Water forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides · Boraginaceae
Sky-blue flowers with a yellow eye, in curling sprays, from late spring through summer, on a creeping plant of wet ground.
- Size
- 10 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Mid May to late August
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
Invasive in parts of North America. Spreads by creeping stems and seed along waterways, and is listed as invasive in Connecticut, Wisconsin and other states. Keep it to enclosed garden ponds. The planner never chooses it.
Where water forget-me-not goes in a border
At 10 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
The true perennial forget-me-not, for the shallow edge of a pond. It spreads along stream banks and has become a weed of wetlands in several states, so the planner will not choose it.
- Pond margins in garden ponds
- Bog gardens
- Blue at the water's edge
What to plant with water forget-me-not
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Marsh marigold: flowers first, mid April to early May, so the spot is never empty; tall enough (16 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same wet soil.
- Blue flag iris: in flower together for four weeks, from late May; tall enough (2½ ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same wet soil.
- Japanese primrose: in flower together for six weeks, from mid May; bold leaves against its medium ones; spires rising out of its mound.
Questions about water forget-me-not
Does water forget-me-not need sun or shade?
Water forget-me-not grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants moist to wet soil, of average fertility, and plenty of water. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does water forget-me-not grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does water forget-me-not flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid May to late August. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Late May to late August |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Late May to late August |
| Zone 5 | Mid May to late August |
| Zone 6 | Early May to late August |
| Zone 7 | Early May to mid August |
| Zone 8 | Late April to mid August |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should water forget-me-not be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many water forget-me-not plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
Is water forget-me-not poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
What can I plant instead of water forget-me-not?
Water forget-me-not is listed as invasive in parts of North America (3 listings), so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:
- Woodland strawberry: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not blue, wants average soil.
- Green-and-gold: the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, flowers late April to mid June.
- Creeping woodland phlox: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late April to late May, wants average soil.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat water forget-me-not?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will water forget-me-not spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads by creeping stems and seed along waterways, and is listed as invasive in Connecticut, Wisconsin and other states. Keep it to enclosed garden ponds.
It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.
What flowers after water forget-me-not?
Water forget-me-not is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
- Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.
What does water forget-me-not look like in winter?
Water forget-me-not holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is water forget-me-not good for bees and butterflies?
Water forget-me-not is visited by pollinators, bees and butterflies.
More Myosotis
- Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 10 in (25 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid May to late August; airy sprays; blue
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; green
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, moist to wet
- Water
- High
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Asia-Tropical and Asia-Temperate
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies
- Stands up to
- Deer, wet soil, poor soil
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.