Myosotis alpestris F.W.Schmidt
Alpine Forget-Me-Not
The alpine forget-me-not is a low, tufted perennial of the borage family, forming neat clumps of softly hairy leaves topped by clusters of clear sky-blue flowers, each with a small yellow eye. It is a genuine British native, though one of our rarest, clinging on in just a handful of mountain sites: limestone grassland in the northern Pennines around Teesdale and high rocky ground near Ben Lawers in the Scottish Highlands.
About
The alpine forget-me-not is a low, tufted perennial of the borage family, forming neat clumps of softly hairy leaves topped by clusters of clear sky-blue flowers, each with a small yellow eye. It is a genuine British native, though one of our rarest, clinging on in just a handful of mountain sites: limestone grassland in the northern Pennines around Teesdale and high rocky ground near Ben Lawers in the Scottish Highlands. It is the county flower of Westmorland.
In the wild it favours cool, well-drained slopes on neutral to lime-rich soils, where grazing keeps it dwarfed among short turf. Flowering through summer, roughly from July into early autumn, its blooms draw bees and other small pollinators. Rarely more than 20cm tall, it is well suited to rock gardens, troughs and alpine plantings, and offers a way to grow a scarce native that struggles to compete in lusher lowland conditions.
Synonyms
Myosotis alpestris stenophylla · Myosotis sylvatica alpestris
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.