Growing Forget-Me-Not: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
This is the plant most people mean by forget-me-not: Myosotis sylvatica, small, blue, and gone by midsummer.
Not the same as our other forget-me-not
This site also covers Cynoglossum, which is sold as Chinese forget-me-not and is a different genus entirely. That naming overlap is why this one went missing for so long. If you bought a packet labelled simply “forget-me-not”, it is almost certainly this one.
A spring plant, and only a spring plant
NC State Extension puts bloom in April and May, with occasional sporadic flowering into midsummer. It fades as the heat arrives and looks tired well before autumn. Plan what takes over that square, because it will be empty by July.
It runs 6 to 12 inches tall and about as wide, in full sun to partial shade, and it is one of the better options for a bed edge that only gets morning light.
It will move itself around
Forget-me-not self-sows freely and reliably. Plant it once and it turns up the following spring in paths, in the gaps between other plants, and in squares you had other plans for. Most people treat that as the appeal. If you would rather it stayed put, pull the plants as they brown rather than letting them scatter.
Seed needs light, so surface sow it and do not cover, and sow it in autumn or very early spring rather than after the frost date.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Myosotis sylvatica.
Companion planting guide for Forget-Me-Not · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-8. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Mature height: 0.5-1 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant forget-me-not, by zone
Every zone forget-me-not grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 16–May 23 | Jul 25–Aug 1 |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | May 1–May 8 | Jul 10–Jul 17 |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | Apr 26–May 3 | Jul 5–Jul 12 |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Apr 11–Apr 18 | Jun 20–Jun 27 |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Mar 27–Apr 3 | Jun 5–Jun 12 |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Mar 11–Mar 18 | May 20–May 27 |
Bloom dates are about 70 days after the sow or plant-out date.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Forget-Me-Not plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.
Where to buy forget-me-not seeds
Botanical Interests (each supplier's forget-me-not seeds)
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing forget-me-not" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Forget-Me-Not: The true forget-me-not, a spring flower that finishes with the heat and reseeds itself everywhere.
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