Lawsonia Alba, Hina, Mehndi - 0.5 kg Seeds

Lawsonia (Henna or Mehndi, Lawsonia inermis, often sold as Lawsonia alba) is a much-branched, sometimes spiny shrub or small tree with small, fragrant cream-white flowers and leaves that yield the natural red-orange dye lawsone. It is one of India's most economically important dye and cosmetic plants.

Its dried, powdered leaves are used to colour skin, hair and nails and in traditional medicine, while the sweetly scented flowers are valued in perfumery; it also makes a hardy, drought-tolerant flowering hedge. It is cultivated commercially in the dry tracts of Rajasthan (notably around Sojat), Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, thriving in hot climates on light, well-drained soils.

• Family: Lythraceae
• Native region: North Africa and West/South Asia
• Mature height: 2-6 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

The small seed has a hard coat, so soak it in water for 24 hours (or lightly scarify) to aid even germination. Sow shallowly in a fine, moist seed tray and keep warm; germination takes about 21-30 days and can be uneven. Transplant the seedlings into bags once established before setting out in the field.