Love-in-a-mist
Nigella damascena
Love-in-a-mist is a hardy annual with sky-blue, pink or white flowers surrounded by a ruff of feathery leaves, followed by inflated, striped seed pods that are lovely dried.
Photo: Wildfeuer · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water in dry spells.
Soil
Well-drained, average soil; pH 6.0–7.5.
Temperature and humidity
-10–30 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
No feeding needed.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Leave some pods to dry and self-seed.
Not considered seriously toxic, but the seeds of this ornamental species should not be eaten (unlike black cumin, Nigella sativa).
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow in fall or spring directly.
Successive sowings extend flowering.
Pods dry beautifully for arrangements.
Self-seeds gently.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseasePowdery mildew
A fungal disease that coats leaves, buds and young shoots with a white, flour-like dust, weakening the plant and spoiling flowers and fruit.
How to treat it →
