Scientific Name
Myosotis alpestris F.W.Schmidt
Common Name(s)
Alpine Forget-me-not
Synonym(s)
Myosotis imitata, Myosotis sylvatica var. alpestris, Myosotis sylvatica subsp. alpestris
Scientific Classification
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Boraginoideae
Genus: Myosotis
Flower
Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Spring and early summer
Description
Myosotis alpestris is a hardy biennial or short-lived perennial with mid-green lance-shaped leaves and bright blue flowers with yellow centers. The flowers are produced over a long period during spring and early summer. This species is the county flower of Westmorland in the United Kingdom and the state flower of Alaska.
Hardiness
USDA Hardiness Zone 4a to 8b: from −30 °F (−34.4 °C) to 20 °F (−6.7 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Place Forget-Me-Not in a south or east-facing window where they receive full or partial sunlight.
Water the soil deeply when its top 3 inches (7.5 cm) feels dry to your touch, watering until the water drips through the bottom of the pots. Don't allow the plants to stand in water. Reduce watering to about once or twice each month in winter while the plants are dormant. Resume regular watering in spring.
Remove the plants' spent, or old, flowers, at their stems, pinching them off with your fingernails. Then, throw away the removed flowers. Removing spent flowers encourages new blooms to form.
Fertilize the Forget-Me-Not once each month only if their leaves appear wilted or yellow or the plants grow very slowly during spring or summer. Mix 1 teaspoon of 5-10-10, water-soluble fertilizer with 1 gallon of water, and use the mixture to fertilize the plants in place of one watering session, applying only the amount you usually would use to water the plants. Don't fertilize during winter while the plants are dormant.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Forget-Me-Not Plants.
Origin
This species is native to North America.
Links
- Back to genus Myosotis
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
Photo Gallery
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