Tall strong stems bearing chocolate maroon flowers, becoming almost 'black' towards the centre. This is a unique variety creating an impressive impact against most backgrounds. Flowers mid to late summer. Height 5ft.
Sow on the surface of the compost in late winter in John Innes Compost. Make sure that the compost is moist but not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 12-21 days at 15-21C (65-70F). Do not exclude light which is beneficial to germination.
They can also be sown in mid summer, overwintered in a coldframe and planted out in spring. This produces larger plants.
Add a cupful of petals to salads, or pick the unopened flower buds, boil for three minutes and add to salads.