What are the other names for forget-me-not? A list of common aliases

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Forget-me-not is a small light blue flower with five petals and no fragrance. Though ordinary, lovers are willing to tie them into a bouquet and give it to their beloved to express deep love.

Aliases

Forget-me-not, also known as liuli cao, wuwang cao, winged sea lavender, starflower, sea lavender, everlasting flower, spoon-leaf flower, statice, and jigong, is a plant of the genus Myosotis in the family Boraginaceae.

Morphological characteristics

Forget-me-not is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant, with a height of30—60cm. The leaves are simple and alternate, with oblanceolate blades; the lower leaves are petiolate, the upper leaves are sessile; the raceme is terminal, with a length of10—15cm; the calyx is small, with5lobes; the corolla is salverform, with5lobes, blue, pink, or white, with a yellow throat. The flowering period is4-5months, and the nutlets are brownish-green; the fruiting period is5-6months.

Growth habits

Forget-me-not has strong adaptability and prefers a dry, cool climate. It dislikes damp heat, likes light, and is drought-tolerant. The optimum growth temperature is20℃-25°C. It is suitable for growing in loose, fertile, well-drained slightly alkaline soil.

Flower language

The flower language of forget-me-not is eternal love, deep affection and friendship, and an unchanging heart. Forget-me-not is the sentimental soul among flowers. According to legend, in ancient Europe, a knight was touring the seaside with his beloved. His lover saw a bouquet of flowers standing in the water and wanted to pick it to wear. To please her, the knight waded into the water to pick it, but was unexpectedly swept away by the surging tide. Before being carried off, he did not forget to throw the flowers onto the shore and shout to his beloved: "Do not forget me!" Since then, this flower has been named forget-me-not and has become a token of love, deeply cherished by lovers.

Varieties and uses

Complete list of varieties

Algerian type, with orange-yellow flowers, plant height over1m, loose and slender plant form, brilliant flower color, early flowering period, and the longest-lasting flower color.

Deep-lobed leaf type, with purple flowers, plant height nearly1m, compact plant form, with hard and sturdy stems. In addition, there are other color varieties, such as blue, white, orange-red, yellow, peach red, light red, purple-red, and blue-green.

Forget-me-not varieties can also be divided into early-maturing and late-maturing types. Early-maturing varieties include Early Blue, Gold Coast, Blue Pearl, etc. Mid-to-late-maturing varieties include Iceberg, Night Blue, Blue Velvet, etc. Growers should fully understand variety characteristics and market demand in order to choose suitable varieties.

Efficacy and value

Ornamental use: Forget-me-not flowers are small and delicate, with a wide range of colors. Though ordinary, lovers are willing to tie them into a bouquet and give it to their beloved to express deep love. Forget-me-not is often used as a cut flower. At present, what is sold in flower shops is not the real forget-me-not, but sea lavender. Selling sea lavender as forget-me-not is simply to take advantage of its beautiful meaning.

Forget-me-not flower tea: Forget-me-not can be made into flower tea for drinking. It has the effects of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney, beautifying the face, nourishing and enriching the blood, and can promote the body's metabolism, delay cell aging, improve immunity, resist viruses, and prevent and fight cancer. It can be used to treat and support conditions such as blood nourishment and menstrual regulation, beauty and skincare, clearing internal heat and improving eyesight, freckles and acne, low immunity, viral infections, and insufficient blood supply to the heart and brain.