Garden forget-me-not

Other Names

Förgätmigejforget-me-notgleym mér eiMyosotis alpestrisMyosotis amoenaMyosotis arvensis subsp. sylvaticaMyosotis arvensis var. grandifloraMyosotis campestrisMyosotis cognataMyosotis diplotrichaMyosotis eusilvaticaMyosotis gracilisMyosotis lacteaMyosotis montanaMyosotis myrianthaMyosotis nanaMyosotis nemorosaMyosotis oblongataMyosotis pallensMyosotis palustris var. sylvaticaMyosotis perennis var. sylvaticaMyosotis pyrenaicaMyosotis sylvaticaMyosotis sylvatica Ehrh. ex Hoffm.Myosotis sylvatica f. acaulisMyosotis sylvatica f. lacteaMyosotis sylvatica f. longipetiolataMyosotis sylvatica f. scabraMyosotis sylvatica subsp. cyaneaMyosotis sylvatica subsp. elongataMyosotis sylvatica subsp. eusilvaticaMyosotis sylvatica subsp. pseudovariabilisMyosotis sylvatica subsp. subarvensisMyosotis sylvatica var. carneaMyosotis sylvatica var. firmaMyosotis sylvatica var. humilisMyosotis sylvatica var. lacteaMyosotis sylvatica var. montanaMyosotis sylvatica var. petraeaMyosotis sylvatica var. radicansMyosotis umbrosane m'oubliez pasNezábudkyNiezapominajkano-me-olvidesnon ti scordar di menontiscordardiméPomněnka lesníscorpion grassvergeet-mij-nietjeVergissmeinnichtVictoria BlueWasurenagusawood forget-me-notwoodland forget-me-notНезабудки勿忘草

Synopsis

Garden Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis spp.) as a Dietary Supplement and Natural Ingredient

1. Identity and Botanical Classification

Taxonomy and Common Species

The genus Myosotis (pronounced MY-ə-SOH-tiss) comprises a group of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae, known in the Northern Hemisphere colloquially as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. The genus was originally described by Carl Linnaeus; its type species is Myosotis scorpioides. Several species fall under the common name "garden forget-me-not," the most important of which for medicinal and supplement discussions are:

Myosotis sylvatica Hoffm. — woodland or garden forget-me-not; the species most widely sold as an ornamental and most frequently referenced as a herbal tea ingredient.
Myosotis arvensis (L.) Hill — field forget-me-not or field scorpion-grass; the species most commonly discussed in European folk medicine and the one most frequently studied for pyrrolizidine alkaloid content.
Myosotis scorpioides L. — true forget-me-not or water forget-me-not; the type species for the genus, subject to the landmark 1982 alkaloid study.
Myosotis alpestris F.W.Schmidt — alpine forget-me-not, the official state flower of Alaska.

The genus name Myosotis derives from the Ancient Greek μυοσωτίς, meaning "mouse's ear," which the foliage is thought to resemble. The name "Forget-Me-Not" has medieval German origins. The name comes from the Middle Ages, derived from the German phrase "Vergissmeinnicht," while "sylvatica" refers to its forest habitat.

The plant is sold and referenced under numerous synonyms and common names including: Field Scorpion Grass, Forget Me Not, Herbe d'Amour, Myosotis, Myosotis arvensis, Myosotis des Champs, Ne-m'oubliez-pas, Nomeolvides, and Oreille-de-Souris.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Myosotis arvensis, or field forget-me-not, is a herbaceous annual to short-lived perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, Siberia, the western Himalayas, and northwestern Africa. Field forget-me-not is native to Europe and Asia, and has been widely introduced throughout northern and eastern North America. Myosotis sylvatica is a member of the Boraginaceae family and is native to parts of Europe and Asia, thriving in shaded areas and moist environments, making it a common sight in woodlands and along riverbanks.

Botanical Description

M. arvensis is annual to perennial, erect, growing to 40 centimetres, and patent-hairy (hairs more-or-less at right-angles to the stem). The flowers are grey-blue, 3–5 millimetres across, saucer-shaped in profile, with hooked hairs on the sepal tube. The mature fruits are dark brown, shiny nutlets. Most species of Myosotis have coarse hairs, due to cystoliths — hard mineral deposits of silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate which occur in the epidermal cells. In some species, as they age, a change in color will occur from red to blue due to an increase in anthocyanins.

Common Preparations and Forms

The whole plant is used to make medicine; despite safety concerns, people take forget-me-not primarily for lung problems and nosebleeds. In commerce and ethnobotanical practice, the plant is encountered in several forms:

Dried whole-herb infusions (teas): Forget-me-not can be used to make a mild, soothing tea; the flowers and leaves are steeped in hot water to create a delicate infusion, often used for its mild calming effects.
Aqueous extracts and tinctures: Referenced in preclinical research as the primary extract form administered in animal studies.
Topical preparations (poultices and wound applications): Used as an astringent in poultices for wounds to tighten tissues.
Edible flowers as food garnish: The flowers are the edible part; they may be eaten as a trail snack or used to decorate cupcakes, tossed in a salad, or used as a garnish on a dinner plate.
Dried flowers for herbal tea blending: With its delicate sky-blue flowers that turn bright purple when dried, Myosotis sylvatica is a popular herbal tea in China, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the world.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

European Folk Medicine

Traditionally, field forget-me-not has been used in folk medicine to treat wounds and as a mild astringent. Infusions of the leaves or flowers were occasionally used to soothe inflammation or as a gentle diuretic, though their use in modern herbalism is minimal. Among the indications cited in early herbalist sources are chronic bronchitis, phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis), night-sweats, and cough with profuse muco-purulent expectoration with gagging and vomiting, worsened during or after eating; as well as bronchorrhoea.

This herb is not commonly used in modern herbal medicine; it represents an older stratum of plant-based therapeutics. Historically in Europe, the crushed plant was applied topically: it was historically crushed and applied to small cuts to slow down bleeding in Europe.

Folk medicine recommends M. arvensis in the treatment of malignant tumor of the oral cavity and sex organs, and in tuberculosis.

Use in Homeopathic Materia Medica

Myosotis arvensis has also been incorporated into the homeopathic tradition. A chapter on Myosotis arvensis appears in the Materia Medica of New and Old Homeopathic Medicines, published by Springer (2022). Its presence in this literature reflects the plant's historical place in the broader category of small-dose medicinal botany rather than any validated pharmacological mechanism within that system.

Native American and Indigenous Use

Native American communities found several interesting uses for this delicate spring flower; there are seven species that grow in New England, but only two were used medicinally. Forget-me-nots have long been used for lung problems and to stop nosebleeds; many Indigenous people used the juice from the leaves of Myosotis sylvatica to stop nosebleeds.

Traditional Chinese and Middle Eastern Use

Myosotis sylvatica is a popular herbal tea in China, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the world. Historically, Myosotis species have been used in traditional medicine for various purposes, including treating skin conditions and fevers.

Boraginaceae Family Traditional Context

The Boraginaceae family has more than a 2,000-year history of use (both internally and externally) in traditional medicine, mainly in the regions where its members occur naturally and are commonly available. The forget-me-not species, while less prominent than relatives such as comfrey (Symphytum officinale) or borage (Borago officinalis), share in this broad ethnobotanical heritage. Currently, their ethnopharmacological properties have been partly confirmed by chemical analyses, and interest in these species has increased due to the content of biologically active molecules that can modulate the function and condition of the human organism.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs)

The most pharmacologically and toxicologically significant class of compounds in Myosotis species is the pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). PAs are specialized metabolites produced by various plant families that act as defense compounds against herbivores. PAs are a group of alkaloids derived from ornithine; they rarely occur in the free form, being instead found as esters — mono-, di-, or macrocyclic diesters — formed by a necine base (amino alcohols) and one or more necic acids (mono- or dicarboxylic aliphatic acids), which are responsible for their structural diversity.

Specific PA chemistry documented in Myosotis:

In M. arvensis: In Myosotis arvensis, pyrrolizidine alkaloids are dominated by heliosupine (Hs) and heliosupine N-oxide (HsNO), while intermedine (Im) and intermedine N-oxide (ImNO) are detected at substantially lower levels. This chemotype pattern is consistent with previous reports identifying heliosupine-type alkaloids as characteristic constituents of M. arvensis.
In M. scorpioides: Research has clarified that M. scorpioides accumulates retronecine-core PAs in N-oxide form in all organs, including flowers. The compound scorpioidine — a PA unique to Myosotis scorpioides — has been characterized in the literature. Scorpioidine is a PA of Myosotis scorpioides.
In M. scorpioides and M. sylvatica: Studies on M. scorpioides and M. sylvatica, conducted in the United States about forty years ago, indicate that species within this genus can contain both PA monoesters and diesters.

Two M. scorpioides genes encoding homospermidine synthase (HSS), a key enzyme in the PA biosynthetic pathway, have been identified, and these genes are expressed in all organs where PAs are produced.

The biosynthesis of PAs occurs in the roots, where they are formed as PA N-oxides (PANO); afterwards, due to their high solubility in water, they are easily transported to the aerial parts and stored in cell vacuoles.

Essential Oil Constituents

Essential oils were obtained from Myosotis arvensis and M. palustris by hydrodistillation and subsequently analyzed by GC–MS; fifteen components in M. arvensis and twenty-one in M. palustris, representing 89.63% and 93.19% of the total oils respectively, were identified.

The 3-methyl-benzaldehyde was found to be the major constituent of both tested oils (42.76% in M. arvensis and 45.80% in M. palustris). Additionally, methyl salicylate was a characteristic compound for M. arvensis, and α-bisabolol oxide B for M. palustris.

For M. sylvatica, a 2026 study examined the flower's volatile composition: GC–MS analysis identified 13 volatile compounds, with thymol (37.14%) and carvacrol (10.75%) as dominant constituents.

Phenolic Acids, Flavonoids, and Related Polyphenols

As members of the Boraginaceae family, forget-me-not species share a broad polyphenolic chemistry with their relatives. The main classes of valuable compounds associated with Boraginaceae taxa are fatty acids including γ-linolenic acid, essential oils, phenolic acids (e.g., rosmarinic acid), flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and saponins. The therapeutic effect is mainly related to biologically active compounds such as fatty acids, essential oils, phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, naphthoquinones, saponins, allantoin, mucilages, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and silica (silicon dioxide) isolated from Boraginaceae plant raw materials.

A comparative chemometric study of 17 Boraginaceae species found: six active compounds in shoot extracts — allantoin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, hydrocaffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and chlorogenic acid — and four compounds in root extracts: allantoin, hydrocaffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and shikonin. Flavonoid content in Myosotis species has been specifically documented; Shinkarenko (2008) reported on the content of flavonoids in plant species of the genus Myosotis L.

For M. sylvatica flowers specifically, the methanolic extract demonstrated notable antioxidant potential and was rich in flavonoids (71.8 ± 0.8 mg QE/g), proanthocyanidins (84 ± 15 mg CAE/g), and other phenolic compounds.

Silica and Other Structural Compounds

Highly specific to the Boraginaceae are naphthoquinone pigments (including shikonin) and allantoin. Another distinguishing feature is the accumulation of silica (silicon dioxide) in trichomes. Some taxa produce mucilages. The coarseness of the hairs in Myosotis is due to cystoliths — hard mineral deposits of silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate which occur in the epidermal cells.

4. Mechanisms of Action: Established and Proposed

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Toxicokinetics and Mechanism

The most thoroughly studied mechanism for Myosotis constituents relates to the toxicological rather than therapeutic activity of its PAs. PAs require metabolic activation in liver hepatocytes by cytochrome P450 enzymes to form reactive pyrrolic metabolites, which can bind to cellular proteins to form pyrrole–protein adducts and cause cytotoxicity. These reactive pyrrolic metabolites can also bind to cellular DNA to form pyrrole–DNA adducts and induce genotoxicity.

Following metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, PAs induce DNA damage, hepatotoxicity, and can cause liver cancer in rodents. Several PAs can cause hepatotoxicity and liver cancer via damaging hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSECs) after hepatic metabolization.

The pyrrolizidine core, comprising two saturated five-membered rings with a nitrogen atom between them, sometimes displays a double bond in the 1,2 position, which frequently results in enhanced toxicity. It has been established that PAs are the most potent hepatotoxic substances in nature; more than half of the PAs exhibit hepatotoxicity.

Antioxidant Mechanism

Network pharmacology analysis of M. sylvatica volatile compounds revealed 125 overlapping gene targets between these phytochemicals and genes related to oxidative stress. These findings underscore M. sylvatica's potential as a natural antioxidant source and provide mechanistic insights that support its future pharmacological application in combating oxidative stress-related disorders. This evidence is preliminary and derived from computational (in silico) methods, not clinical trials.

Antibacterial Mechanisms

Oil extracts of both M. arvensis and M. palustris inhibit the development of bacterial microorganisms, including Shigella sonnei and Candida albicans. Moreover, extracts of M. arvensis inhibit viability of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis, and M. palustris extracts inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These effects are attributed principally to the essential oil fraction.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Respiratory Conditions (Lung Problems, Cough, Bronchitis)

Forget-me-not is an herb; the whole plant is used to make medicine. Despite safety concerns, people take forget-me-not for lung problems and nosebleeds. There is not enough information available to know how forget-me-not might work. Historically, it was believed to have properties to treat lung conditions and coughs, although this is not supported by modern science.

Evidence strength: No controlled human clinical trials exist. All associations are based on traditional use records and unverified folk claims. This represents the lowest tier of evidence.

5.2 Hemostasis (Nosebleeds and Wound Bleeding)

Forget-me-nots have long been used for lung problems and to stop nosebleeds; many Indigenous people used the juice from the leaves of Myosotis sylvatica to stop nosebleeds. Traditionally, field forget-me-nots have been used in folk medicine to treat wounds and as a mild astringent. The proposed mechanism for wound use may relate to astringent tannin content, as tannins are documented broadly in the Boraginaceae family.

Evidence strength: Traditional/ethnobotanical use only. No clinical studies identified. Tannin astringency is a plausible but unvalidated mechanism specific to these species.

5.3 Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Activity

The most specific preclinical evidence for M. arvensis relates to central nervous system activity. A study conducted in mice showed that aqueous extracts of the aerial part of M. arvensis exert anxiolytic and antidepressant activity (Polomeyeva et al., 2011). More specifically, experiments on outbred albino mice showed a significant anxiolytic effect of aqueous tincture of the aerial part of Myosotis arvensis in a single daily dose of 0.5 ml/kg.

Evidence strength: Single preclinical study in mice (animal model only). No human clinical trials exist. Results cannot be extrapolated to humans without further investigation.

5.4 Antimicrobial Activity

It was proved that oil extracts of both herbs inhibit the development of bacterial microorganisms, including Shigella sonnei and Candida albicans. Moreover, the extracts of M. arvensis inhibit viability of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis.

Evidence strength: Preclinical in vitro studies only. No clinical data exists. The significant PA content introduces safety constraints that complicate any therapeutic development in this direction.

5.5 Antioxidant Activity

Myosotis sylvatica has garnered attention due to its bioactive potential, though its antioxidant capacity and phytochemical composition remain underexplored. In a 2026 study, the methanolic extract of M. sylvatica flowers was evaluated for its antioxidant activity, phytochemical content, and molecular mechanisms underlying its bioactivity. The extract demonstrated notable antioxidant potential, as indicated by its DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50: 2.9 ± 0.9 mg/mL) and was rich in flavonoids (71.8 ± 0.8 mg QE/g), proanthocyanidins (84 ± 15 mg CAE/g), and other phenolic compounds.

Evidence strength: A single in vitro/computational study published in 2026. Results reflect potential antioxidant capacity in a test-tube setting and in silico network pharmacology; no human trials have been conducted.

5.6 Anti-inflammatory Activity

Beyond its beauty, Myosotis sylvatica has several traditional uses; it has been employed in herbal medicine for its potential anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, although more research is needed and the plant's historical context shows its value in folk remedies. Methyl salicylate, identified as a characteristic compound in M. arvensis essential oil, is a known anti-inflammatory agent when applied topically; this may partly explain traditional wound and skin applications.

Evidence strength: Traditional claims only; constituent-level mechanistic plausibility based on methyl salicylate content. No human or animal clinical studies specific to Myosotis anti-inflammatory activity have been identified.

5.7 General Evidence Summary

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of forget-me-not for any of its proposed uses. There are no registered clinical trials in humans and no systematic reviews or Cochrane assessments for any Myosotis species in a therapeutic context. All scientific evidence is either preclinical (animal or in vitro) or computational. The traditional use record spans multiple cultures and centuries but is largely anecdotal.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Forget-Me-Not

Respiratory system: Traditional use for cough, bronchitis, phthisis, and night sweats; no clinical validation.
Hematological / wound care: Traditional use as a hemostatic agent for nosebleeds and topical wound treatment; biologically plausible through astringent constituents.
Central nervous system: Preclinical evidence (mice) for anxiolytic and antidepressant activity of aqueous extracts.
Integumentary system (skin): Traditional use for eczema, inflammation, and wound healing; constituent-level support from methyl salicylate and polyphenols.
Hepatic system (toxicity, not therapy): The primary pharmacologically documented body system effect is hepatotoxicity from PA content — a harm rather than a benefit.
Antimicrobial: In vitro data for activity against select bacteria and fungi.
Antioxidant: In vitro and computational data for radical scavenging activity from polyphenol-rich flower extracts.

7. Dosage Forms and Doses Reported in Sources

Formal dosage data for Myosotis species in human use is extremely limited; no standardized therapeutic doses have been established in peer-reviewed clinical trials.

Aqueous tincture (animal study): Experiments on outbred albino mice demonstrated a significant anxiolytic effect of aqueous tincture of the aerial part of Myosotis arvensis at a single daily dose of 0.5 ml/kg. No human equivalent dose has been derived from this study.
Herbal tea (traditional/commercial): Dried whole flowers steeped in hot water; specific gram amounts have not been standardized in any pharmacopeial monograph for this species.
Topical poultice: Crushed whole plant applied directly to wounds; no standardized preparation or concentration is documented in the peer-reviewed literature.

No monographs from the German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO, or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have been identified that establish dosage guidance specific to Myosotis species. The absence of standardized dosing guidance reflects the lack of clinical trial data and the recognized safety concerns that have historically discouraged formal therapeutic development.

8. Safety Considerations and Known Toxicity

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Hepatotoxicity

The most critical and well-documented safety concern with Myosotis species is their PA content. Forget-me-not might be unsafe; it belongs to a plant family that contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids — chemicals that can cause severe liver damage and cancer.

PAs exhibit developmental toxicity and have shown to be hepatotoxic, pneumotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic. They require metabolic activation in liver hepatocytes by cytochrome P450 enzymes to form reactive pyrrolic metabolites, which can bind to cellular proteins to form pyrrole–protein adducts causing cytotoxicity; these metabolites can also bind to cellular DNA to form pyrrole–DNA adducts and induce genotoxicity.

Forget-me-not has been found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are notorious for causing acute hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, and neurological damage to humans and animals; it would take consumption of a large amount to have these effects, but caution is called for.

PA Load in M. arvensis: Quantitative Field Data

In field conditions in Latvia, Myosotis arvensis was the dominant PA-producing weed species (up to 48,000 plants per hectare), contributing the highest field-level PA load (up to 669.3 mg per hectare), with PAs dominated by heliosupine and heliosupine N-oxide. This finding is particularly relevant for food safety because M. arvensis is a common weed in chamomile and other medicinal herb crops, creating a contamination risk.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are plant-derived toxins with environmental persistence and the potential to contaminate soil, water, and adjacent crops; this was investigated using two PA-producing weeds — Myosotis arvensis L. (Boraginaceae) and Senecio vulgaris L. (Asteraceae) — in agricultural soils.

Regulatory Limits for PA Exposure

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are distributed in plant families of Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae and serve in the chemical defense mechanism against herbivores; however, they became a matter of concern due to their toxicity associated with the high risk of intake within herbal preparations, e.g., phytopharmaceutical formulations, medicinal teas, or other plant-derived drug products. In 1992, the German Federal Ministry of Health established the first limits of PA content for fourteen medicinal plants. Because of the toxic effects of PAs, the Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) established more stringent limits in 2011, whereby a daily intake of less than 0.007 µg/kg body weight was recommended and valid until 2018, after which a threefold higher limit was advised.

Internal Use Warning

It is widely accepted that while some people are touting the consumption of forget-me-not as a tea, Myosotis sylvatica should not be taken internally. This caution is grounded in the established PA content of the species and the known hepatotoxic and genotoxic mechanisms of these compounds.

Skin Irritation from Trichomes

Most species of Myosotis have coarse hairs due to cystoliths — hard mineral deposits of silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate which occur in the epidermal cells. This feature is responsible for most skin irritations that hikers and gardeners sustain when brushing against these seemingly attractive and delicate flowering plants.

Drug and Herb Interactions

No formal herb-drug interaction studies specific to Myosotis species have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature or institutional databases consulted. However, given the hepatotoxic PA content, caution is warranted in any context of concurrent use with hepatically processed medications or other PA-containing herbs. The documented CYP450-mediated activation pathway of PAs suggests a theoretical basis for interactions with CYP3A4 substrates, but this has not been experimentally established for Myosotis specifically.

Pregnancy and Special Populations

Concerning PA pharmacokinetics, after oral ingestion these compounds are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; most of them, around 80%, are excreted in urine, feces, and milk, with a few able to pass the placenta due to their high lipophilicity. This finding — placental and lactational transfer of PAs — has direct bearing on risks to pregnant individuals and nursing infants, further supporting the general caution around internal use of PA-containing plants including Myosotis.

Overall Safety Assessment

The overall safety profile for internal use of forget-me-not preparations is unfavorable given current evidence. PAs exhibit developmental toxicity and have shown to be hepatotoxic, pneumotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic. Data on specific Myosotis species and their PA concentrations remain scarce, meaning risk cannot be precisely quantified but cannot be excluded. The topical use of crushed plant material for wound care or as a poultice carries a lower, though not absent, concern due to the possibility of dermal absorption.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Garden forget-me-not may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Garden forget-me-not may help support.

No body systems available.