Nigella hispanica

The wilder, more dramatic cousin of the classic Love-in-a-mist. Where Miss Jekyll is soft and hazy, Nigella hispanica is bold and architectural — open, star-shaped flowers in a deep, intense royal violet-blue, centred with a striking cluster of burgundy stamens that demand a second look.

Taller and more substantial than the damascena varieties, it produces magnificent seed pods topped with spreading horns that resemble a jester’s hat — highly architectural, standing tall in the border well into autumn and drying beautifully for winter arrangements. Listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators.

• Nigella hispanica — Hardy Annual (H3)
• Height: 50–60cm | Spread: 30cm | Flowers: June–August
• Approximately 200 seeds per packet
• Spacing: 25cm apart — sow direct where it is to flower
• RHS Plants for Pollinators listed
• Exceptional architectural seed pods for drying

Grow it alongside the Miss Jekyll varieties for a Nigella border that moves from soft romance to something altogether more striking.