Nigella damascena

NIGELLA damascena
Love-in-a-Mist

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Type:
Annual

Height: 18" (45cm)

Flowering Time: Summer

Flower Colour: White, pink, mauve, blue

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Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)

Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)

Superorder: Magnoliidae (Magnolia Superorder)

Order: Ranunculales (Buttercup Order)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Genus: Nigella (Nigella)

Species: damascena (from Damascus)

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Nigella damascena is an elegant annual, reaching about 18" high, with single or branching stems with a single flower at the end, in summer. The leaves are feathery and very divided, and the flower is surrounded by a ruff of similar leaves, giving rise to the common name. The spiky flowers are usually blue, but may be white or pink. The colour deepens as they age.
The seedpods of Nigella damascena become very enlarged, into an angular ball shape, and some varieties are grown for their decorative seed pods.
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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Seed Pod
The seedpod is an inflated angular ball with feathery spikes on.

Seed
The seeds are matt black oval balls. There are many seeds in a pod.

Seedling
The seedleaves are spoon shaped. The first true leaves are deeply lobed.

Seed sowing and Germination
Summer: Seeds sown outside in summer germinated in 33 days.
Winter: Seeds sown outside in winter germinated in 45 days.

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	Seed Pod The seedpod is an inflated angular ball with feathery spikes on.
	Seed The seeds are matt black oval balls. There are many seeds in a pod.
	Seedling The seedleaves are spoon shaped. The first true leaves are deeply lobed.
Seed sowing and Germination Summer: Seeds sown outside in summer germinated in 33 days. Winter: Seeds sown outside in winter germinated in 45 days.