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Annual Biennial

Nigella damascena Persian Jewels Group indigo-flowered

love-in-a-mist Persian Jewels Group indigo-flowered

A single-stemmed or branching annual to 60cm tall with finely divided, bright green leaves. In summer it produces deep blue flowers to 4.5cm across; these are followed by decorative, inflated seed capsules. Both the flowers and seed capsules can be used for floral arrangements. A good plant for pollinating insects

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
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
Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens
Coastal
Gravel garden
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Bedding

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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