Ammi majus Seeds | Graceland Laceflower
LATIN NAME: Ammi majus
COMMON NAME: Graceland Laceflower, Bishop’s Weed
Plant Profile
Graceland laceflower is a tall annual umbellifer, 90-120 cm, with finely divided leaves and flat white flower heads the size of a saucer. The effect in flower is a white haze above the border, and it is one of the best plants in the catalogue for filling the gap between roses and the late-summer perennials.
The plant is a fast annual: sown in spring, it flowers by July and continues until the first frost, and it self-sows reliably in bare soil. Stems are stiff and hollow, and the whole plant has the light, see-through quality that makes umbellifers useful in mixed planting.
Ammi majus comes from the Mediterranean and North Africa, where it grows in disturbed ground and field edges. It has been grown in gardens since the sixteenth century, and it is now naturalised in parts of Europe and North America.
Science & Biotechnology
Ammi majus contains furanocoumarins, notably 8-methoxypsoralen, in the sap and seed. These compounds intercalate with DNA and are activated by ultraviolet light, which is the basis of both the plant’s traditional use in vitiligo treatment and its hazard: handling the plant in strong sun can cause a phytophotodermatitis rash.
The flat, open flower head is an adaptation to a wide range of pollinators, and umbellifers are among the best plants for encouraging predatory wasps and hoverflies into a garden. That is why they appear in companion-planting schemes for orchards and vegetable plots.
Seed of Ammi majus has a short dormancy and germinates without pretreatment, but it needs light and a soil temperature above 15°C. Fresh seed gives a high percentage; seed stored for two years or more drops sharply in viability.
Uses & Benefits
Laceflower is a cut-flower staple, used in mixed bouquets for its airy white heads and its long, strong stems. It is also a border plant for the middle or back of a bed, where its height and its openness let other plants show through.
In the garden it is a pollinator plant first and an ornamental second, and it is one of the best annuals for attracting hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids. The seed heads dry well and are useful in winter arrangements. Commercially the plant is grown for the cut-flower trade, where it is sold as bishop’s weed or false Queen Anne’s lace.
Growing from Seed
Sow direct from April to June, 0.5 cm deep, in soil that has warmed to 15°C. Light helps germination, which takes ten to fourteen days. Successive sowings every three weeks give a longer season of cut stems.
Thin to 30 cm apart and water until established. The plant prefers full sun and ordinary soil, and it will flop in rich ground; do not feed. Support with a net if the site is exposed. Harvest stems when half the florets are open, and sear the ends in hot water before arranging. Wear gloves and long sleeves when cutting in strong sun, because of the sap.
Our Take
The best white filler in the catalogue, and one of the most useful plants for bringing insects into a garden.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Graceland Laceflower often pair it with these related subjects: