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Lunaria - Honesty Mix
Seed Packet

Lunaria - Honesty Mix

Lunaria annua
Part of the Brassicaceae family of plants, along with cabbages and the like, honesty's cross-shaped four-petaled flowers are rich in nectar. They are a boon to local bees and butterflies, including butterfly caterpillars that feed on the leaves. Violet or white flowers appear the second year after planting and bloom in early summer, along with the headlong rush of favorite garden perennials. After the bloom, the main attraction is the ripening disks of the seed pods, which change hues and finally dry to a linen color and pique our interest once again as winter drapes them in a dusting of snow.
SKU #S1887
$3.50
Currently Unavailable
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Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
75
Lifecycle
Biennial
Perennial Hardiness Zone
4,
5,
6,
7,
8
Mature Size
2-3' h x 2' w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Regular to rich, moist, well-drained
Season
Spring to summer
Color
White or purple cross-shaped petals
Features
Scented Leaves
Great Cut Flower
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Bees
Attracts Beneficial Insects
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Surface sow to light cover, 1/8".
Sprout Time:
7-14 days
Starting Indoors:
Sow in pots 6-8 weeks before last frost and cover with a light sprinkling of vermiculite to retain moisture until germination occurs. Keep at 70°F.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow early to mid summer for blooms the following year.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
After last spring frost.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Grown since the time of Chaucer in medieval England and known by many names such as Moonwort, Money Plant, and Honesty, the botanical name Lunaria comes from the Latin luna–the moon. The biennial Lunaria is often grown as a dried flower, its seeds enclosed between two thin sheets covering the opalescent disks so prized in winter bouquets. It is lovely with early summer foxgloves in the dappled shade of woodland edges–for it enjoys some afternoon shade. Thin your sowings so they have room to develop large, many-branched plants filled with fragrant blooms, succeeded by round flat seedpods. Cut as they change color and hang upside down in a warm, airy location, and rub the papery coverings off when dry to reveal the pearly gleam within.
Final Spacing:
2'
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
1" a week.
Soil pH:
Does well in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils.
Fertilizer:
Mix in 1-2" of compost before planting.
Diseases & Pests:
Avoid leaf and crown disease by planting in well-drained soils in airy locations. Treat aphids with insecticidal soap sprays.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Cut when seed pods start to dry and turn light brown.