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Common Names
Black Cumin, Black Seed, Black Caraway, Black Nigella, Kalonji
Botanical Name
Nigella sativa
Plant Family
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Native Range
Europe, Western Asia
Life Cycle
Annual
Hardiness Zone
Zones 2-11
Habit
1 ft tall and 6” wide. Flowers are encased in delicate, feathery bracts. 1" blooms are white or pale-blue, followed by decorative seed pods full of fragrant black seeds.
Sun/Soil
Full sun. Average soil with average moisture.
Germination/Sowing
Seeds germinate best when direct sown in the garden in early spring. Can be fall sown in zones 5+.
Growing/Care
Plants will self-seed and return the following year.
Harvesting
The seeds are harvested once the pods are dry and brown.
Culinary Uses
The seeds are used as a spice/condiment, cultivated since ancient history. The flowers are edible.
Medicinal Uses
Usefully medicinally as an anti-cancer, blood sugar regulator, expectorant, emmenagogue, and diuretic.
Other Uses
The flowers, and decorative seed pods, are used in fresh and dried flower arrangements.
Themes
Low Maintenance, Deer Resistant, Attracts Pollinators, Container Garden, Cut Flowers.