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Nigella damascena - L.                
                 
Common Name Love-In-A-Mist
Family Ranunculaceae
Synonyms
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Stony, sunny positions.
Range Europe - Mediterranean. A rare casual in Britain.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun

Summary       

Physical Characteristics       
 icon of manicon of flower
Nigella damascena is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.


Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Nigella damascena Love-In-A-Mist


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wildfeuer
Nigella damascena Love-In-A-Mist
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wildfeuer
   
Habitats       
 Cultivated Beds;
Edible Uses                                         
Edible Parts: Oil;  Seed.
Edible Uses: Condiment;  Oil.

Seed - raw or cooked. Normally used as a condiment[2, 27, 46, 100], it has a nutmeg flavour[148].
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Expectorant.

Expectorant[148].
Other Uses
Essential;  Oil.

An essential oil distilled from the plant is used in perfumery and lipsticks[238]. The seed contains about 43.5% fatty oil, consisting of 97% total fatty acids of which 30% is free fatty acid[240]. No uses of this oil are given in the report.
Cultivation details                                         
An easily grown plant, succeeding in any good garden soil, preferring a sunny position[1, 108]. A very ornamental plant[1], there are some named varieties[188]. Plants are fast-growing[188] and often self-sow if the ground is disturbed by some means such as hoeing[K]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[108]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].
                                                                                 
Propagation                                         
Seed - sow spring or early autumn in situ[1]. The autumn sowing might not be successful in harsh winters. Plants can be transplanted if necessary[200].
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Expert comment                                         
 
      
Author                                         
L.
                                                                                 
Botanical References                                         
50200
                                                                                 
Links / References                                         

  [K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[27]Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden.
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[54]Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds.
Interesting reading.
[100]Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide.
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.
[108]International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees.
The title says it all.
[148]Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece.
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.
[188]Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

Readers comment                                         
 
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