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Annual Biennial

Nigella papillosa 'Delft Blue'

love-in-a-mist 'Delft Blue'

A bushy annual to 75cm tall, with very finely divided leaves. In summer it produces white flowers heavily streaked and splashed with blue; the petals surround a boss of purple stamens. Both the flowers and inflated seed capsules that follow can be used for floral arrangements

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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
1 year
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer White Blue Green
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Botanical details
Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus

Nigella are upright, bushy annuals with finely dissected leaves and solitary flowers with 5 blue or white, petal-like sepals and feathery bracts, followed by ornamental seed pods

Name status

Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by sowing seed in situ in mid-spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Low Maintenance
  • Banks and slopes
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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