10 Seeds Winged Sesame Sesamum alatum Annual Flowering Plant

Winged Sesame (Sesamum alatum) is an annual flowering plant grown from seed, admired for its delicate pale pink to lilac blooms and its distinctive winged seed capsules. A less common relative of cultivated sesame, it adds an unusual botanical accent to warm-season beds, borders, and container plantings, and its airy growth habit blends easily into mixed ornamental schemes.
In the garden, Winged Sesame is typically grown as an ornamental annual for its continuous summer flowering and slender, upright form. The nectar-rich blossoms draw bees and other pollinators through the season, while the angular winged capsules that follow add textural interest after flowering. It suits cottage-style borders, pollinator plantings, meadow-style areas, and patio containers in full sun, and it works well as a middle-of-border filler among other sun-loving annuals.
Species: Sesamum alatum
Type: Annual flowering plant
Plant Habit: Upright, branching
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, sandy to loamy
Days to Harvest: Not applicable
Zones: Grown as an annual in most zones
Germination: Surface sow, light required; keep warm and moist
Sowing: Start indoors before last frost or direct sow after soil warms
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart
Notes: Drought tolerant once established; avoid waterlogged soil