How to Grow Honesty Flowers (Lunaria annua)

By Matt Gibson

Honesty is a biennial flowering plant that is cultivated for its decorative economic value , specifically for its flower and seed pods . As a biyearly , honesty will explicate during the first year , then it will bloom in the second yr , and then go to seed . If you want honesty flower every yr , you should plant them two years in a row , as honesty only bloom in the second year after it has had a hazard to establish itself for the first class .

Honesty ’s four - petaled flowerheads bloom from mid outflow to early summer of the second year in various shadowiness that range from deep purple to white . The color of flowers produced by the honesty plant is dependent on the variety that was planted . Most cultivars produce deep - royal or otherpurple - tinted flower , though there are a few species which grow white blossom instead .

When silver dollar ’s flowers fade off in the early summer , they are replaced in midsummer by coin - shaped , semitransparent seminal fluid fuel pod . The seed pods start out green , but then wither to a golden brownness as they dry . The dried efflorescence and seed pod can be used in flowered arrangements , and can be bear to last for extensive geological period of time .

The foliage of the honesty plant is rather quotidian by itself , but makes an first-class backdrop for the plant ’s flush and seed pods , which stand out nicely in front of the standard - expect leafage . The leaves of the honesty works are average green and mountain range from oval to heart - mould , with serrate edging and pointed tips .

Lunaria annua is most commonly known as honesty , but is actually a works with many alternate name calling . It is also consult to as Silver Dollar , Dollar Plant , and Money Plant because of its coin shaped seed pods , and also called Moonwort , Moneywort , Bolbonac , and Lunaria . Honesty is resilient to most garden pest and disease payoff , and attracts butterflies , bee , and otherbeneficial insectsduring its blooming season .

Lunaria annua with text overlay flower gardening tips how to grow honesty flowers

Varieties of Honesty

There are three main specie of the honesty flower . Annual honesty ( Lunaria annua ) , which is really a biennial , despite its scientific name , and perennial honesty ( Lunaria rediviva ) are the most unremarkably found species of silver dollar , and both are grown for their aromatic flush and decorative seminal fluid pods , which bring color to bloom garden and cut flower arrangements likewise . The third species of satin flower is quite uncommon , its scientific name is Lunaria telekiana , and it grows in the wild in the cragged region of Serbia , Albania , and Montenegro .

Because of the plant ’s popularity amongst gardeners across the world , stock breeder have set out to make some alternate versions of the beloved flower . A few of the most pop cultivar are listed below .

Lunaria annua ‘ Chedglow ’ – This variety has chocolate - colour leafage and nectar - tamp down lilac flowers that attract bees and butterflies . Chedglow honesty plants grow to around three pes tall .

Lunaria annua var . Albiflora – Though most varieties of honesty do in various shades of purple , this cultivar blossom in a splendid tweed which seems to beam in the moonlight , replaced by pretty , papery seed pods after the flowers fade . A winner of the Royal Horticultural Society ’s Award of Garden Merit .

Lunaria rediviva – This recurrent motley has become democratic due to the powerful sweet redolence of its lilac flowers and its large , attending - grab seedheads . Grows to almost three feet marvellous .

Lunaria annua ‘ Alba Variegata ’ – This pocket-size biennial cultivar has become popular due to its variegate , heart - shaped folio , which have cream - colour edges to rival the plant ’s creamy snowy flowerheads . Mature flora grow to just below two feet in tallness .

Lunaria annua ‘ Munstead Purple ’ – cover to closely resemble the original honesty flush , but to bloom every class or else of every other class . This cultivar has drab foliation , bright pink to magenta flowers that bloom p.a. , and papery , ornamental seed pods that tight follow the blooms .

Growing Conditions for Honesty

Honesty is pretty easygoing to grow if provide with the proper growing condition . It ’s a gravid plant to pick for growing with children , as the plants are adaptable , quite absolvitory and have a high success rate .

Honesty prefers sunny locations and will produce more flowers in full sun but will tolerate fond tad location as well . seek to avoid letting the soil dry out between watering , as Lunaria annua favor a consistently moist grime . Take precaution not to overwater , however , as satinpod will not do well in soggy soil conditions . In moderate mood , you will only postulate to render water once per workweek , specially if you have installed a good bed of mulch to amend water system retention .

Just about any type of ground will suffice , as honesty plant life will produce well in chalk , the Great Compromiser , loamy , or sandlike grunge types . The plant also does n’t seem to have any preference between acid , alkaline , or achromatic soil pH , but adapts to whatever land it is put up . The only soil requirement is that the medium is well - draining , and proceed moist at all fourth dimension .

How to Plant Honesty

Honesty blossom would belike grow well if their germ were just flip every which way into a eyepatch of soil and leave to fend for themselves . However , there are some liberal road map which gardener can postdate to get an idea of when , where , and how to best establish honesty flower . We also include a few prompting for companion plant that will get well with honesty in your peak bed .

Lunaria semen can be straightaway sown for the first planting anytime after the last Robert Lee Frost in the spring or summer . You may also want to stumble honesty ’s appearance in the garden by planting a few seed in the fall as well , as the flora is a biennial and will not in all likelihood produce any blossom or come pods until the second year of growth .

implant silver dollar flowers in a sunny to partially shaded localization . Keep in mind that honestness is an aggressive self - cloud seeder , so you may want to sequestrate it in an area that is easy to tend to or hold or it could spread into areas of the garden where you never wanted it to go .

Honesty plant are quite hard to transplant due to their foresightful taproot . The honorable way to engraft them is to splash cum on the ground and cover them with a very small amount of soil . Trim seedlings back to every 15 to 18 inch to provide adequate air circulation and way for root growth between industrial plant . ameliorate your beds with constitutive matter before planting will help cater plenty of nutrient for healthy and stable growth . furnish plants with a abstruse lacrimation right after planting , and keep bottom consistently moist , peculiarly through germination , until plant have become established .

Honesty is a good layer buddy with just about any eccentric of works you might pair it with , but it is especially partial of originate next to other spring flowering plant , like Tulips and Forget - Me - Nots . Honesty look bang-up and rise especially well next to Hakone Grass . You may also choose to plant honesty next to other flower that raise endearing dried flowers in a cutting garden . annual that are perfect for dried arrangements include strawflower , Celosia argentea cristata , globe amaranth , bells - of - Ireland , sleepy dick , one-year statice , and honey - lies - haemorrhage .

Care for Honesty

Honesty is a very low - care garden works which does n’t exact lots of fertilizer or involve regular trimming . Plants will do good from a little turn of balanced fertilizer once or doubly per year , but they do not require it . The plant should be appropriate to go to germ so that their cosmetic pod will be on display . Harvest a few of the seed pods for sowing and keep the stay pods attached to the plant for ornamental purposes .

How to Propagate Honesty

As long as it is not regularly skip back , honesty will self - seed surprisingly well . You may also choose to collect seed by redeem a few seed seedcase for future planting . Sow satinpod seeds indoors in the early summertime for transplanting in the fall and efflorescence in the following spring .

Garden Pests and Diseases of Honesty

Honesty is quite insubordinate to most garden pests and disease issues , but it is not entirely immune . To keep your honesty plant free of any rough-cut problem , we have lean a few issues to keep an eye out for , as well as suggestion for how to plow them should they become a job .

Aphids , the infamous garden peststhat feed on the underside of the foliage of many common garden plants , can occasionally trouble the honesty flower . normally appearing in lowly numbers , aphids can often be dealt with by blare them off with a strong burst of body of water from your garden hose .

However , when water is not enough to give up them off your plants , you may need to become to utilize insecticidal soap to handle large infestations . Another excellent way to treat aphids in your garden is to release ( or educate industrial plant which by nature attract ) ladybugs in your garden . Aphids are like a lightsome bite to ladybeetle , and a smattering of lady beetle can make short body of work of a large aphid plague .

Septoria leaf spot is a fungous disease which is an casual return for honesty flowers . While folio spot does n’t typically kill garden plants , it undermine them and prevents them from reproduce . Septoria leafage spots can be identify as small freckle - like spots which appear on the topside of the foliage . The leaves develop holes , then start to yellow and finally fall off the works entirely .

folio spot can usually be forefend by using drip mould irrigation or by irrigate at the base of the plants instead of from operating expense . Keeping the leaves dry can go a long way towards preclude the fungous contagion . leave plenty of outer space between plants and lay down a stratum of mulch to help ameliorate air circulation and keep plants dry . In utmost cases , fungicides may be necessary to control folio place . Practicing even harvest gyration will also help to prevent septoria leaf smirch .

Another issue that can affect honesty plant life is clubroot . Clubroot is identified by noticing leaf turning yellow and ingest stunt maturation issues . Club - shaped gall form on the base organization below the grease . To address clubroot issues , move the affected plant to a unlike area of the garden and remedy the soil in that expanse , if necessary , to cater an alkaline or indifferent environment for affected plant .

White Blister Rust is another rough-cut garden disease that can affect honesty plants , slowing their development habits and distorting their development . White Blister Rust appears as clean powder - similar lesions on the airfoil of foliage . If symptoms of White Blister Rust are noticed , clip off and destroy touched leaves and distance affected plants out further for extra air circulation . If potential , use drip irrigation or flip to manually watering affected plants at the base of the plant to forefend water splashing . set out a stratum of mulch will also help to keep plant wry .

How to Harvest & Store Honesty

The most pop part of the honesty plant life is the silver - clam - like seed pod that seem on the works after the bloom fade off . These seed pods are popular summation to dried blossom bouquets and arrangements and are commonly used as play money by young children . Keep the seed pod on the works until they are dry , or issue the stems anytime after the pods slicing to brown and tie them together , string up them upside down to stop dry .

Wait to compile the seeds until they have turned brown in the pod . Then , remove the outer level of the pod by chafe it between your fingers . Store the dried seed in airtight container in a obscure , dry , coolheaded positioning , such as a basement , or a computer storage closet .

Honesty flush are not the most eye - catching flowers in the garden , but they are mighty fragrant , and the semen pods that look after the flowers fade , are just as attractive as the flowers themselves , if not moreso . acquire honesty to tot up an interesting doubled - ornamental to the heyday bed in your bungalow garden , or to provide your dried flower bouquets with a few unparalleled conversation composition to make your dried arrangements support out .