Siberian bugloss or Water forget-me-not: how to tell them apart?
Siberian bugloss and Water forget-me-not look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Siberian bugloss
Brunnera macrophylla
Water forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides
The flowers of brunnera look very much like those of forget-me-not (hence its nickname 'large forget-me-not'), but its large, heart-shaped, often variegated leaves stay decorative long after flowering, whereas forget-me-not has narrow, lanceolate leaves of no ornamental interest once flowering has finished.
🍃 Leaves
Heart-shaped, large, often variegated with white or silver depending on the cultivar, decorative for much of the year
Alternate, lanceolate, slightly hairy
🌸 Flowers
Small, blue, star-shaped with five petals, very similar to those of forget-me-not, borne in light clusters on slender stems
Small, sky blue with a yellow centre, in a raceme coiled like a crozier
🍎 Fruits
Small dry nutlet, not ornamental
Small glossy black achenes
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — herbaceous plant
Upright to creeping herbaceous stem
📏 Size
30 to 45 cm tall
20 to 40 cm tall
🗺️ Habitat
Shaded borders and light woodland, moist humus-rich soil
Riverbanks, ditches, wetlands
⚠️ Toxicity
—
No notable known toxicity.
🔎 And from the Water forget-me-not side
Forget-me-not has small narrow lanceolate leaves, of no interest once flowering is over; Siberian bugloss, sometimes nicknamed "giant forget-me-not", has very similar flowers but broad heart-shaped leaves, often variegated, which stay decorative all season.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.