This is the coolest plant I have yet found growing in my garden. Please tell me it is not some noxious weed!
No, it's a commonly grown annual that reseeds itself, Nigella damascena. If you think the flowers are cool, wait until you see the seedheads.
Thanks. I looked it up and I can hardly wait for that seed pod! Wow! I hope it actually has time to get to seed, 'cuz I want to grow those next year.
Hmmmm.....lets see... "Devil-in-the-bush" "Love-in-a-mist" Sounds like a parental opinion of childish behavior. barb
From the net... Blue World Gardener..."Name – Nigella comes from the Latin word niger referring to its black seeds. The common name ‘Love-in-a-mist’ refers to the fine hair-like bracts that encircle the flower." Sounds a bit weak to me. The "Love-in-a-mist" monniker has the ring of Victorian sentimentalism to me. Science Photo Gallery: "The seeds of the plant, known as black cumin, are used as a spice in cookery and also medicinally as a diuretic." ...Just a thought if you're cooking curry - Make sure ther's a washroom handy. gb
Hi, I would be slightly nervous about using Nigella damascena seeds as a spice. The species used historically as a spice and still widely used is Nigella sativa - related but not the same. To quote from the RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs..."N.damascena...differs in appearance from N.sativa and has different properties" Read about it at: http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Nige_sat.html A really excellent site for info on all spices. Ciao BrianO
I agree. Caution in eating plant material of "country" origin, doubtful provenance or with a sparse historical record as food material is a higher-risk activity. "...medicinally as a diuretic" is a caution to me that this may not be what you want to put in your supper. I'd check out some respectable references & cultural background before considering use. I like my kidneys to work the way they are supposed to. I apologise if my casual posting masked the cautionary phrase. gb.
No problem. I always check things out before ingesting things. Didn't have time to do so yet, but am disappointed to find out I won't have my own cumin to freshly grind. Sigh. Diuretic can be good though.....
