Wild Wednesday - water forget-me-not
The water forget-me-not was once more commonly known as 'Scorpion-grass' because its curled clusters of sky-blue flowers resembled a scorpion's tail. It can be found in damp habitats, such as riverbanks, fens, marshes and ponds, either submerged in shallow water, or on surrounding ground. Its pretty flowers appear from June to September and are a favourite in traditional cottage gardens.
Water forget-me-not has sky-blue flowers with bright yellow middles and five petals, they sit at the top of the long, curved stems in a distinctive cluster. Its leaves are narrow and oblong.
The common name of water forget-me-not was most likely popularised by its use in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, The Keepsake. He was familiar with a German tale of a knight who was strolling along a river with his lady when he fell in. Just before he stumbled, he had picked some pretty blue flowers; throwing them to his love, he exclaimed 'forget-me-not' as he drowned.