Forget-Me-Not Meaning

Just as the name implies, forget-me-nots mean remembrance. 

It can mean the remembrance of good memories like when two people are together as a couple.  It also signifies true love.

Based on Christian lore, the story about forget-me-nots is that God was walking in the Garden of Eden.  He saw a blue flower and asked it its name.  The flower was a shy flower and whispered that he had forgotten his name.  God renamed the flower as forget-me-not saying that He will not forget the flower.

As a story for lovers, forget-me-nots were first mentioned in a legend of a man and his sweetheart who were walking beside the River Danube.  They saw the beautiful blue flowers that this plant had growing on an islet in the middle of the river.  The man leapt into the water to get the blue flowers for his love.  Although the current was strong, the man crossed the river safely and got the flowers.  However, on his trip back to his sweetheart, he was swept away in the rapids. 

Before he completely disappeared, he threw the bouquet of forget-me-nots to his love and shouted forget-me-not.  She wore these flowers on her hair until the day she died and never forgot about him.

Another story talks about a traveler who sees a flower he’s never seen before.  When he picked the flower up, the mountain opened up into a cavern full of treasures.  In his surprise, he dropped the flower which said forget-me-not.  The mountain closed and the treasure was lost forever.

• Name:  Forget-Me-Not
• Color:  Forget-me-not flowers have a wide variety of species. That means that their colors can also vary.  However, the most common colors that these blossoms can have are blue and white.
• Shape:  Having five bright blue petals, forget-me-nots take the shape of a star. Taking each of the petals on their own, they’re shaped like mouse ears.
• Fact:  Forget-me-nots are also known by the name myosotis. It’s a Greek derivative that means mouse’s ear.
• Poisonous:  Also known as scorpion grass, forget-me-nots are poisonous.  If people consumed this plant for long periods of time, it can cause liver cancer.
• Number of Petals:  The forget-me-not has five petals.
• Victorian Interpretation:  Based mostly on its name, the forget-me-not signifies true love in the Victorian age.  It also relates to good memories, memories that you wouldn’t want to forget.
• Blossom Time:  Springtime is the time for forget-me-nots to bloom.  They can start out as early as the beginning of the season but many produce beautiful blue flowers in the late spring to summer.

Superstitions: 

The flowers of forget-me-nots almost always have a story that relates to love.  Mainly, if couples wore the forget-me-not as a garland, they would never be forgotten by their lovers.  

• The Shape:  The forget-me-not is shaped like a star with delicately curved edges.
• Petals:  The forget-me-not has five petals all in all.  That’s why these blossoms look like stars.  It’s a different story when you’re only looking at one petal.  The petals of forget-me-nots look like mouse ears.
• Numerology:  Forget-me-nots are characterized by expression, verbalization and also the joy of living.  This is represented by the number 3.
• Color:  The most common shade that forget-me-nots can have is blue.  There are also white varieties as well as species of forget-me-nots that have flowers with other colors.

Herbalism and Medicine:  

Forget-me-nots are medicinal plants.  Its parts like the roots, the leaves, and the flowers are used to make treatments for nose bleeds and respiratory disorders.  These are unproven uses for this poisonous plant.  Forget-me-nots should never be taken internally.  Its extract is for topical use.