A pale variant
The wild forget-me-not is blue, but gardeners also grow white forms of Myosotis sylvatica. These are cultivars selected for clean white petals that glow in shade. They behave exactly like the blue ones, forming a low mound and flowering from late winter to spring, around August to November in Australia.
A calmer shade of remembrance
Searches for the meaning of white forget-me-nots point back to the same idea as the blue flower. The old meaning of the flower is remembrance and constancy in love; the white form leans toward peace and innocence. This makes them suitable for memorial plantings, weddings in a woodland style and gentle gifts.
Forget-me-not flower Australia
If you wonder whether the plant belongs in an Australian garden, the answer is that it is a European species grown in cooler places. Some Myosotis species are native to Australia, but the garden type comes from Europe. Gardeners in Tasmania, Victoria and the cooler tablelands grow it easily.
Growing white forget-me-nots the Australian way
- Sow seed in late summer or autumn, scattering lightly.
- Choose part shade and moisture-holding soil.
- Do not let the soil dry out in spring.
- Allow some plants to set seed if you want them to return.
White forms may not come true from seed, so a few blue plants can reappear in the next generation. Rogue out unwanted colours early.
White forget-me-nots look elegant under white tulips, hellebores or camellia shrubs.
They are not known as a toxic plant, but pets should not be left to chew garden plants.
