Forget-me-not is a group of plants that are known for their light blue flowers. Many forget-me-nots are European varieties that are grown as garden flowers. These forget-me-nots have hairy stems and soft, hairy leaves. The small flowers are light blue with yellow centers and grow in clusters. Several kinds of forget-me-nots have white or pink flowers. Almost all kinds have pink flower buds. Forget-me-nots grow wild or as garden flowers in temperate regions, where there are hot summers and cool or cold winters.
Most forget-me-nots grow best in shady, moist places. The most popular kinds are perennials, which means they live for more than one growing season. Gardeners grow them by breaking up clumps of existing plants and transplanting them. Several common varieties are annuals that live only one growing season. They are grown from seed and bloom in autumn.
The forget-me-not is a symbol of friendship and of true love. The flower appears in many legends. In German legend, forget me not were the last words a lover spoke before he drowned trying to get the flower for his sweetheart. According to another legend, all the plants and animals shrank away from Adam and Eve when the two were expelled from the Garden of Eden, except for one tiny blue flower that said, “Forget me not!”
