Description
Nigella papillosa | Spanish Love-in-a-Mist ‘Midnight’ (purple-blue)
Spanish Love-in-a-Mist, also known as Fennel Flower, Spanish Fennel, Black Cumin, Black Caraway, Love-in-a-Puzzle, Devil-in-a-Bush, Hair of Venus, and Raggedy Lady, is a hardy cool-season annual with fine textured lacy foliage with beautiful purple-blue star-like flowers at the end of each branch. Adds interest to the front of a border garden and to dried flower arrangements. Love-in-a-Mist has been grown in flower gardens since the late 16th century.
This variety, ‘Midnight’, is unusual and much harder to come across. It is most commonly called Fennel Flower for the whorl of bracts that typically create the ‘mist’ are missing in this species. ‘Midnight’ has large purple-blue flowers with contrasting burgundy stamens, and spider-like seed pods that are different than the balloons of the more common species.
Direct sow seeds in early spring once soil temperatures have warmed up, or start indoors. Will self-sow moderately well each year.
Type: Annual
Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature height: 2 ft
Mature width: 1 ft
Hardiness zones: All zones