Forget-me-nots

Scientific name: Myosotis (genus)

INTRODUCTION

Known colloquially as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses, the genus Myosotis comes from the Greek word for “mouse’s ear”, referring to the shape of the forget-me-not’s leaf. The flower comes in three colors: pink, pale blue, and white. The picture above likely shows wood or field forget-me-nots.

HABITAT

The majority of Myosotis species bloom in Europe and Asia. Around 35 other species grow in New Zealand. Contrast this with only around 10 species in North America, South America, Africa, New Guinea, and Australia.

INTERESTING FACTS

The state flower of Alaska is the alpine forget-me-not, which grows widely in the state. Dalsland, a southern province of Sweden, is also culturally associated with this baby blue flower.

The forget-me-not is also a symbol of honoring the Armenian genocide. For instance, in the 2015 Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, school children at the Chamlian Armenian School planted 100 forget-me-nots as commemoration.