Memorial: Plants, Care & Varieties

The spring memorial is ideal as an easy-care ground cover for natural gardens, perennial beds, graves or edging.

Already early in the year the memorial (Omphalodes) with its mostly blue flowers and that even in locations where many plants would not grow at all. If you want to plant a memorial or are looking for tips on how to properly care for the memorial, you have come to the right place with this article.

Memorial: heyday and characteristics 

The two memorial types Omphalodesverna and Omphalodes cappadocica belong to the genus of umbilicus (Omphalodes). Like the very similar-looking forget-me-nots, this belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae).

The memorial originally came from southern Europe, but is now also here in places naturalized as a neophyte and is mainly found on fresh forest edges and in sparse deciduous forests Find. However, the memorial gene is not very invasive, so it does not displace native species.

As a ground cover, the herbaceous memorial species are characterized by their low, cushion-forming habit. Navel nuts are perennial and hardy because, depending on the species, they tolerate temperatures down to -17 °C or even -23 °C. The green, heart- to ovoid-shaped, pointed leaves are approximately 4 to 10 cm long and are beautiful to look at all summer long.

When the memorial is in bloom, between April and May, flowers on erect stems protrude above the carpet of leaves. The numerous flowers are slightly larger than 1 cm and mostly blue. They are frequented by a wide variety of insects. Fruits develop from the flowers, which are small and inconspicuous and have a slightly hollowed-out shape like a bowl.
By the way, snails despise memorials. The flower is therefore one of the slug resistant plants for your garden.

What is the difference between memorial and forget-me-not? Not just the names of memorial and forget Me Not (myosotis) are similar - they are actually quite closely related. At first glance, there may be confusion with the appearance. Commemorative flowers, however, are slightly larger, while growth tends to be smaller. In addition, commemorative sheds its leaves earlier in autumn than many forget-me-not species. Another difference between memorial and forget-me-not is the flowering period: the forget-me-not begins to bloom when the memorial is fading. In addition, the forget-me-not prefers to grow on much wetter soil.

The most beautiful types and varieties of the memorial

Based on the original species, there are now a few other varieties that differ mainly in the color of the flowers. All featured memorial species and varieties are hardy.

Spring Memorial (Omphalodes verna)

The original species shows its typical blue flowers from April to May. It spreads via runners that can form beautiful deciduous mats. In the meantime, several differently colored flowering varieties have been bred.

• White Spring Memorial (Omphalodes verna 'Alba'): True to its name, this variety has all-white flowers.

• Omphalodes verna 'Elf Eye': A variety with sky blue, slightly lighter flowers and a longer flowering period until June.

Caucasus Memorial (Omphalodescappadocica)

The Caucasus memorial also has small, blue flowers. In contrast to the spring memorial, it keeps its leaves in sheltered locations in winter and has a slightly longer flowering period until June. Another difference is that the Caucasus memorial grows clump-forming and forms only a few runners. This means: the formation of cushions and carpets of leaves is less pronounced. Some varieties with different flower colors were also bred here.

• Omphalodes cappadocica 'Purple Mist': A variety with light purple flowers.
• Omphalodes cappadocica 'Starry Eyes': Particular flowers of blue color with white edge.
• Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram': A variety with purple-blue flowers.

Planting memorials: location and procedure 

The ideal location for memorials is characterized by partial shade and fresh, well-drained and humus-rich soil. Memorials are assigned to the areas of woodland and woodland edges. This means they grow well in the shade of other plants, despite possibly less light, despite lots of roots to do that with Remember me having to compete for water and nutrients, despite having leaves on the ground that hinder budding in spring could. In contrast to the spring memorial, the Caucasus memorial also tolerates somewhat stonier, poorer soils. The memorial tree can be cultivated, for example, as a ground cover under taller perennials or as an underplanting for older trees.

Tip: In general, the memorial goes well with others Perennials for the penumbra be combined. These include the black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), the bell radio (Hosta ventricosa) and different chart types (Rodgersia spec.). In underplantings of trees or shrubs, for example, commemorative stones can be used well lungwort (pulmonaria) are grown.

Since commemorative flowers sprout relatively early in spring, the best time to plant commemorative flowers is in autumn.
Is there a suitable location for Omphalodes verna or cappadocica found, you can start planting. This is done in a few steps:

1. Prepare the soil by loosening it, clearing it of weeds and, for example, ours Plantura organic universal soil or incorporate some mature compost. That makes the subsoil more humus. Our Plantura organic universal soil meets the requirements of Omphalodes fully after moderately nutrient-rich, humus-rich and slightly acidic soils. Furthermore, it is 100% peat-free and made in Germany.
2. When digging the planting holes, a planting distance of about 25 cm should be maintained. This corresponds to about 15 to 16 plants per m².
3. The memorial plants are placed in the previously dug holes. Fill in the holes with soil and gently press down the plants.
4. Finally, everything is poured well. In the next few weeks, make sure that the soil does not dry out.

Tip: Navel nuts can also be cultivated in pots or balcony boxes. As a substrate is ours Plantura organic universal soil also perfect here. Choose a pot that is at least 15 cm in diameter. Flower boxes, for example, are even more suitable because the memorial has more space to spread out there. After you have filled the pots with soil, the plants can be planted and watered well.

The right care

Although the commemorative plant is generally easy to care for, there are a few tips that can further promote the flowering and health of the small perennials.
This includes, for example, correct watering. Though memorials like it damp, they don't like it wet. Therefore, only water again when the top layer of soil has dried. Most of the time, watering is not absolutely necessary, except during long dry periods.

Commemorative eggs do not need excessive nutrients. Nevertheless, even below them, the soil impoverishes over time. This is noticeable in weaker growth and fewer flowers. To prevent this, you can use a slow-release fertilizer like ours every spring Plantura organic flower fertilizer or incorporate mature compost into the soil around the plants. If the crop is too dense, it is enough to just spread the fertilizer and then water it well so that the grains are washed to the ground. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer has a high proportion of organic ingredients, which keeps the soil humus - so you get optimal growing conditions for Omphalodes.

You can cut commemorative plants if you want to prevent self-seeding from spreading or if the withered flowers look unattractive. To do this, you remove withered shoots to just above the ground. Unwanted runners can simply be cut back or cut with a spade. In spring you can rake out the planting area to remove old foliage. This has a disease-preventing effect and ensures better exposure of new shoots.

Tip: Propagating the memorial plant is relatively easy, as the plants slowly spread themselves via runners. So you can dig up a rooted runner in autumn or spring and transplant it to a new location. Propagation by division is also possible without any problems and is easier than growing memorial plants from seeds. The best time for this is in autumn after flowering.

With us, commemorative plants are very hardy because they tolerate temperatures down to about - 23 °C. Only young plants that spend the first winter outside should be protected, for example, with a layer of mulch made of leaves.

Tip: With navel nuts in the pot, the care must be slightly adjusted. On the one hand, the soil in it dries faster, which is why it has to be watered more often. In addition, in pots, the roots are less well protected from frost. For this reason, you should insulate the pots in winter, for example with a jute bag that is put over the bottom of the pot and filled with straw.

Is memorial poisonous?

For us, memorials are non-toxic. This also applies to dogs, cats and other pets. forget Me Not (myosotis) belong to the same plant family and have similar site requirements and growth characteristics as the memorial plant. Our article will tell you all about species, plants and care.