Description
Lunaria – Honesty –
There are 3 species of erect, branching annuals, biennial and perennials, in this genus. They occur on disturbed ground and in cultivated fields in Europe and Western Asia. They have alternate, ovate to triangular-heart shaped, toothed leaves, and bear tall, open, terminal racemes of many 4 petalled, cross shaped, violet-blue to white flowers in late spring and summer. Valued for their flowers, they may be naturalized in a shrub border, in woodland, or in a wild garden, where they self seed. L. annua and L. rediviva have translucent seed pods that excellent for dried flower arrangements, pick for dried arrangements when seed pods turn brown, hang in a cool, dry place, and let valves and seed fall naturally.
Grow in fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
Prone to clubroot, white blister, viruses, and leaf spots.
L. annua ‘Munstead Purple’ – L. biennis – Money Plant – Silver Dollars – This fast growing, annual or biennial from Southern Europe and the Mediterranean Coast grows 30-36″ tall and 12″ wide. It produces oval, pointed, coarsely toothed, light to mid green leaves, to 6″ long. In late spring and early summer it bears cross shaped, 4 petalled, deep reddish purple flowers, to ½” across, are held in broad, leafy racemes, to 7″ long. Flat seed pods, 1-3″ long are circular and brown, the outer walls must fall off or be removed to reveal the silvery inner walls.
Zones 3-9
