Historically, the forget-me-not was grown in remembrance of lost loved ones.

Forget-me-nots are among the few plants that can boast atrue blue color.

Forget-me-nots bloom in spring and summer in Zones 3-8 and work in informal garden borders and mixed containers.

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Credit: Laurie Black

The foliage is deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant and resembles rounded mouse ears.

Forget-me-nots attract birds and butterflies to your yard.

Forget-me-nots form dense mats of foliage by producing above-ground runners.

Woodland Forget-Me-Not

Credit: Laurie Black

They work in all types of gardens,including cottage-style, woodland, and rock gardens.

It is on the Invasive Plant List of Connecticut and Wisconsin.

How and When to Plant Forget-Me-Not

Forget-me-nots are grown from seeds.

‘Victoria Rose’ Forget-Me-Not

Credit: Laurie Black

Sow seeds in midsummer and keep the soil mildly moist.

In fall, seedlings will appear, and flowers will bloom in spring.

Forget-Me-Not Care Tips

Forget-me-nots are easy-to-grow plants requiring little maintenance.

wild ginger ground cover plant

Credit: Julie Mikos

Commonlygrown from seed, they are often treated as biennials or short-lived perennials.

Soil and Water

Forget-me-notsprefer consistently moist soiland will tolerate wet soil.

Some species can grow in standing water and perform well as marginal water plants.

Close up of purple and white Columbine

Credit: Mike Jensen

The soil should be well-drained.

Temperature and Humidity

Forget-me-nots grow in a range of temperatures, indicated by their widehardiness zone range.

However, high heat and humidity are not good for these plants.

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

It is one of their biggest killers.

In the South especially, summers tend to kill off these plants.

In this kind of atmosphere, treat forget-me-nots as cool-season annuals or look for heat-tolerant varieties and species.

Euph Chameleon and Yellow Corydalis

Credit: Stephen Cridland

Fertilizer

Pruning

The only reason to prune forget-me-nots is to control reseeding.

They look best when massed in a large group of plants.

Use a pot with good drainage and well-draining soil.

Leave space between them for growth.

Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist.

Pinch off fading blooms to encourage new growth.

Keep them in a cool area with some sun that doesn’t get too hot.

In either case, water well to settle the plant in its new home.

Pests and Problems

The most common problem with forget-me-nots ispowdery mildew.

Avoid this unsightly issue by watering under the leaves and not over them.

Keep leaves dry when possible to avoid either of these things.

Some garden pests, such as aphids, can be bothersome.

How to Propagate Forget-Me-Not

Annual forget-me-nots will reseed, so there’s no need to propagate them.

Perennial varietiescan be dividedand replanted to encourage more blooms if they begin to diminish.

Forget-me-not was commonly grown in gardens to remember lost loved ones.

The curving stalks supporting the blooms give forget-me-nots one of their common names: scorpion grass.

Its hairy leaves may reach 4 inches long.

It must have shade and moist but well-drained soil to thrive.

In spring, it bears purplish-maroon bell-shaped blooms mostly hidden in the foliage.

Columbine thrives in sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil.

Plants are short-lived but self-seed readily, often creating natural hybrids with other nearby columbines.

If you want to prevent self-seeding, deadhead plants after bloom.

They grow best in partial to full shade in moist, well-drained soil.

It’s an outstanding shade plant.

Blooms are small, but they appear in clusters.

Leaves look similar to those of fringe-leaf bleeding heart.

Plants self-seed readily, but excess seedlings are easy to remove.

Provide the plant with moist, organic soil for best growth.

He was swept away by the current.

He called out to her,Vergiss mein nicht,which means forget-me-not.

National Forget-Me-Not Day is celebrated each year on November 10th.

Initially, it honored World War I veterans who suffered physical losses in battle.

Forget-me-not flowers were sold to raise money for those wounded veterans.

The most likely reason is too much sunshine.

However, it could also be a biennial variety that blooms in its second year.

Some people consider forget-me-nots the birth flower for September.

These flowers are also the official state flower of Alaska.

It represents the perseverance of Alaska’s pioneers.

They can add color to salads, drinks, or baked goods.

However, it’s best to avoid eating large quantities.

Forget About Planting Forget-Me-Nots.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.