Forget-me-nots have been among the most popular spring flowers for decades and have secured a permanent place in German gardens due to their intense colour. Sowing the borage plant does not require much work and a year later you can look forward to the flowers, which shine in shades of blue, purple and yellow. Since Myosotis has several species, the flowering time and the possible timing differ significantly from each other.
heyday
The heyday of myosotis is a bit harder to define as there are 13 species in total native to Germany and Central Europe. These each have their own period of time in which they bloom. If these are combined, the time frame for flowering is April to mid-October, although the individual species do not all flower completely during this time. In addition, some points can strongly influence the period of flowering.
Forget-me-not, Myosotis
1. Sowing
The sowing is decisive for the timing of the flowers. myosotis must be sown in good time in the previous year so that the seeds can sprout early enough. For this reason, sowing should never be planted later than mid-August. It is possible to sow the seeds directly into the ground in trays from May, when there is no longer any danger of frost, or starting from June. The following applies here: the earlier you sow, the faster "Forget-me-not" will bloom the following year. The later, the longer the plant needs until the characteristic flowers present themselves.
2. Weather
As with many other flowers, weather and temperature have a strong impact on flowering time. The seeds only germinate from a temperature of 18°C and if this temperature is not reached or is interrupted, for example, by the ice saints in May, you will have to be patient for a while. Since many Myosotis species often have a second bloom a year, bad weather over the summer can affect them as well.
3. Mistakes in planting
Despite their small size, the flowers need enough space for their roots to sprout. If they are not given enough space after planting, the flowering power will suffer and you will have to wait a long time for the blue flowers.
The cut can also affect the bloom. Perennial forget-me-nots should be cut back after flowering if you do not wish to seed. With the right pruning, the plants are more floriferous and even bloom earlier. If the weather, pruning and sowing all come together ideally, you can look forward to early flowering in March of the following year.
Forget-me-not, Myosotis
Tip: If you decide to seed, the flowering period will not change. However, self-seeding will not flower satisfactorily and you will get better results by shaking out the faded inflorescences.
time of flowering
The above time frame of possible flowering applies to all species that occur in Central Europe and can easily be planted in a German garden. Since the biodiversity is not so large, the individual taxa can be examined more closely in order to be able to determine the direct time of flowering. Of the species below, the forest forget-me-not and field forget-me-not are the most common in domestic gardens. The other types can usually only be purchased from specialized dealers. The Bodensee forget-me-not, for example, is an endemic species that, as the name suggests, occurs on Lake Constance and is endangered. The individual flowering times are listed below.
forget-me-not species
Forest forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis sylvatica)
- flowers from May to July in good weather, otherwise only from May to early June
Forest forget-me-not, Myosotis sylvatica
Alpine forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis alpestris)
- blooms from early June to mid or late July
Forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis arvensis)
- blooms as early as the end of April and lasts until October
Forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis laxa)
- blooms from late April to mid-June
Swamp forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis scorpioides)
- blooms from late May to September
Prostrate Forget-Me-Not (bot. Myosotis decumbens)
- blooms from early June to mid or late August
Colorful forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis discolor)
- blooms from mid-April to June, more rarely at the end of June
Forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis nemorosa)
- blooms from early May to late August
Hill forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis ramosissima)
- blooms from April to mid-June
Lake Constance forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis rehsteineri)
- In direct comparison, flowers for a very short time from mid-April to the end of May
Scattered Forget-Me-Not (bot. Myosotis sparsiflora)
- blooms from mid-April to mid-June
Forget-me-not, Myosotis
Narrow-leaf forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis stenophylla)
- blooms from early June to late July
Sand forget-me-not (bot. Myosotis stricta)
- blooms from early April to June
Tip: The large-leaved Caucasus forget-me-not (bot. Brunnera macrophylla) is not included in this list as it is a species from a different genus. For this reason, it also has a different flowering period.