Nigella sativa At first glance this may appear to be the unassuming, old fashioned cottage flower, Love-in-a-Mist, but this species has a powerful twist. It’s also known as Black Seed, Black Cumin, Fennel Flower, and other misleading names, as it is neither cumin nor fennel. Its seeds are used in Eastern dishes for adding a bracing zest as well as medicinally for treating a laundry list of maladies. These undemanding plants will reach 8-10 inches tall with a very similar look to its Love-in-a-Mist cousin. Once the balloon-shaped seed pods mature, you can collect the seed for grinding as a seasoning or extracting the delicious oil. Approximately 350 seeds per gram.