The story of the forget-me-not

The forget-me-not is a perennial with small, sky-blue flowers dancing on spear-shaped foliage, blooming in May and June. Widely grown throughout the world , it grows in rich, moist soil in partial shade along streams, ponds and woodland gardens.

In the language of flowers, the forget-me-not symbolizes true and eternal love. According to a medieval legend, a French knight walked along a river with his lady. He bent down to fetch her a pretty little blue flower, but his heavy armor made him lose his balance and he fell into the current. Before sinking forever, he threw the flower to his lady, shouting ""don't forget me""! And that's how the forget-me-not flower got its name.

Even to this day, the forget-me-not flower remains a powerful symbol of love and remembrance. Alzheimer societies around the world have adopted it as a symbol of memory loss. A forget-me-not invites you to remember people with this disease and their caregivers.

Of the many species of forget-me-nots that grow around the world, some cultivars are edible and dried to make herbal tea. With its delicate sky-blue flowers that turn bright purple when dried, forget-me-not sylvatica is a popular herbal tea in China, Lebanon and elsewhere in the world.