Shoofly Plant (Nicandra physaloides) - Seeds - Anti-Whitefly

Don't let the name scare you off! The Shoo-fly plant (Nicandra physalodes) is a fascinating, fast-growing ornamental plant that enriches any cottage garden with its delicate flowers and decorative fruit pods – and also serves as a natural pest deterrent.

20 seeds per portion.

Growth & Appearance

• Lifespan: Annual, but grows extremely fast.

• Growth height: Can reach an impressive 100 to 150 cm (sometimes up to 200 cm).

• Habit: Very bushy, highly branched with large, jagged leaves.

• Flower & Fruit: From July to October, it displays beautiful, light blue to violet bell-shaped flowers with a white throat. Later, parchment-like, green to black-violet lanterns (similar to Physalis) develop, enclosing a brown berry.

Origin Its original home is in the Andes of South America, specifically Peru. From there, it made its way into European gardens as an ornamental plant.

Ingredients (IMPORTANT NOTE) Caution: As the name "Poison Berry" suggests, all parts of the plant are poisonous! It belongs to the nightshade family and contains various alkaloids (such as nicandrin) and withanolides. The plant (and especially the roots and unripe berries) is purely decorative and not suitable for consumption!

Use

• In the garden: A magnificent structural plant for gaps in beds or as a decorative privacy screen for one summer.

• Floristry: The dried, violet-black lanterns are an absolute eye-catcher in autumn arrangements and dried bouquets.

• Plant protection: Often used as a "guardian plant" (see Curiosities).

History In English-speaking countries, it is known as the "Shoo-fly plant." It was planted early on in greenhouses and cottage gardens because it was believed to deter annoying insects.

Curiosities

• The Tomato Bodyguard: Gardeners swear by planting the shoo-fly plant next to tomatoes or in greenhouses. It is said to attract and neutralize or repel the notorious "whitefly" (greenhouse whitefly).

• Ephemeral flowers: Its enchanting blue flowers usually open in the late morning and fade after only a few hours – but it tirelessly produces new ones throughout the summer!

Location and Care

• Location: Sunny to partial shade.

• Soil: Undemanding, but loves loose, nutrient-rich soil.

• Care & Spreading: Completely low-maintenance. If it likes the spot, it will happily self-seed for the next year. If you don't want this, you should cut off the lanterns before they turn brown and burst open.

When to sow?

• Pre-cultivation (indoors): From March to April.

• Direct sowing (outdoors): From mid-May (after the Ice Saints), when there is no longer a risk of frost.

How to sow?

• Sowing depth (dark germinators!): Nicandra seeds need darkness to germinate. Place the seeds in the soil and cover them with about 0.5 to 1 cm of potting soil.

• Moisture: Water the soil well after sowing and keep it consistently moist (but not wet!) in the following days.

• Germination time & temperature: In a warm, bright place (optimal temperature is approx. 18–20 °C), the first seedlings usually appear after 1 to 2 weeks.

Planting out & Location

• Outdoors: Pre-grown plants can be moved outdoors from mid-May.

• Planting distance: Be careful, the plant grows very large and bushy! Make sure to give it enough space. A distance of at least 40 to 50 cm from the next plant is ideal.