How Long Do Forget-Me-Nots Bloom?

With a cute common name like "forget-me-not" and starry blue flowers, it's no wonder these plants are popular in the garden. They are tolerant and tough plants that shrug off rabbit and deer attacks and reseed themselves vigorously. However, with a little research, you will find that forget-me-nots are not welcome everywhere.

Nothing could be prettier in the garden than the little blue flowers of the forget-me-not (​Myosotis sylvatica).​ Each flower has five periwinkle-blue petals around a yellow eye. They grow in cymes, meaning that one blossom on a central stem is surrounded by additional flowers on branching stems. The plant provides a real burst of color in the backyard. While each flower is less than 1/2 inch in diameter, they grow in abundance. The plant itself grows to 1 foot tall. The leaves are green and hairy.

Technically perennials, they are usually grown as annuals and are allowed to self-seed. They accomplish this with such enthusiasm that the plants have been labeled as invasive in some parts of the Midwest. They are not North American natives; they started out in Europe and Asia, but they have escaped cultivation and naturalized in parts of the country.

Forget-me-nots are easy-care plants that thrive in most of the country. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. The plants prefer moist, well-drained soil and a sunny site. However, they are not terribly picky and seem to grow in partial shade as well.

Anyone who seeks easy-care plants will enjoy adding forget-me-nots to the garden. They make the bees and butterflies happy, accept wet soil, and generally grow happily without asking for any special treatment. Once established, they self-seed aggressively and reappear in the same site the following year. Planting in a container is a good way to avoid more flowers than you want.

Almost everyone who plants forget-me-nots does so for the flowers. They offer two layers of color since the buds appear pink and then open to bright blue petals. If you seed forget-me-nots in midsummer, expect to see those flowers the following spring. Alternatively, start them in the house in late winter to give them a head start on development and allow them to flower the same summer.

Forget-me-nots need sun and moist soil to thrive, so as long as you site them appropriately, they are very likely to bloom. If your summers get extreme heat, you are better off siting them where they get afternoon shade. How long do the flowers last? Count on a month in the April to May part of the year. With a little luck, they'll keep blooming longer and may give it another go later in the summer.