Is this plant invasive?

It can be aggressive in some gardens due to prolific self-seeding.

Does it need full sun?

It prefers full sun to partial shade.

Plant guide

Field forget-me-not.

Myosotis arvensis

Pronounced my-oh-SO-tis ar-VEN-sis

Also known as Common Forget-Me-Not, Field Forget-me-not, field scorpion-grass, forget-me-not

Myosotis arvensis — Photo by Peter de Lange (CC BY) via gbif

The field forget-me-not is a charming little plant that often pops up in gardens and meadows. It produces tiny, sky-blue flowers that add a soft touch to any landscape. You'll find it's quite resilient and often reseeds itself freely.

Another photo of Field forget-me-not — Photo by Lesley Marrion-Cole (CC BY) via iNaturalist

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual or biennial herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches
Growth rate: Medium
Hardiness: USDA 3 to 9
Bloom time: Late spring to early autumn

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged to help this plant thrive. Watch for wilting during dry spells, as it prefers cooler, damp conditions. Deadhead spent blooms if you want to prevent it from spreading too aggressively throughout your garden.

Watering: Water whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer sparingly during the active growing season.
Pruning: Trim back faded flower stalks to encourage a tidy appearance and limit self-seeding.
Repotting: If grown in containers, move to a slightly larger pot once roots fill the current space.
Soil: Well-draining, fertile soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic
Temperature: -20 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%

Safety

People: There is no significant evidence of human toxicity, but it is not intended for consumption.
Children: The small seeds and foliage pose a minor choking hazard if ingested by small children.
Contact allergens: The foliage can be slightly hairy, which may cause minor skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: Pollen may cause mild reactions in those with severe seasonal allergies.
Edibility: This plant is not considered edible and should not be consumed.

How to identify it

Tiny five-petaled sky-blue flowers
Hairy stems and leaves
Small lance-shaped basal leaves
Flowers arranged in coiled racemes

Height: 0.1 to 0.4m
Spread: 0.15 to 0.3m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: blue, 0.3 to 0.5cm

Problems to watch for

Powdery mildew · A white fungal growth appears on leaves during periods of high humidity and poor airflow.

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, autumn

Plant in drifts with other low-growing meadow flowers to create a naturalistic look.

Grows well with

Red Clover · They share similar meadow habitat requirements.
Common Daisy · They create a charming, low-growing carpet effect.

Similar species

Wood Forget-me-not · It is a larger, more shade-tolerant relative.

Science

Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Myosotis
Order: Boraginales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
Conservation: It is a common and widespread species, not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soils and open fields, acting as a colonizer in early successional habitats.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: wildflower meadows, pollinator gardens, naturalizing

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 1/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 6/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is this plant invasive?: It can be aggressive in some gardens due to prolific self-seeding.
Does it need full sun?: It prefers full sun to partial shade.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Myosotis comes from Greek meaning mouse ear, referring to the leaf shape, while arvensis means of the field.

Good to know

It is often called field forget-me-not.
It readily self-seeds in garden beds.
The flowers are much smaller than the popular garden forget-me-not.

Keep your field forget-me-not growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on October 19, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.