Position

Sun exposure:
Dappled shade, full sun
Aspect:
South facing, west facing

Soil

Acidic / Boggy / Chalky / Alkaline / Clay / Heavy / Moist

Water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is a great choice for growing at the edge of the pond, especially if you want to encourage wildlife to your garden. Bees and hoverflies visit the flowers and, in spring, female newts use the leaves of water forget-me-not to encase their fertilised eggs. It also provides shelter for aquatic larvae such as tadpoles, so is an excellent marginal plant to grow for wildlife.

Blue forget-me-not flowers complement fresh green leaves, from May to July.

Unlike garden forget-me-nots, which tend to be biennial, water forget-me-not is reliably perennial and gradually expands, without being invasive, into large clumps that benefit from division every few years. It has various slightly different forms depending on whether it grows below or above the water line. It's an essential ingredient of plantings in natural ponds, or at the waterside to hide the edge of the liner and soften the outline, and is equally happy planted in a basket or direct in the soil in shallow water.

Grow Myosotis scorpioides in aquatic compost in water no deeper than 10cm, in full sun to partial shade. Cut back plants after flowering.

Plant calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Plantyesyes
Flowersyesyesyes
Divideyesyesyes

Myosotis and wildlife

Myosotis is known for attracting bees. It provides shelter and habitat.

Is known to attract Bees
Bees
Is not known to attract Beneficial insects
Beneficial insects
Is not known to attract Birds
Birds
Is not known to attract Butterflies/​Moths
Butterflies/​Moths
Is not known to attract Other pollinators
Other pollinators

Is Myosotis poisonous?

Myosotis has no toxic effects reported.

No reported toxicity to:
Is not known to attract Birds
Birds
Is not known to attract Cats
Cats
Is not known to attract Dogs
Dogs
Is not known to attract Horses
Horses
Is not known to attract Livestock
Livestock
Is not known to attract People
People
Plants that go well with Myosotis scorpioides
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