Myosotis

There are over 150 species of forget-me-not, spread across much of the world. Annuals or perennials with flowers blue, yellow or white, with the typical central ring a different colour. The flowers look reminiscent of Primula but Myosotis is related to Pulmonaria, Omphalodes, Phacelia in the family Boraginaceae.

The numerous small flowers of forget-me-nots are a great attraction to small bees, hoverflies and even butterflies.They are also the food plants for larvae of several moths, from generalists such as setaceous Hebrew character to the amazing tutti-frutti ice-cream delight that is the crimson speckled (just look it up!). A real long shot this one, as it is at present only an occasional migrant to our shores, but it seems to be increasing and with further climate change who knows? Some of the species are rather prone to seeding profusely but they are shallow-rooted and easily removed.