Planting guide
When to plant nigella
Misty blue flowers wrapped in lacy foliage, followed by striking seed pods. In Melbourne it goes in Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sep.
- Start as
- Seed, sown in place
- Flowers in
- 7–14 wks
- Spacing
- 20 cm
- Depth
- 0.5 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Effort
- Easy
- Colours
- blue, white, pink, purple
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means nigella can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Mumbai | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Paris | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
How to plant nigella
- Sow seed in place, 0.5cm deep, in autumn or early spring.
- Thin to 20cm; it hates being moved.
- Sow every few weeks for longer flowering.
- Dry the pods for arrangements.
Nigella varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Miss Jekyll White Classic10–14 wksWhite flowers
- Persian Jewels Mixed Classicmixed · 10–14 wksMixed colours
- Blue nigella Classic7–9 wksBlue flowers, about 50cm tall
- Miss Jekyll Blue Classic10–14 wksBlue flowers
- Mulberry Rose Classic7–9 wksPink flowers, about 50cm tall
Where to buy seeds
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Nigella by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Poppy · Pansy and viola · Petunia · Celosia
Not sure nigella is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
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