Leaf
Alain Bigou, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Water forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides L.
Also known as: True forget-me-not, Marsh forget-me-not
Family: Boraginaceae
20 to 40 cm tall
Riverbanks, ditches, wetlands
Flowering: May – August
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The flower cluster is coiled like a crozier and unrolls as flowering progresses. 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.
🍃 Leaves
Alternate, lanceolate, slightly hairy
🌸 Flowers
Small, sky blue with a yellow centre, in a raceme coiled like a crozier
🍎 Fruits
Small glossy black achenes
🪵 Bark
Upright to creeping herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, temperate Asia; common in wetlands, riverbanks and ditches in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small blue flowers with a yellow centre, nectar-bearing, visited by bees and hoverflies.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Pond edges, damp borders, naturalistic gardens; long blue flowering period from spring to summer.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Water forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides
Siberian bugloss
Brunnera macrophylla
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.
🌿 Other Boraginaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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