- The Forget-Me-Not flower is a favorite wild
flower of many; however, this small, blue
flower has been a symbol of both love and hope, adopted by many organizations.
- There are about fifty species of the Forget-Me-Not flower, a member of the Boraginaceae plant family; however, the most common species of Forget-Me-Not is that of Myosotis sylvatica, the wood Forget-Me-Not. Myosotis sylvatica has small, blue flowers with yellow centers and grows to a height of no greater than one foot.
- The wood Forget-Me-Not is a perennial plant, flowering usually in the Spring. It is a wild flower which grows in shady, damp areas such as woodlands and stream beds; the wood Forget-Me-Not is found in Europe, Asia and North America, although other species of Forget-Me-Not (primarily the Myosotis species) are found in New Zealand.
-THE LEGEND OF THE FORGET-ME-NOT -
There are many myths and legends attached to
the naming of the Forget-Me-Not flower; a
German legend refers to the small, yet unnamed
plant who cried out to God, “Forget me not,
Lord!”. However, the most romantic legend as to how the Forget-Me-Not gained its name is a
medieval legend.
- A knight was said to be choosing some flowers for his sweetheart, who was walking with him, when he fell into the river, due to the weight of his armor; the knight is said to have thrown the blue flowers to his sweetheart on the river bank crying, "Forget-Me-Not".
– A SYMBOL OF LOVE -
In the Victorian language of flowers, the
Forget-Me-Not flower was interpreted as meaning faithful or true love; the Forget-Me-Not was also exchanged between Lady Chatterley and her lover in D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. It is also said that in 15th century Germany, the Forget-Me-Not was worn by one lover in recognition of not forgetting the other.
– A SYMBOL OF REMEMBRANCE -
The Forget-Me-Not has been used as a symbol of
remembrance for those who have suffered or have been lost in war; in Newfoundland, Canada, Forget-Me-Not flowers are worn on July 1 each year in memory of those who died in World War I. The Forget-Me-Not is also worn as a Masonic symbol in recognition of those who have suffered in the name of Freemasonry,
particularly during the Nazi regime of World
War II.
– A SYMBOL OF NORTH AMERICA -
The Forget-Me-Not is a symbol of Alaska, as it
is the state flower. The Forget-Me-Not flower
has also been adopted as a symbol for Canada's
Alzheimer Society; Alzheimer's disease is the
progressive mental deterioration of the brain,
hence the Forget-Me-Not symbol of memory loss.
- (Retrieved 3/22/2010 - The Symbol of the Forget-Me-Not Flower -The Use of a Small, Blue Flower as a Sign of Love and Hope
- article by -Sharon Falsetto
- Dec 17, 2008 - http://plant-species.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_symbol_of_the_forgetmenot_flower)