Ammi majus Seeds | Graceland Laceflower
LATIN NAME: Ammi majus
COMMON NAME: Graceland Laceflower, Bishop’s Weed
Plant Profile
Ammi majus — Graceland Laceflower — is a species, native to wild queen anne’s lace, with genuine garden merit. Bees find the flowers quickly, and that pollinator traffic is a garden benefit in its own right. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the Ammi group, Ammi majus contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. The same photosensitising compounds mean the plant’s sap can cause skin irritation or heightened sun sensitivity on contact, particularly in sunlight, a safety consideration researchers and growers alike take seriously when handling the plant. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Graceland Laceflower for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Graceland laceflower is grown almost entirely as a cut flower, its delicate white umbels providing an airy, textural filler in bouquets and floral arrangements as a garden-grown alternative to wild Queen Anne’s lace. Given the plant’s photosensitising sap, it is sensible to wear gloves when handling large quantities of cut stems, particularly before spending time in strong sunlight afterwards. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Ammi species occupy a special place in pharmaceutical history: Ammi majus supplied the furanocoumarins behind psoralen photochemotherapy, and Ammi visnaga yielded khellin, the model for the asthma drug cromolyn. The plants themselves are for the garden, not the home pharmacy.
Growing from Seed
Raising Graceland Laceflower from seed is straightforward. Sow seed onto surface of a loose, well-drained mix, pressing it in lightly rather than burying it deeply, since light supports germination in this species. Full sun and cool to moderate temperatures suit young seedlings well, and this fast-growing annual typically produces its first flowers in good time of a spring sowing. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in full sun. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Among the Ammi group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Graceland Laceflower often pair it with these related subjects: