Family Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) This plant is a winter annual that grows to be around 12â2' tall and is upright with occasional branching. The hairless stems are a medium green color, terete in shape, and often grooved. The alternate leaves grow to a maximum length of 3 inches and a width of 12 inches; they are irregularly bipinnatifid and ascending. The lobes of mature leaves are a medium green color, hairless, and filiform (worm-like and round in cross section); nevertheless, the lobes of immature spring leaves are often linear (flattened in cross-section). The highest stalks culminate in individual blooms measuring around 34â12" in diameter.
Nigella damascena, (love-in-a-mist), is an annual herbaceous plant of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It originated in Europe, North Africa, and Asia and is currently planted in gardens across the temperate globe. It grows to a height of 45–60 cm (18–24 inches) and has lacelike leaves. The tiny blooms, which are blue or white in color and measure around 4 cm (1.5 inches) in diameter, are enclosed in a ring of fluffy green bracts. Certain hybrids exhibit pinks and purples. The inflated fruits, crowned by five curving beaks, are nearly as interesting horticulturally as the blooms. The genus name, which translates as âsmall and black,â alludes to the seeds, which are employed medicinally and as a flavoring in the closely related N. sativa.
FAQ How could I effectively convey the concept of love-in-a-mist? When cut, the blooms retain their beauty for a long period of time, and even the seed pods may be preserved and used in arrangements. Cut the pods when they are still green and slightly fresh to dry. Bundle the stems and hang upside down to dry. You may break the seed pods in half to reveal the intriguing structure of the seed chambers. What is the origin of the name of this plant? The scientific genus name of the flower is derived from Niger, the Latin word for black, referring to the plant's abundant black seeds, and the species is named after Damascus, a city near where the plant grows wild.
Another dramatic romantic is Love-lies-bleeding. It is also known as tassel flower. It grows to a height of 5 feet and has footlong crimson dangling tassels of small blooms, followed by somewhat lighter seed heads and blood-red leaves in the autumn. Grow it in full light to obtain its nutritious, tasty grain. Almost as sensuous is the yearly love-in-a-mist, which seems to be extraterrestrial in appearance. The popular name is derived from the hairlike anthers that surround the jewel-tone blue, pink, or white blooms. Love-in-a-mist is an erect yet spreading plant with hairy stems and spidery leaves that compliments broad-leaf plants. It is tap-rooted, resents resettlement, readily self-sows but not violently, and produces fascinating seed heads.
