Myosotis scorpioides - Water Forget-me-not

Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: insertae sedis - Family: Boraginaceae

Description

The buds of this creeping marsh perennial turn from pink through sky blue to almost white as the blossoms develop.

Distribution

This plant is widespread and common throughout Britain and Ireland as well as many other parts of Europe.

Blooming times

Water Forget-me-not produces flowers from June to September in Britain and Ireland.

Habitat

A wildflower of wetlands and shallow waterbodies on either acid or alkaline soils, the colour of the Water Forget-me-not is largely determined by the acidity of its environment.

The plants shown above were seen beside the River Teifi in West Wales in July.

Similar species

There are several closely related species that share the same common name.

Other Myosotis species

In Europe, Asia, Australia and North America there are several dozen accepted species in the Myosotis genus, many of which occur in Britain and Ireland.

Bees and Forget-me-nots

Honey Bees collect pollen from Forget-me-not flowers as the picture below, kindly contributed by Diane Jones, demonstrates.