Forget Me Not Flowers: Identity, Philosophy and Tips

Forget me not is a type of charming grower that is remarkable as an ornamental flower, especially in Europe and USA.

However, you can find various species of the plants almost all over the world.

Apart from their beauty, these Scorpion grasses also have a deep philosophy. It is related to the legend about love associated with them.

Here are some things you should know about this flower.

Contents

Scientific Explanation

Forget me not any of several dozen species of the plant genus Myosotis (family Boraginaceae), native to temperate Eurasia and North America and to mountains of the Old World tropics. — Forget Me Not Flower

Forget me not (Myosotis scorpioides) is part of the Boraginaceae family. In some regions, people also call it by the name of Scorpion grasses.

In general, this plant is notable in Europe.

However, you can find it in various regions, such as Papua New Guinea, North America, New Zealand, and South America.

Currently, taxonomists have recorded more than 500 species of this flower. Unfortunately, only about 70s types are included in the official list, while the others are still in doubt.

Most of the official species do grow in western Eurasia.

That is why this flower is still synonymous with Europe. But there are also about 40 species that grow in the New Zealand area.

This flower is easy to grow and does not need special handling. However, it will grow best in a humid location out of direct sunlight.

Physical Appearance

True forget-me-not is a moderately tall, sprawling wildflower that measures approximately 15-60 cm. in height. — Forget Me Not Appearance

Forget me not has five petals blue (sometimes pink) with a yellow center. The flowers themselves are not too large.

Furthermore, the diameter of this plant is not more than 1 cm.

It grows on hairy stems up to 2 feet (approximately 61 cm) in height. The plants also have alternate foliage and diffuse roots.

Because it is a perennial type, it can grow all the time. You can find it growing in creeks or areas with high humidity.

In the wild, it will self-seed and thrive in locations where forget me not seeds fall. The flowering period is around spring or after the snow melts.

Forget Me Not: The Tragic Legend

According to one German legend, while God was naming all the plants, one tiny plant that was still unnamed called out to Him, saying, “Forget me not, O Lord!” In response, God named the plant with the very same words. — History of Forget Me Not

People believe that the name comes from the ancient Greek myosotis, which means mouse ear. It is because people see the similarities between the two.

Scientists later adopted it as the scientific name.

In addition, there are other facts that you also need behind the name forget me not. There was a sad story in society in the 15th century in Germany and underlies the name of this flower.

Version 1

According to German legends, when the Creator was naming all the plants, the flower cried out “Forget-me-not!” and he decreed that that should be its name. — Blue Forget Me Not

The first version reveals that a German knight was walking on the banks of the Danube River with his wife.

At that moment, the wife saw a beautiful flower but was carried away by the river current.

Impressed by her beauty, the wife was determined to take the flower. But the knight prevented her and immediately plunged into the river to fulfill his partner’s wish.

Unfortunately, the current turned out to be so strong that it washed away the knight. Before disappearing, he had thrown the flower over the edge and gave a message to his wife.

“Vergiss mein nicht,” were the words he spoke before vanishing. In English, those words mean forget me not.

Since then, people have called the flower by that name.

Version 2

Knight, who was walking along the riverbank with his true love. He bent over the bank to pick her some posies, but the weight of his armor caused him to fall into the river. As he was drowning in his heavy armor, he threw the posies to his love on the shore, and shouted “Forget-me-not!” — Forget Me Not History

In addition to the story above, another version of the origin of the name forget me not. Some say that the knight threw himself into the river by accident.

At that moment, he wanted to take the flower for his wife. However, due to the weight of the armor, he fell and the current carried him away.

People believe that the words “vergiss mein nicht” spoken by the knight were God’s will. The creator had given the message about the name through the knight’s mouth.

Flower with Various Names and Purposes

Historically, these flowers symbolize remembrance (not much of a surprise there)―not only associated with love, but for those we've lost. Forget-me-nots also symbolize protection and luck, and it's believed that they have the power to protect humans against witches. — Forget Me Not Purpose

The legend about the love story of German knights made forget me not a symbol of loyalty. However, that is not the only symbol of this flower.

Here are some things related to it:

Forget me not symbolizes International Missing Children’s Day.
The name and philosophy of forget me not flower becomes a symbol of the struggle for people with Alzheimer’s (related to memory loss) as well as being an awareness of this disease.
It is a symbol of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.
Several countries, including Newfoundland, use this flower to pay homage to soldiers who died during World War 1.
In 1917, when Alaska was still a territorial area, people used forget me not as an emblem. When this region has become a country, this flower has become a national identity.

This flower turns out to have many meanings and symbols. It is no wonder that its existence is remarkable and an inseparable part of society.

Efficacy

Despite safety concerns, people take forget-me-not for lung problems and nosebleeds. — Forget Me Not Efficacy

Forget me not is not just a flower for symbolization and decoration. People believe that this plant also has a row of benefits for the body.

Therefore, many people are starting to use it as an intake, both in drinks and snacks. Several advantages that you can get are:

Forget me not containing vitamin C to increase endurance and metabolism.
This plant has healthy caffeine content as a coffee substitute.
Vitamin C also brightens the skin and fights premature aging.
People believe that the consumption of forget me not can relieve stress and stretch the nerves.
Later news emerged that this plant is good for high blood pressure, but there has been no intensive research about it.

With a row of benefits above, planting forget me not will be very profitable. In addition to beautifying the page, you can also use it to support a healthy lifestyle.

How to Consume Forget Me Not Plant

If you are sure that no pesticides have been used, they add nice color to salads or even baked goods and make excellent candied blossoms. — Consume Forget Me Not

Nowadays, the simplest way is to consume this plant as tea. You can boil it until being pale and transparent.

Moreover, it has a sweet and grassy taste. Add sugar or honey if you do not like the plain flavor.

Growing the Forget Me Not

Forget-me-nots are easy to grow as long as they have organically enriched soil, regular-to-ample water and partial shade. They prefer moist soil with good drainage in a sunny or shady spot. — Growing Forget Me Not

Before discussing how to plant, you need to understand a good location for growth. As discussed above, this flower likes shady areas and has high humidity.

If you have a shady pond with many overgrown plants, this location is perfect for these growers. You can also plant it around a damp swamp.

Trivia

Forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) has romantic connotations, but it got its botanical name because the leaves reminded botanists of a mouse’s ear. — Trivia About Forget Me Not

This variety is quite adaptable to the environment. If placing the plant under direct sunlight, you should shade it to avoid drying out and dehydrating quickly.

But just because these flowers grow fast in the wild, that does not mean they are easy to grow in the garden.

Consider these things while cultivating it:

Spring becomes the best time to plant. If planted well, it will flower the following season.
This plant takes two years to be mature and start producing forget me not seeds.
Forget me not blooms around May to October every year.
This plant will thrive in media that has a high organic content. Therefore, you can use compost as fertilizer.
The plants will look dead in winter but return to life in the spring.

How to Grow

Forget-me-nots perform best in cool weather and in areas where summers are not excessively hot. — How to Grow Forget Me Not

After learning some facts about its growth, you may want to grow your own in the garden. Try doing the following steps:

Prepare to forget me not seeds, planting media (moist soil), and choose the best location.
First, add organic matter to the growing media, such as compost or other fertilizer, as desired.
Place the seeds in a container and add a thin layer of soil to bury them.
Wait up to 8-14 days before sprouts appear.
After the sprouts appear, you can move them into the pot. Be careful doing this and do not damage the roots.
In addition to using soil, you can also use coconut husks or belts to retain moisture.
Forget me not does not require regular watering. Just do it once a day, but do not let water pool in the pot.

After following those steps correctly, you can wait until they flower in the right season. But remember to do monitoring and care so that they grow well.

Caring Tips

Forget-me-nots do well in shade, but full sun is fine. Water your potted forget-me-nots often enough that the soil stays moist but not soggy, slightly less during the winter. — Caring Forget Me Not

The reason why many people like to plant forget me not flowers is that it is easy to maintain. But this advantage can sometimes also be a problem if you do not take good care of them.

One mistake that often happens is that gardeners let them sow without control. It can allow the plants to grow in unwanted locations.

The not-well-treated forget me not with will spread like a pest and cover the area where the seeds fell. It can make it difficult for you to tidy up.

Thus, planning and monitoring are critical.

In addition, there are several other things that you also need to pay attention to so that your plants remain beautiful and fertile.

Here are some of them:

Prune regularly and remove dead parts to keep them growing healthy.
Even though you like it moist, you need to ensure that the soil or planting media is not too wet to prevent root rot.
If the air is hot or the sunlight is high, do more watering.

Conclusion

Woodland forget-me-nots prefer regular watering; water them when the top two to three inches of the soil feels dry. — Forget Me Not Care Tips

That’s some information about forget me not that you need to know. This flower is remarkable in various regions because of its beautiful appearance.

It also contains impressive stories and philosophers. People also believe that forget me not also has several benefits for health and beauty. Are you ready to plant it?