Lunaria 'Honesty Plant' Care & Growing Tips | Horticulture (2024)

PERENNIALS > LUNARIA

By ELIZABETH WADDINGTON

Lunaria is a flowering plant that in the language of flowers represents honesty, sincerity and prosperity.

Honesty is a useful and interesting plant that can find a place in many gardens.

There are actually two different plants called honesty: one is annual (or biennial) honesty – Lunaria annua, and the other is perennial honesty – Lunaria rediviva.

In this guide, we will discuss both of these plants.

By the end of this guide, you should have a much better idea about which, if either, of these useful and attractive plants might be a good choice for your garden.

Overview

Lunaria is a genus of flowering plants that are actually in the Brassicaceae family – this is the family that also includes the edible brassicas that we might find in a vegetable garden, such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips, mustard etc.¹Todd, J. (n.d.). Lunaria annua. Oxford University Plants. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/kl/Lunaria

This genus actually includes four species, two of which are interesting for UK gardeners.

The other two, that we will not be covering in this guide, are L. elongata and the rare Balkan species L. telekiana.

Lunaria means ‘like the moon’ – a name which refers to the decorative seed pods of these plants.

The disc-shaped, silvery pods also explain many other common names for the plants, and its association with silver coins, or money.

These plants are native to central and southern Europe and North America, but they are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens, and have become naturalised in many temperate climate zones outside their native range.²Lunaria annua. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=278072

Lunaria Types

Annual Honesty

Botanical Name: Lunaria annua

Annual or biennial honesty is an attractive garden plant that grows up to around 90cm tall with a spread of around 30cm.

It has coarse, pointed-oval shaped, hairy leaves with marked serrations along the edges.

In the spring and summer, the plants bear racemes of white or violet flowers which are followed by showy green-light brown translucent disc-shaped silicles (not botanically speaking seedpods though they are often referred to as such).

Once ripe and dry, seeds fall from these silicles leaving a silvery membrane that can sometimes persist on the plants throughout the winter.

The name ‘honesty’ emerged in the sixteenth century and it is believed to relate to the translucence of the silicle membranes.³The Brassica family and their useful plants; (2022, July 3). Wonderful Weed Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://wonderfulweedweekly.co.uk/the-brassica-family-and-their-useful-plants-part-3/

• In the US it is commonly called ‘Silver Dollars’.
• In French, ‘monnaie du pape’ meaning ‘Pope’s Money’.
• In Denmark and Dutch-speaking countries as ‘Coins of Judas’.

Perennial Honesty

Botanical Name: Lunaria rediviva

Perennial honesty is another popular garden plant.

It grows up to 1m in height and has large, pointed oval-shaped leaves with marked serrations, similar to the above.

It has clusters of fragrant, pale pink flowers that are borne in the spring.

Rather than having circular silicles, this plant has longer pods that taper to points at both ends.

But these pods, like those of the above, have a bright whitish-silver appearance that can have great ornamental appeal.

Like other perennial plants, L. rediviva is a great option for those who want to create long-lasting gardens that won’t require a lot of work, since it will come back and flower over a number of years.

Why Grow Lunaria?

Wildlife Benefits

L. annua and L. rediviva are both very useful wildlife-friendly plants and are considered to be excellent choices for wildflower meadow-type planting schemes and wildlife gardens.

This not only has ecological benefits, but can also aid those trying to grow their own.

Since increasing biodiversity helps keep the ecosystem in balance and aids in organic pest control.

These are great plants for attracting lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and other pollinators.

It is caterpillar food for the caterpillars of the orange tip butterfly, for example.

Ornamental Reasons

The plants are both also great ornamental choices.

They add interest not only during the flowering period but also beyond, as the attractive silicles form.

What is more, the dried seed pods are also very attractive in floral arrangements, and are often used in cut flower displays.

They could also therefore be good choices to add to a cut flower garden.

Edible Yield

L. annua can also be interesting for those cultivating an edible garden.

The seeds have a strong and pungent flavour and are used as a mustard substitute.

The root of the plant is sometimes also cultivated and eaten.

Low Maintenance

L. rediviva is a tough perennial, and a great choice for low-maintenance gardens.

Like other perennial plants, it can be a good choice for low-maintenance wildflower meadows or perennial beds or borders, and can be suitable for areas of a garden where other forms of ground cover may be difficult to establish.

Trap Crops

Another thing to consider is that, as members of the Brassicaceae family, these plants may be beneficial in an organic garden as trap crops – distracting pests that prey on edible brassicas and thereby providing a distraction to help in keeping culinary crops safe.

Unless seeds are collected, both of these plants will often self-seed readily.

How To Grow Lunaria

The plants can cope with an exposed location, but if you want to retain the attractive silvery membranes on the plants for as long as possible then they are best grown in a more sheltered spot.

One thing to note if you plan to incorporate this plant into a kitchen garden is that it should not be grown in the same bed as brassicas, and annual brassicas should be rotated in a crop rotation scheme.

Honesty works well in a spring woodland border and can be great when grown alongside tulips or other spring flowering bulbs.

“I love to establish swathes of white and pale colour flowered Lunaria under the dappled shade of a tree, as there is something mesmerising in the way the broken sunlight through a fresh spring canopy catches these flowers,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori.

They also work well alongside Alliums, geraniums and forget-me-nots, for example.

It can also look good amongst naturalistic meadow planting schemes with grasses and native wildflowers.

Ongoing Plant Care

Lunaria are great low-maintenance plants and really do require very little care.

Give them a little water if the weather it particularly dry.

But generally, you can leave them to get on with things and focus on more fussy plants.

The one thing to make sure of is that the Lunaria do not have ‘wet feet’ – waterlogging is one problem that they cannot abide.

Like common edible brassicas, this plant can be affected by club root.

Other than that, they will not usually encounter many problems – in fact, they can be so low maintenance that in some areas, they can even start to be considered as a weed!

However, as it is generally untroubled by pests, you will find that both types of Lunaria can be very useful and attractive additions to your garden.

If you do not already grow Lunaria in your garden, it is certainly a good option to consider.

Honesty is something to cultivate in all areas of life – including in your garden!

• 1

  Todd, J. (n.d.). Lunaria annua. Oxford University Plants. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/kl/Lunaria

• 2

  Lunaria annua. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=278072

• 3

  The Brassica family and their useful plants; (2022, July 3). Wonderful Weed Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://wonderfulweedweekly.co.uk/the-brassica-family-and-their-useful-plants-part-3/