You can grow forget-me-nots as annuals, biennials or perennials. How many years a plant lasts depends on the variety and care. The most commonly planted varieties of forest forget-me-nots are biennials.
Are forget-me-nots perennial?
Forget-me-nots are annual, biennial or perennial, depending on the variety. The biennial forest forget-me-nots are the most common, while the perennial swamp forget-me-nots grow in wetland habitats. Perennial species require little care and no winter protection, except for freshly planted young plants.
Keep forget-me-nots as an annual
Forget-me-nots in balcony boxes are almost exclusively grown as annuals. You can buy them early, care for them in a box and then pull them out and throw them away after they have bloomed.
Basically, these are also biennial plants, because forget-me-nots are sown in the first year and grown early. They only bloom in the second year. The difference is that the gardener does the pulling.
Pulling two-year-old forget-me-nots
Most forget-me-not plants are cared for as biennials. The majority of these are varieties of the forest forget-me-not, which grows every two years. In the first year, sow plants or propagate existing forget-me-not plants from cuttings or root division.
The flowering period begins the following year from April and lasts until the end of May and the beginning of June.
If you do not cut the plants or pull them out of the bed after the flowering period, seeds will develop through which the forget-me-not will sow itself.
As a perennial, forget-me-not is perennial
Some forget-me-not species are perennial. The best known is the swamp forget-me-not, which is planted at the edge of ponds or in wet biotopes.
Care for forget-me-nots for several years
- Water when dry
- do not fertilize
- Pruning only to prevent self-seeding
- no winter protection required
The perennials require almost no care. You just have to make sure that the soil never dries out completely. You should not fertilize forget-me-nots in the garden as this promotes the development of fungal diseases.
You only need to cut back the perennials if you want to prevent self-seeding or fungal diseases.
Forget-me-not is a hardy plant. As a perennial in the garden, it does not need winter protection. Only freshly planted young plants should be covered with leaves or brushwood to protect them from frost.
Tip
The earlier you sow forget-me-nots in the first year, the earlier the flowers will bloom the following year. If the weather is good, the first flowers appear in April. If you sow late, you will have to wait until May or even the beginning of June for the flowering period.
