Size Matters

Day 270: Just to be sure we're all on the same page here: Washington has two native forget-me-nots and at least six introductions from Europe/Eurasia. One of our two natives grows only in moist places, and although its common name ("Small Forget-me-not")suggests that it is smaller than its European cousins, the flower is close to the same size. Our other native (above) better deserves the name "Small," but that is not its designation. Myosotis verna is truly tiny. It is called simply "Early Forget-me-not" or "Spring Forget-me-not," or by either adjective followed by "Scorpion-grass." This mini-Myosotis is weedy in habit, growing in moist or dry waste soils, its wiry stems remarkably tough despite their small diameter. Like other Myosotis species, its seed capsules are small burrs which attach readily to socks and bootlaces as well as animal fur. Native or not, after you've picked a few hundred of them off your clothing, you'll be inclined to call this forget-me-not a weed.

Forget-me-not When Pulling Weeds

Day 240: No matter how cute or pretty you think they might be, the fact is that three-quarters of the eight species of Myosotis found in Washington are non-native. In fact, the two native species both have much smaller flowers than the Forget-me-nots familiar to most of us. The six offenders are subtle and sneaky invaders. You might be tempted to leave a few in your garden beds for colour, not noticing that after the blooms have disappeared, tiny burrs stick to your socks and bootlaces when you brush against the stems. These "hitchhikers" detach as the barbs dry out and become brittle, dropping at their leisure to create new settlements for their kind. Forget not the Forget-me-nots when you're pulling weeds, and be sure to bag them because the seeds can mature even after the plant is uprooted.