Bishop’s flower

Bishop’s flower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching annual about 1 m tall and 40 cm wide.

Leaves

Finely divided and fresh green; more broadly cut at the base than higher up the stem.

Flower

Flat, compound umbels up to 15 cm across, made up of many small umbels full of white flowers.

Fruit

Small, oval, ribbed seeds; the green seed heads also look good in a bouquet.

Roots

A taproot: seedlings dislike being moved, so sow where they are to flower or in modules.

Flowering: June–September · Sowing: March–May and September · Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• A long flowering season from June to September, especially if you sow both in autumn and in spring.
• A top cut flower: airy white umbels that last a week or more in the vase.
• Attracts bees, hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which in turn help to control aphids.
• Adds height and lightness to a border, among roses or in a cutting garden.
• Easy from seed, in almost any sunny spot.

Bishop’s flower: where does it grow best?

• Full sun.
• Any free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. Very rich soil gives long, floppy stems.
• Moderately moist; do not let seedlings dry out.
• A spot sheltered from strong wind, or give support: the tall stems blow over easily.
• Thin out or plant 30–40 cm apart.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -10 °C)

Goes well with

• Cornflower: Blue among the white, with the same sowing time and the same sunny spot.
• Rose: The airy umbels soften the heavy rose blooms.
• Cosmos: About the same height and in flower at the same time; lovely in the cutting garden.
• Corn poppy: Red beside white, for a border with the feel of a wildflower meadow.

Bishop’s flower: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Sow where it is to flower in September or March–May; autumn sowing gives stronger plants that flower earlier.
2. Rake the soil to a fine, crumbly seedbed and remove weeds.
3. Sow thinly in rows or patches, barely cover the seed and press down lightly.
4. You can sow indoors in March, in modules or small pots, so the roots are not disturbed when planting out in April–May.
5. Thin out or plant 30–40 cm apart.
6. Keep the seedbed moist until the seedlings appear, which takes one to three weeks.

Care

Water

Water in dry spells until the plants are well rooted; after that they usually cope on their own.

Feeding

Not needed: too much feed gives floppy stems and fewer flowers.

Support

Put a net or a few canes with string around the group early, especially with autumn sowings.

Picking

The more you cut, the more side umbels follow. Cut when most flowers in the umbel are open and put the stems straight into cool water.

Self-seeding

At the end of summer, let a few umbels ripen if you want it to self-seed or wish to collect seed.

Tip: Sow some in September and some in March–May: that way you will have flowers from June to September. Always wear gloves when picking, as the sap makes the skin sensitive to sunlight.

Bishop’s flower: when to prune it?

When: Bishop’s flower needs no pruning. You only cut flowers for the vase and remove faded umbels.

How:

• Cut faded umbels off just above a side shoot: new umbels will follow.
• For the vase, cut early in the day, wearing gloves.
• Pull the plants up in autumn, or let a few umbels ripen for seed.

Caution: Wear gloves and long sleeves: the sap makes the skin sensitive to sunlight and can cause blisters.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In August–September, let a few umbels ripen until the seed turns brown, shake it into a paper bag and sow straight away in September, or store it dry until spring.

Self-seeding

On open ground it sometimes self-seeds. Leave the seedlings where they are or move them very young, with a good rootball.

Bishop’s flower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual: the plant dies after setting seed.
• Autumn sowings overwinter as small rosettes and tolerate frost down to about −10 °C.
• In a severe winter or a wet spot, you can cover the young plants with horticultural fleece.

Diseases and pests

• Flopping: Tall stems snap after wind or rain. Support with a net, do not sow too thickly and give no extra feed.
• Slugs: They eat seedlings. Check in the evening and protect young sowings.
• Aphids: On stems and umbels. Hoverfly larvae and ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise spray them off with water.
• Damping off: Seedlings collapse in a seed tray that is too wet and warm. Sow in clean seed compost, give good ventilation and do not overwater.

Through the year

• March: Sow where it is to flower, or indoors in modules.
• April: Sow outdoors. Plant out indoor sowings. Thin out.
• May: Last sowing. Plant out and put supports in place.
• June: First flowers on autumn sowings. Cut flowers, wearing gloves.
• July: Full flower. Remove faded umbels.
• August: Flowering. Let a few umbels ripen for seed.
• September: Last flowers. Sow outdoors for next year.
• October: Thin autumn sowings. Clear away spent plants.
• December: Cover young rosettes with fleece in hard frost.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Bishop’s flower is poisonous, and its sap makes the skin hypersensitive to sunlight: after touching it on a sunny day, red patches and blisters can appear, sometimes leaving brown marks. Its white umbels and fine leaves look like those of edible umbellifers such as dill, chervil and carrot, but also like wild carrot and the deadly hemlock: do not sow it among the herbs in the vegetable garden, and never pick an umbellifer to eat unless you are sure what it is. Wear gloves and long sleeves when cutting it, even for a vase. Also poisonous to livestock and poultry. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• It belongs to the carrot family, like carrot, dill and parsley.
• In English it is sometimes called false Queen Anne’s lace, because it resembles flowering wild carrot.
• Each large umbel is made up of many smaller umbels, each of which consists of many tiny flowers: a compound umbel.