Finely cut, feathery bright green leaves frame intricate many-petalled flowers ringed by a collar, in light blue, white, pink or red, followed by round follicles that ripen from green to brown. Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is grown above all for bouquets, fresh or dried; give it sun and light, well-drained soil and it will reseed itself year after year.
| Latin name | Nigella damascena |
|---|---|
| Common names | Damask nigella, love-in-a-mist |
| Family | Ranunculaceae |
| Type | annual flower |
| Height | about 1.5 feet (45 cm) |
| Exposure | sunny |
| Soil | fertile, light, well drained, alkaline to neutral |
| Hardiness | 5°F (-15°C) |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | summer |
Nigella damascena is an annual plant growing in clumps. Stems are straight and its bright green leaves are finely cut and have a feathery appearance. If you like making bouquets, love-in-a-mist is perfectly suited for it.
In summer, clumps are adorned with intricate flowers with numerous petals and surrounded by a collar. Depending on the cultivar, Damask nigella turns light blue, white, pink, or red.
Fruits (or follicles) appear a few weeks after flowering. They are round and have a green color that gradually turns brown with maturity. Just like the flowers, they are exceptionally beautiful when creating dried flower bouquets.
In fall, prep the area where seeds will go. All you need to do is amend the soil by adding compost or potting soil. If your ground seems too heavy, lighten it up with sand or even ashes.
After amendment, work the surface soil with a digging fork or a broadfork. Then let the winter frosts do their thing, they’ll break up soil clods on their own.
In early spring, rake the ground to refine the soil. Now you can broadcast sow your Damascus Nigella seeds.
When seedlings get a few inches tall, select the strongest ones and thin others out to be roughly 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) apart, giving remaining plants more room to grow.
From autumn soil preparation to summer flowering, love-in-a-mist asks for very little, but each step happens at its own moment. Here is the running order.
| When | What to do | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Prepare the seedbed | Amend with compost or potting soil; lighten heavy ground with sand or ashes |
| After amendment | Work the surface with a fork or broadfork | Winter frosts then break up the soil clods on their own |
| Early spring | Rake, then broadcast sow | Raking refines the soil before the seed goes down |
| Seedlings a few inches tall | Thin out | Keep the strongest, 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) apart |
| Summer | Water in dry spells | Only needed when leaves start to wilt |
| Mid-spring or fall | Re-seed | Fall sowings may need a cloche or cold frame depending on where you live |
Left alone after flowering, the plant takes over this calendar itself and reseeds where it stands.
Being an annual plant, Damascus Nigella doesn’t ask for any special care once it’s settled in. Just keep an eye on watering during dry periods, especially if leaves start to wilt.
Pruning Damascus Nigella is not required. However, if you don’t want to keep the fruits, you can remove wilted flowers as they fade away to extend the blooming period.
Damascus Nigella spreads by sowing (spontaneous or cultivated). You can re-seed in the middle of spring or fall.
In the latter case, winter protection may be necessary depending on where you live (garden cloche, cold frame).
Resistant, Nigella damascena doesn’t suffer from diseases, nor does it fear pests or parasite attacks.
Nigella damascena is sold under a handful of long-established names, differing mainly in flower colour, in how double the bloom is and in the height of the stem. The table below sets out the ones you are most likely to find on a seed rack or in a mainstream catalogue.
| Variety | Flower colour | Flower form | Height band | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Jekyll | Cornflower blue | Semi-double | Medium | Cutting, classic border |
| Miss Jekyll Rose | Rose pink | Semi-double | Medium | Cutting, cottage border |
| Mulberry Rose | Pink ageing to mulberry | Semi-double | Medium | Cutting, fresh and dried |
| Miss Jekyll Dark Blue | Deep indigo blue | Semi-double | Medium | Cutting, strong colour |
| Oxford Blue | Deep violet-blue | Double | Tall | Cutting, large seed pods |
| Cambridge Blue | Pale sky blue | Double | Tall | Cutting, back of border |
| Dwarf Moody Blue | Pale to mid blue | Semi-double | Dwarf | Edging, pots and window boxes |
| Miss Jekyll Alba | Pure white | Semi-double | Medium | Cutting, white schemes |
| Persian Jewels | Mixed blue, pink, white | Semi-double | Medium | Mixed borders, wildflower patches |
Use and pairing
Love-in-a-mist makes an excellent contender for a low-maintenance garden or to brighten up a tough terrain. Let it go to seed, and voilà! It will reseed itself, and you can just bask in its glory. Its harsh native environment greatly increased the drought-resistance of this species, as it did for its sister-flower, the Damask rose.
For a more scenic tableau, you might pair it with other annual companion plants such as poppy, annual baby’s breath, California poppy, corncockle, yellow zinnia, and even marigold. In doing so, you’ll give rise to a gorgeous wildflower garden – a true haven for pollinating insects. Talk about a win-win!
