Love in a Mist.

At a glance

Care level

Easy

Plant type

Annual

Light

Full sun

Indoor light

Direct sun

Water

Every 3 to 7 days

Mature size

18 to 24 inches

Growth rate

Fast

Hardiness

USDA 2 to 11

Bloom time

Late spring to mid summer

Care

Sow seeds directly into your garden beds once the soil warms up in spring. Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, and watch for yellowing leaves which may signal overwatering. Deadhead spent blooms if you want to encourage more flowers, or leave them to develop those fascinating seed pods.

Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged to support steady growth.

Feeding

Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer once a month during the active growing season.

Pruning

Regularly remove faded flowers to prolong the blooming period.

Repotting

As an annual, this plant completes its life cycle in one season and does not require repotting.

Soil

Well draining, fertile soil

Soil pH

6.0 to 7.5

Temperature

-15 to 30°C

Humidity

40 to 70%

Drought tolerance

Moderate

Lifespan

Annual, completes its life cycle in one season.

Deer and rabbits

Moderate

Safety

People

The plant contains compounds that can cause mild irritation if ingested in large quantities.

Pets

This plant is generally considered non toxic to cats and dogs.

Children

The seeds are small and could pose a choking hazard to young children if ingested.

Contact allergens

Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Airborne allergens

The pollen is generally not considered a significant allergen.

Edibility

The seeds are sometimes used as a spice, but they contain alkaloids and should be consumed with caution.

How to identify it

• Finely divided, threadlike foliage
• Intricate, star shaped flowers
• Feathery, lace like green bracts
• Large, decorative, inflated seed pods

Height

0.3 to 0.6m

Spread

0.15 to 0.3m

Leaves

bright green, deciduous

Flowers

blue, white, pink, 3 to 5cm

Fruit

tan, brown, Late summer

Problems to watch for

• AphidsCommon
• Powdery MildewCommon
• Root RotUncommon
• Slugs and SnailsUncommon

Growing it

Propagation

seed

When to plant

spring, autumn

Overwintering

As an annual, it will die back completely after setting seed. You can leave the seed pods for winter interest or remove them to prevent excessive self seeding.

In containers

It grows well in containers at least 20 cm deep, provided the soil is well drained.

Sow these seeds directly into the garden in early spring for the best results, as they dislike being transplanted.

Grows well with

• Cornflower — They share similar growing requirements and look lovely together in a meadow style planting.
• California Poppy — Both are easy to grow from seed and provide a long season of color.

Similar species

• Nigella hispanica — It has larger flowers and a more upright habit.

Science

Family

Ranunculaceae

Genus

Nigella

Order

Ranunculales

Class

Magnoliopsida

Native range

Southern Europe and Northern Africa

Conservation

This plant is not of conservation concern and is widely naturalized.

It thrives in open, sunny sites and disturbed soil where it can easily self sow.

Value to wildlife

nectar source

Pollinators

bees, butterflies

Uses

cottage gardens, cut flowers, dried arrangements, pollinator borders

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Does it need staking?

Usually not, as it stays relatively compact.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, it grows well in containers if they have good drainage.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Nigella comes from the Latin word niger, meaning black, referring to the color of the seeds. The specific epithet damascena refers to Damascus, Syria, where it was once thought to originate.

Good to know

• The seed pods are highly decorative and popular in dried flower bouquets.
• It is an annual that readily self seeds in the garden.
• The flowers are surrounded by a lacy involucre of bracts.
• It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, just like buttercups.