true forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides · Boraginaceae
true forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 3 and warmer, down to about -33°F.
⚠ Invasive or noxious status. USDA lists this plant with an invasive or noxious weed status somewhere in its range. Check your state's noxious weed list before planting it — in some states it is illegal to sell or plant.
Both flags are quoted from USDA PLANTS, not inferred.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 1.5 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | April–May USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 3 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It tolerates saturated, poorly drained ground well (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance high). It is recorded on soils from pH 5.5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 3.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1.5 ft, making it about knee height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of April through May. Flowers are blue.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 24 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 130 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 8 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, container stock and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a rapid rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- velvet bentgrass Agrostis canina
- American water plantain Alisma subcordatum
- kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- golden sedge Carex aurea
- white marsh marigold Caltha leptosepala
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol MYSC, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Invasive status, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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