Nigella hispanica is distinctive, big and showy. It’s not simply another form of the usual love-in-a-mist. It features a cluster of bold red stamens at the centre of each deep blue flower. These are followed by architectural seed pods that you can dry or leave for the birds.
🌸 Flowering: summer and into September
📏 Height: 50 to 60cm
🌿 Annual
Sow: this is one to sow where it is going to flower because they don’t like root disturbance. They like a well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Another flower that blooms better on leaner soil! Between March and May, mark out your sowing area and scatter the seeds thinly. Mix them with a little horticultural sand so you can see what you are doing. Cover to about 3mm deep. They can be sown in the autumn for flowering the following year.
Grow: when they are large enough to know what they are they will need thinning to be about 25cm apart. Cutting those lovely flowers regularly simply encourages the plants to produce more. Cut plenty, but leave some if you want those fabulous pods.
Enjoy: generous flowers to enjoy, pollen and nectar for the bees and then the generosity extends to those marvellous seed pods.
🏡 In your garden
• Urban and courtyard gardens
• Coastal and gravel gardens
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Patio and container plants
• Pollinator plantings
• Flower borders and beds
• Cutting gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 5 or so days
• Cut then quickly place the stems in water to prevent them wilting
• The pods can be dried for use in winter arrangements. Cut and hang upside down to dry
🐝 Pollinator friendly
• A source of pollen and nectar through the summer months
🐞 Wildlife friendly
• Goldfinches have fine, pointed beaks, perfect for getting seeds out of the drying pods
• You might also see sparrows and blue tits foraging for fallen seeds on the ground
💡 Did you know?
Although it is often called Spanish love-in-a-mist or Spanish fennel flower it isn’t just a native of Spain. Portugal and France are also part of its homeland. Although pictures and descriptions in English collections go back to the 1600s, the scientific name Nigella hispanica was first published in 1753
Save
Save
