In early May we noticed lots of wild forget-me-nots were growing in our meadow.
On closer inspection we have identified them as both Myosotis stricta and Myosotis discolor. They are very similar, only M. discolor, or Changing Forget-me-not, has both blue and creamy yellow flowers. Quite a suprise to me when I first realized!
The tiny flowers (incredibly difficult to photograph in the sunshine!) are even smaller than woodland forget-me-nots or the ones that grow in gardens. I actually picked some to get a closer look…
The stems are upright and long, and continue growing to produce more and more flowers.
They have been going strong for several weeks now in the open meadow, and every time it rains more open. I have read that they like sandy well-drained soil, which is obviously why they have spread here. I think they might be overlooked from a distance, but on our sloping meadow they do form a definite cluster of blue.
There are wild forget-me-nots in the woods too, more like the garden varieties. Have you ever found any sort of wild forget-me-nots?
Do join me on a Wednesday if you would like to share a wild flower or weed that grows in your garden or nearby. And remember to leave a link below. 😃
Have a wonderful week!
Words and Herbs 
So pretty. I’ve never noticed them, but thank you, I will be on the look out now.
Hope you find some! 😃
Aren’t they pretty? Never seen any here. I have speedwell in my garden, another very tiny, but actually very pretty flower. But you have to get real close.
I initially thought it was speedwell, which we also have. I think the flowers are possibly even smaller than speedwell. At least as small at any rate.
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I shall have to look more closely, these all seem new to me.
I have an app for local wild flowers and it is fun finding new plants and being able to identiy them. 😃
They are such pretty little flowers. I have seen them in the Northeast, but not in Texas.
I agree – very pretty and with true blue petals. 😃
That’s a lovely discovery! Forget-me-nots are on the long list of plants that don’t grow in my climate. The closest I’ve got is Anchusa capensis aka the Cape forget-me-not. There is a tiny weed plant with even tinier blue flowers popping up in my garden, which might be Veronica arvensis (aka corn speedwell) – the plants are so small I can’t get a good photo of them, much less the flower.
We have that veronica too and I do think the flowers are even smaller than these forget-me-nots. I have also grown some kind of Anchusa – another lovely blue plant, but I haven’t seen it in the wild.
It seems all forms of Myosotis self-sow prolifically and, being non-native here, are considered invasive. I have the garden variety M. sylvatica in white and blue. Though pretty, it is a challenge to maintain in just one area! And along our streams and river M. scorpiodes is esp. invasive. I grew up loving it, one of the first flowers I was allowed to pick with abandon!
It was always a joke in my family as my sister scattered a packet of seeds when we were young and my Mum was still pulling up forget-me-nots after my sister had left home and got her own garden! 🤣
I remember you writing that your mother abhors them! 🙂
They are so pretty! I think the only wild flowers we see here are dandelions, but I’d love to see wild forget-me-nots. I have a packet of seeds in my stash to grow though. 😊
Once sown never forgotten! I have them all over my garden now and if they get too much Injust pull them up. 😉
An interesting post Cathy. We have something that looks forget-me-not like that has come uninvited into the garden and is most profficient at self-seeding. It isn’t as pretty as your flowers though and doesn’t have the creamy yellow hues. I have taken a photograph and must investigate further.
It’s surprising how many wild flowers are blue, and yet when looking for well-behaved ones the choice gets smaller! 😉
What a cool surprise.
I have to look every time I walk that way to check if they are still bicolour!
What a surprise, I envy the meadow – especially during spring.
Yes, with all the rain we have had the meadow is very pretty this year.
Oh, so pretty in the vase…beautiful little blooms, and what a fun surprise!
It really was a nice surprise as I had no idea there are two-tone forget-me-nots!
I can’t believe how very tiny the flowers are. Nature is so interesting in how it spreads its beauty when least expected.
And we are seeing different flowers each year. It is fascinating the way seed spreads from afar.