH anywhere from 6.1 to 7.5 suits it, which covers slightly acidic to mildly alkaline, so most ordinary garden beds will be just fine.
Temperature
You have a genuinely tough, cold-hardy plant here, content up to about 86°F (30°C) and able to come through winter lows near -40°F (-40°C). Heat gives it more grief than cold ever will, since hot, sticky stretches are what tend to bring on disease.
Humidity
Everyday outdoor humidity is perfectly fine, and there is no target number to fuss over. What helps most is good airflow, because damp, crowded leaves are exactly where powdery mildew and rust like to begin, so a little breathing room goes a long way.
Feeding
Forget-me-not is a light eater, so you can keep this simple. Mix a little balanced fertilizer or some compost into rich soil at planting time and leave it at that, since steady feeding through the season really is not needed.
Pruning
Snip off the spent flower cymes soon after they fade to coax out more blooms and gently curb the self-seeding. While you are at it, trim away any tired or mildewed leaves, and the plant will look refreshed and cared for.
Repotting
It rarely needs repotting and is usually grown right in the ground, so there is little to remember. If you do keep one in a pot, move it to a larger home only when roots circle or peek through the drainage holes or the soil starts drying out far too quickly.
Size & spacing
These are modest little plants, reaching 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall and spreading 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) wide. Give each one a bit of elbow room so air moves freely and the leaves can stay dry and healthy.
When to plant
Forget-me-not lives on a two-year rhythm, and once you know it the timing feels natural. Start seed indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost for flowers the same year, or sow it outdoors in mid-summer for blooms the following spring. The main show arrives in April and May, with a few cheerful stragglers carrying on into summer.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 8-10 weeks before the last spring frost for bloom the same year
- Plant: Direct sow in mid-summer for bloom the following spring, or transplant seedlings after frost
- Harvest: April to May, with sporadic intermittent bloom into mid-summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
You can relax here, because forget-me-not asks for very little and most of what comes up is easy to handle. Trouble tends to land on the leaves or show in how freely it spreads, and catching it early makes the fix simple. Find what matches your plant below, take one small step, and you will have it back on track in no time.
Seedlings turning up everywhere and crowding their neighbors
Forget-me-not is a happy self-seeder, and its creeping stems root as they wander to make new patches. Left entirely alone it can fill a bed and even slip beyond the garden, but you are in charge here. Deadhead the spent flower cymes before the seed drops, pull any volunteers you would rather not keep, and lift the rooted runners that stray too far.
Fix:
- Deadhead and remove flower cymes immediately after bloom to limit seeding
- Pull unwanted volunteer seedlings
- Remove rooted creeping stems to control spread
A soft white dust settling over the leaves and stems
That dusty film is powdery mildew, and it usually appears where plants sit packed together in still, humid air. It rubs off easily, but it keeps drifting back until the air around the plant starts moving. There is an easy fix, so thin or space the plants, water down at the soil line, and shear back the worst of it once the flowers are done.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by thinning or spacing plants
- Remove and discard severely affected foliage
- Avoid overhead watering and water at the soil line
- Shear back heavily infected plants after bloom
Little orange or brown spots speckling the foliage
Raised rusty bumps on the leaves are a sign of rust, a fungus that gets comfortable when foliage stays wet. Do not fret, just pick off and bin the marked leaves as soon as you notice them. Keep water off the foliage and open the planting up a little so the leaves dry quickly after rain.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected leaves
- Avoid overhead watering to keep foliage dry
- Improve spacing and air movement
- Clean up plant debris at season end
Toxicity
Here is some reassuring news if you share your home with pets or little ones: true forget-me-not is not considered poisonous. The NC State Extension Plant Toolbox records no poison data for it, and the ASPCA does not list it either. The one thing worth keeping straight is not to mix it up with Chinese forget-me-not, a separate plant whose alkaloids can do harm.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Safe for cats. A curious nibble of leaf or flower will not poison your cat, though a big mouthful of any plant might bring on a little drooling or a passing upset tummy.
Dogs None
Safe for dogs. The plant holds no toxin that puts a dog at risk, so a stray bite from the garden is nothing to lose sleep over.
Horses Safe
Safe for horses. True forget-me-not is not the toxic look-alike, Chinese forget-me-not, so grazing near a patch poses no real danger.
Rabbits Safe
Safe for rabbits, who can browse the foliage without harm. As with any green, ease new plants into the diet a little at a time rather than all at once.
Livestock Safe
Safe for cattle, goats, and sheep. The species carries only trace alkaloids and is not flagged as a poisonous pasture plant.
Birds Safe
Safe for birds. Backyard hens and wild visitors alike can peck at the seeds and foliage with no ill effect.
People Safe
Safe for people, and the small blue flowers are sometimes used as an edible garnish. There is no need to fence it off from children.
Generally considered safe; as with any plant, discourage pets and small children from eating large amounts of foliage or flowers.
Varieties
Nearly all the forget-me-nots you will find at the garden center are selections of this single species, chosen mostly for flower color and a tidy shape. Here are the ones you are most likely to meet, and any of them is a comfortable first choice.
Victoria Blue
A compact little selection loved for its rich blue flowers and a neat, mounded shape that suits any spot.
Victoria Rose
A pink-flowered choice that trades the familiar sky blue for a gentle, welcoming rose.
Snowball
A white-flowered form that looks cool and crisp set against darker leaves.
Blue Basket
A taller blue-flowered selection that lifts its blooms a little above the others.
Ultramarine
A selection treasured for its deep, dark-blue flowers.
Companions
Forget-me-not earns its keep woven among spring bulbs, where its low blue haze fills the gaps and sets off taller flowers above it.
Plant near
Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils: Forget-me-not is recommended for interplanting with spring bulbs, where its blue flowers complement bulb displays and fill in around them.
How to propagate
Forget-me-not nearly takes care of its own multiplying, so do not feel any pressure here. When you want more, you can lend a hand with seed or by gently splitting a settled clump.
SeedEasy
Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost for same-year bloom, or sow outdoors in mid-summer for bloom the following spring · Several weeks to germinate and establish; biennial sowings bloom the next season
Seed is the usual and friendliest route, and forget-me-not makes it genuinely easy on a beginner. Start it indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost for flowers the same year, or simply scatter it outdoors in mid-summer and look forward to bloom the following spring. The seedlings need a few weeks to find their feet, and once a patch is settled it self-seeds freely, sometimes a touch more than you planned for.
DivisionEasy
Spring or after flowering · A few weeks once rooted
When you feel ready, you can also divide an established clump in spring or once the flowers have faded. Its creeping, stolon-like stems root as they spread and produce clonal offsets, so just lift one of those rooted pieces, ease it apart, and replant it. It settles in within a few weeks and grows up to match the parent exactly.
Myths
Every forget-me-not is dangerously poisonous to pets.
Take heart, because true forget-me-not, Myosotis sylvatica, is not reported as toxic and stays off the ASPCA toxic plant list. The real worry is a completely different plant, Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile), a separate genus whose pyrrolizidine alkaloids can harm a horse's liver if it is fed in large amounts or over a long stretch.
Forget-me-not is a native North American wildflower.
It is an easy mix-up, but Myosotis sylvatica is native to Europe and Asia rather than North America. It has escaped cultivation and naturalized across parts of the continent, and a few Midwestern areas now treat it as a noxious weed.