Lunaria is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae (order Brassicales), native to Europe and widely cultivated and naturalised across temperate regions of the world, including North America. The genus is best known for its striking, translucent, disc-shaped seedpods — flattened silicles that persist long after the seeds disperse — which give the plants their common names: honesty, money plant, moonwort, and silver dollar plant.
The genus comprises two to three species. Lunaria annua (annual or biennial honesty) is by far the most widely grown, producing tall stems clothed in hairy, toothed, heart-shaped leaves and topped with dense terminal racemes of four-petalled flowers that range from white to rich violet-purple, appearing in spring and early summer. Lunaria rediviva (perennial honesty) is a longer-lived woodland species with fragrant pale lilac flowers. A third species, L. telekiana, is a rare endemic of the Balkan Peninsula.
After flowering, all species develop the ornamental seed capsules — large, oval to round, papery septae that become silvery-translucent when the outer valves are shed — making Lunaria a popular choice for dried-flower arrangements. Plants are widely cultivated in temperate gardens for both their spring flower display and their decorative seedheads.
Etymology
The genus name Lunaria derives from the Latin luna ("moon"), alluding to the round, silvery-translucent seed capsules that resemble a full moon. The same quality underlies the common English names "honesty," "money plant," and "silver dollar plant," all referencing the coin-like appearance of the dried seedpods.
Distribution
Lunaria is native to central and southern Europe. It has been widely introduced and has become naturalised across much of temperate North America, the British Isles, and other cool-temperate regions where it frequently escapes cultivation into roadsides, hedgerows, and disturbed ground.
Cultivation
Lunaria annua is grown as an annual or biennial in gardens throughout temperate regions, valued for both its spring flower display and its long-lasting ornamental seedpods. Seeds are typically sown in late spring or early summer for flowers the following year; in mild climates plants self-seed freely. Lunaria rediviva is grown as a long-lived perennial and tolerates partial shade, making it suitable for woodland garden settings. Both species prefer well-drained soil and a sunny to partially shaded position. The seedpods are harvested for dried arrangements by cutting stems when the outer valves begin to loosen and allowing them to dry fully.
