Cynoglossum amabile (Chinese Forget Me Not) is a flowering plant that is native to China and Bhutan. Chinese Forget Me Not is a hardy annual that can be grown in all climates. Grows quickly and then produces blue flowers for a period of six weeks over the warmer months. Can be grown in pots or planted among the garden bed to attract extra bees. They are closely related to Forget Me Nots but are not as invasive.
Chinese Forget Me Nots have been used in traditional Chinese medicines but modern studies have found that ingesting any part of the plant is toxic to the liver.
Suitable for all climates as an annual or as a perennial or biennial in warmer regions.
This variety is widely grown around the world for their beautiful cut flower. Also known as the Chinese Hound’s Tongue.
Growth
Cynoglossum amabile is an annual or biennial flowering plant that reaches heights of around 50 cm (20 inches). Grown during the warm seasons in colder climates and year round where temperatures won’t fall below 5°C / 41°F. Chinese Forget Me Nots have not yet been recorded as invasive but does is a heavy seeder that often gets spread by wildlife. They are easy to grow once temperatures increase and can be flowering in two months.
Chinese Forget Me Not grows single or multiple stems that are covered in tiny hairs. Leaves are a greyish-green oblong to lanceolate and range from 5-20 cm long (2-8 inches). Flowers are paniculate with five petals that unite at the base to form a tube. In cold and temperate climates flowering occurs for six weeks during late summer and early autumn. While in Sub-tropical and Tropical regions flowering occurs a little longer from late winter through spring. The plant self seeds prolifically and can become invasive in warmer climates.
FAMILY:
Boraginaceae
CLIMATE:
Temperate to Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
5 to 30°C / 41 to 86°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well draining garden soil
LOCATION:
Full sun, part shade in very hot climates.
HEIGHT:
Up to 50 cm’s (20 inches)
WIDTH:
Up to 30 cm’s (12 inches)
pH:
5.5-7.0
GROWTH TYPE:
Annual. or Biennial in warmer climates.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Medium
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by bees and insects.
MATURITY:
Average 8-12 weeks
GERMINATION RATES:
95%
GERMINATION TIME:
5-10 days at 18-21°C (65-70°F)
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 175
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No. Toxic actually.
WEED POTENTIAL:
Yes
FACTS ABOUT CYNOGLOSSUM AMABILE (Chinese Forget Me Not)
Largely unknown in the western world until the mid-20th century, the Chinese Forget Me Not is now a popular spring time ornamental.
The name of the Genus comes from the Greek word kyon meaning dog and glossa meaning a tongue for the leaves. The epithet, amabile comes from the Latin word for lovely.
Chinese Forget Me Not is closely related to Borage and shares many of the same characteristics.
