Ranunculaceae
Black cumin
Nigella sativa
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus
- Nigella
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsNot sure
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

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Common names
By language (35)
- Arabic
- حبة البركة, الحبة السوداء, بشمة, حبة سوداء, حبه البركه, شونيز, كمون اسود
- Azerbaijani
- Çörəkotu
- Bangla
- কালো জিরা
- Belarusian
- Чарнушка
- Bhojpuri
- कलौंजी, मँगरइल, मंगरैल
- Bosnian
- Čurekot
- Catalan
- Pebreta
- Chinese
- 家黑种草, 黑香种草(家黑种草), 黑种草, 腺毛黑种草, 腺毛黑種草, 腺毛黑种草(瘤果黑种草), 黑种草子, 瘤果黑种草
- Czech
- Černucha setá
- Divehi
- ކަޅު ދިރި
- Dutch
- Zwarte komijn
- English
- Black cumin, Black caraway, Black onion seed
- Esperanto
- Sema nigelo
- Finnish
- Ryytineito, Maustenigella
- French
- Nigelle cultivée, Cumin noir, Nigelle cultivee
- German
- Echter Schwarzkümmel, Schwarzer Kümmel
- Hebrew
- קצח תרבותי, קצח הגינה
- hsb
- Sywna čornucha
- Indonesian
- Jintan hitam, Habbatussauda
- Italian
- Grano nero
- Latvian
- Sējas melnsēklīte
- Lithuanian
- Sėjamoji juodgrūdė, Kalondži
- Malay
- Habbatussauda, Jintan hitam
- Pashto
- توره وانجه, کلونجۍ
- Persian
- سیاهدانه, سیاه دانه
- Polish
- Czarnuszka siewna
- Russian
- Чернушка посевная, Калинджи, Черный тмин, Чёрный тмин, Чернушка желёзистая, Чернушка железистая
- Serbian
- Чурукот
- Slovak
- Černuška siata
- Spanish
- Kalonji, Neguilla hortense, Toda especia
- Swedish
- Svartkummin
- Turkish
- Çörek otu
- Ukrainian
- Калінджі, Чорний кмин
- Urdu
- کلونجی
- wuu
- 腺毛黑种草
Synonyms
- Nigella cretica Mill.
- Nigella glandulifera Freyn & Sint ex Freyn
- Nigella indica Roxb. ex Flem.
- Nigella truncata Viv.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos

Photo: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: C T Johansson, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: C T Johansson, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Conrad Altmann, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Nigella
- Devil in the bushNigella damascenaRanunculaceae
- Wild fennel-flowerNigella arvensisRanunculaceae
- Nigella gallicaRanunculaceae
- Nigella oxypetalaRanunculaceae
- Nigella segetalisRanunculaceae
- Spanish fennelNigella hispanicaRanunculaceae
- Yellow fennel flowerNigella orientalisRanunculaceae
- Papillose-leaved love-in-a-mistNigella papillosaRanunculaceae
- Nigella carpathaRanunculaceae
- Ciliate love-in-a-mistNigella ciliarisRanunculaceae
- Nigella elataRanunculaceae
- Nigella nigellastrumRanunculaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.