Myosotis alpestris - Alpine Forget-Me-Not

Family:	Boraginaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.2
Width:	0.3
Synonyms:	M. rupicola.
Range:	Britain, Europe, W. Asia and N. America.

Myosotis alpestris (Alpine Forget-Me-Not) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.2m and a width of 0.3m . It has a hardness rating of 4.
Alpine Forget-Me-Not will flower in January to March. the seeds ripen from January to March
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Alpine Forget-Me-Not will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Alpine Forget-Me-Not prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Alpine Forget-Me-Not can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Rare and local in Britain, growing in damp woodlands and meadows, usually on basic rock formations[17, 200].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained gritty soil[245]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[187]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233]. The flowers are deliciously fragrant in the evening and night time though there is little or no scent in the daytime[245].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
The whole plant is astringent and ophthalmic[7]. Used as a lotion, it is an excellent remedy for many eye diseases[7]. It is also ground into a powder and applied externally to wounds, at one time the leaf juice was used to stop nose bleeds[7]. The plant is harvested in May and can be dried for later use[7].

• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.

Propagation

Seed - sow outdoors in situ in late spring or early summer. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. Division in spring[111]. Large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of young shoots, summer in a shady border[111].

Scented parts of the plants

Flowers : Fresh

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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