How to tell Hound’s Tongue from Forget-Me-Not
by Bruce Homer-Smith

These two plants have similar flowers – ½” across, blue, and arranged in a loose cluster at the top of the stem. However, there are two easy ways to tell them apart:

Hound’s Tongue – photo by Alf Fengler

Forget-Me-Not – photo by Alf Fengler

The Hound’s Tongue flower always has white appendages in the center, and Forget-Me-Not has yellow. The blue petal color will vary between individuals, but the center colors are always distinctive.

Hound’s Tongue – photo © Neal Kramer

Forget-Me-Not – photo by Barry Breckling

Also, the leaves are also different. Hound’s tongue leaves are large – up to 6” long, with a wide base. Forget-Me-Not leaves are 1 to 2 inches long, and are pointed at both ends.

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