Characteristics of lunaria, how to plant and care for a plant in a garden plot, recommendations for reproduction, pest and disease control, interesting notes, species and varieties.
Lunaria or Lunaria refers to a small genus of plants that is included in the Brassicaceae family, or as it is also called Crucifers. Only two species are described in the genus, growing mainly on the territory of European countries.
| Family name | Cabbage or Cruciferous |
| Growing period | Perennial or annual |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Seed or vegetative (division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period | End of May - beginning of June (after the passage of return frosts) |
| Landing rules | A pair of seedlings is placed in one hole, the distance between the holes is at least 15-20 cm |
| Priming | Lightweight and nutritious with good drainability |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 - neutral |
| Lighting degree | Sun bed or light shading - for annuals, shade for perennials |
| Humidity parameters | During dry periods |
| Special care rules | Protecting seedlings from direct sunlight |
| Height values | In the range of 0.4-1 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Panicle or racemose |
| Flower color | Snow white, lilac, purple or lilac |
| Flowering period | From the last week of May to the second decade of June |
| Type and color of fruits | Rounded or oval, silvery beige or grayish |
| Fruit ripening time | End of summer |
| Decorative time | From late spring until the stems and fruits are completely dry (early autumn) |
| Application in landscape design | Decoration of flower beds, borders and mixborders, for the formation of dry winter bouquets |
| USDA zone | 3–6 |
Plants of the genus got their scientific name from the Latin word "luna", which has a direct translation "moon". So even in ancient times, people noted the outlines of the fruits of this unusual flower, reminiscent of a beautiful full moon disk. Hence the popular name of this representative of the flora "lunar", but in the literature there is also a direct transliteration of the Latin name - lunaria, as well as lunar grass, silver ruble or silversmith. Since the seeds are clearly visible in the fruit, in the British literature the plant is called "honesty", which means honesty or truthfulness. Also in England you can hear the following synonymous names - "moneyflover" (flower-money) or "pennieflower" (flower-penny).
All the few plants of this genus can grow as annuals or have a long lifespan. They are characterized by a herbaceous form. Lunar stems are erect, with small ramifications. Small hairs cover their surface. The height of the flower stems varies from 40 cm to 100 cm. Their color is green, but upon drying it takes on a grayish tint. On the stems, the leaves can be located either in the opposite or in the next sequence. The leaf plates are large, with solid outlines. The color of the foliage is a rich green hue. At the same time, broadly ovate leaves that grow in the upper part of the stem are deprived of the cuttings (sessile), but the lower ones take a heart-shaped shape, their edge is serrated, they are attached to the stem with petioles.
When flowering, lunaria form inflorescences with paniculate or racemose outlines, collected from flowers, the petals of which are painted in snow-white, lilac, violet or lilac colors. In the flower, the sepal is straight, at the base it takes the shape of a sac. The petals in the corolla are large, their shape resembles elongated marigolds. Filaments are free, can have a simple outline or have a tooth. The honey gland, located at the base of each of the short stamens, is characterized by large size, ring-shaped outlines. From the outside, the piece of iron has a two-bladed appearance, inside it has three blades. During flowering, which falls from mid-May to the second decade of June, a fragrant aroma hovers over the plantings of lunar grass. Pollination of lunar flowers occurs by means of butterflies or bumblebees.
After the large flowers of the lunaria are pollinated, the fruits ripen, which ensured the similarity of the plant with our night star. The shape of a large fruit can take both elliptical and almost rounded shapes. If you look at the fetus from the back, then it has flattening. In fact, the fruit of the lunar is a pod with a flat contour, which is attached to the stem by a peduncle reaching a length of 1.5 cm. The pod leaves are flat, with mesh venation. Such a pretty fruit is painted in a greenish color when formed, and then acquires a matte silver or silver-beige shade, which is given to it by a translucent partition, reminiscent of a film.
Inside, in the light, you can see several seeds arranged in two rows. Their shape is roundish, just as flat. The seeds have a leathery wing. The cotyledons are either flattened or bent across at the base. Lunar seeds are very small in size. So, to make it clear - there are up to 50 seeds in 1 g. At the same time, germination properties will not be lost by seed material over a three-year period.
The plant is characterized by unpretentiousness and it is clear that it cannot compete with garden beauties such as a rose or a lily, but it occupies its own decorative niche. At the same time, there is an opportunity to please yourself in the winter months with a beautiful dry bouquet.
Planting lunaria and caring for a plant in a personal plot
- A place to grow. For lunar grass, both a sunny location and shading can be suitable. It has only been noticed that even though the lunar will grow in the shade, its flowering will be very scarce and, as a result, very few fruits will ripen. The proximity of groundwater should not be, since the occurrence of fungal diseases is possible from waterlogging of the soil. However, a lunaria that comes to life will feel good in the shade, since a high level of illumination can lead to its yellowing and crushing of the pods. At first, seedlings that appeared from sowing seeds directly on a flower bed will need to be shaded. The choice of place should be thought out carefully, since subsequent transplants are very negatively tolerated by the lunar.
- Soil for lunaria it is preferable to pick up loose, so that moisture and air can easily pass to the root system. It is also necessary that the soil in the place where the moon grass is grown is nutritious. The acidity of the substrate is recommended normal with a pH of 6, 5–7. If the soil on the site is acidic, then liming is carried out. For a lunar that comes to life (perennial), a more humid substrate with the addition of organic matter (compost) is suitable. Experts recommend adding lime and humus to the ground before planting and digging the site to a depth of about 10 cm.
- Lunaria landing. If the seeds were sown directly into the soil, then the sowing rules are described in the section "Reproduction of Lunaria using seeds". If seedlings were grown, then the seedlings of the lunar grass are moved to the garden only when the time of return frosts has passed, and this is approximately the last days of May or from early to mid-June. The hole is dug out of such a size that the root system of the plant can freely fit there without destroying it after being removed from the planting container, since the lunar does not react well to transplants. The planting depth of the seedlings should be the same as they were placed in the pot before. The distance between plants can be left in the range of 20-30 cm. If the bushes of the moon grass grow closer, they will shade each other, which will lead to insufficient growth or the cause of disease. After the lunar seedling is installed in the hole, soil is added along the edges and then it is squeezed well. Then abundant watering is performed.
- Lunaria watering can be carried out as the soil dries up. But the plant prefers to be in a slightly moist substrate. When the weather is dry for a long time, regular and generous watering is recommended. However, with normal rainfall, lunar grass will grow well without external moisture. It is important to remember that stagnant water will negatively affect the roots of the moon grass.
- General advice on care. After the seedlings emerge on the flowerbed, you need to wait until they reach a height of 5-10 cm and then gently loosen the soil next to them. Mulching is required until the plants reach a size that allows the first loosening of the soil. The wintering of perennial lunar grass takes place without shelter, and even if it freezes over, it will recover in the spring.
- Fruit cutting carried out only when they change their color scheme to light brown. Then the stems with the pods of the lunar are cut right near the soil and transferred to dry in a shaded place with good ventilation. The pods will dry completely in about half a month and can be used to form winter bouquets and other crafts. To remove the outer plates from the fruit and remove the seeds from them, you should lightly rub them between your fingers. This will contribute to the formation of a beautiful lunar areola of the pod septum.
- The use of lunaria in landscape design. Since the plant has not only cute pod fruits, but also fragrant bright flowers, it is recommended to plant moon grass in group plantings, decorating flower beds and flower beds. At the same time, the placement of landing sites is possible both in the sun and in shade. Clematis, lilies and roses can be the best neighbors. Today, landscape designers have proposed the design of gravel gardens by planting a lunar, in which this unpretentious representative of the flora will coexist with asters, fennel and geraniums. With such a planting, since the entire space between the plants is filled with gravel, the possibility of weed growth is excluded, which are not only the cause of drowning young seedlings, but also carriers of certain diseases. A good solution would be the formation of a Mauritanian lawn from annual and perennial meadow plants, which, moreover, does not need to be mowed. In this case, cornflowers, forget-me-nots and Iberises should be planted next to the lunar grass, calendula and poppies will look good next to it. But for the Moorish lawn, it is characteristic that about 70% of it is allocated for cereal representatives of the flora - field grass and fescue.
Due to the fact that perennial lunaria can tolerate a shady location, it is advised to use it to organize a festive corner in the garden, where other flowers will not survive. Fuchsia is beautifully located nearby, which is also famous for the possibility of flowering under trees and shrubs.
Read more about agrotechnics for the cultivation of the yarrow
Lunaria breeding recommendations - growing from seeds and vegetative method
You can get a new plant with coin pods by sowing seeds or vegetatively. However, the latter method only applies to perennial varieties.
Reproduction of lunaria using seeds
After the seeds are fully ripe, they are carefully removed from the pods and used for sowing, or they are transferred to preserve in paper bags until spring sowing. An annual species of a lunar (and it is usually used as a two-year-old plant) is recommended to be sown on a prepared bed at the end of May or in June-July. In this case, the seed material is carefully selected in order to leave only well-ripened seeds, dark brown in color with a diameter of at least 5-6 mm. When sowing, it is necessary to maintain 15–20 cm between the seeds, otherwise it will be necessary to plant the seedlings. Already after 7 days, you can see the first shoots.
During the first growing season, the lunaria will only form a basal rosette of unfolded leaves. By the end of summer, you can transplant lunar grass to another, more suitable place for it. Seedlings can hibernate without shelter, since adaptation is excellent before the cold weather. The peduncle will form only by the second year of cultivation. Then it will be possible to rejoice in flowering during the period of May-June, and to receive the fruits by the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn.
Growing seedlings of lunaria
To get flowering in the first year of growing a lunar, it is recommended to cultivate seedlings. In this case, the seeds should be sown in the second half of March. For this, experienced flower growers use special cassettes or peat tablets, but if there are none, then peat pots or ordinary plastic cups filled with a peat-sand mixture will do. The cassettes should also be filled with the indicated soil mixture, and the seeds are deepened into the tablets with a toothpick.
The depth of seed placement should not exceed 5 mm and it is better to put in a pair in one hole, after which they are sprinkled with a substrate. Then it is necessary to spray the crops from a fine-dispersed spray bottle. If a pair of seedlings appears in one cassette, then the weaker one is plucked out. Containers with crops must be placed on a sunny windowsill and make sure that the soil does not dry out, but also do not flood the soil.
Important
When growing seedlings, the lighting level should be high, but with shading from direct sunlight at midday, otherwise they will dry out the soil and burn young plants.
Landing in open ground is carried out in the period May-June, when return frosts will not harm the seedlings of the lunar. Before planting in the garden, you can harden the seedlings in a week, exposing them to the balcony for 15–20 minutes, gradually increasing the time until it becomes round the clock.
Reproduction of lunaria by dividing the rhizome
This method concerns purely the type of lunaria that comes to life. When a plant bush grows too much, its root system can be neatly divided. To do this, a root fragment is dug out and planted, like a seedling, in a place prepared in advance.
Important
If the growing conditions are suitable, then perennial lunar grass can perfectly reproduce by self-sowing.
Among the diseases that are characteristic of the lunar, fungal infections are distinguished, although lesions are very rare. At the first signs, somehow the formation of spots of various colors, plaque or other unusual manifestations on the foliage (burns, deformation, the appearance of pustules, etc.), the parts affected by the disease should be immediately removed and burned, and the plant itself should be treated with a fungicidal agent, for example, Bordeaux liquid or Fundazol.
Read also about the fight against possible pests and diseases of Iberis
Interesting notes about the lunaria flower
There is a wonderful legend about the origin of the moon grass. In ancient times, in one night, the moon descended on a picturesque earth meadow. The heavenly body was struck by the large number of flowers growing on the lawn, their beauty and fragrances. The moon could not tear herself away from the earthly flowers and revel in them until the morning. When it began to dawn, she decided to pick a bouquet for herself, so that she would scatter it across the sky and there delight her eyes with the beauty of flowers along with the cold light of the stars. When the bouquet was almost assembled, Luna bent down for an unusual small flower, the outlines of which were similar to a silvery bell. As soon as she wanted to pick the flower, a bumblebee flew out of its corolla, frightening the Queen of the Night. From fright and surprise, the moon dropped the collected flowers and rose up into the heavens with nothing. But where the flowers plucked for the bouquet fell, unusual plants began to appear. They bloom every time since the moon descends back to earth. These flowers, with their outlines, are very reminiscent of the shape of a full lunar disk.
The legend of the lunaria is very ancient, such plants belong to the flora of the forestlands of the Tertiary period by scientists. At the same time, the distribution area of lunarists widely covered almost the entire European territory. The lunar began to grow as a cultivated plant in the Middle Ages. Also, traditional healers have long been known about its medicinal properties.
On the basis of the herb Lunaria, decoctions and infusions were prepared, which were prescribed to patients with epilepsy, helped to eliminate convulsions and were used as a diuretic. Today, interest in the flower is not only among flower lovers in their personal plots, but also among florists, since you can decorate any bouquet of dead herbs with extraordinary dried fruits of a lunar.
Today, the number of areas where lunar grass grows is significantly reduced, since a person is actively deforestation, due to which the habitats of these flowers are greatly disturbed. Also, the disappearance of the money flower is facilitated by collecting it for the formation of winter bouquets and not only these aspects. At present, measures have been taken to give the lunar a protective status in almost all territories of the former USSR, where habitats are still observed.
Types and varieties of lunaria
Annual lunaria (Lunaria annua)
It is this plant in the English territories that bears the iconic nickname - honesty (that is, truthfulness or honesty), as if emphasizing the transparent shell of the fruit pod, through which the darkening seeds are clearly visible. The specific name directly indicates the growth period - one year, but it is grown as a biennial. The height, which the branched stems reach, is 0.6 m. The leaf blades have petioles or they can be deprived of them (sessile). The shape of the leaves is broadly ovate, with a short pointed tip. The foliage surface is roughly hairy. The arrangement of the leaves is regular.
When flowering, falling in the last days of May and lasting until mid-June, flowers bloom with a white, purple or purple color. From the buds, racemose terminal inflorescences are formed. Flowering can be expected in plants of this species only one year after sowing. After pollination of the flowers, their place is taken by flat, rounded or oval seed pods, resembling pods. At first, their color is greenish, but over time, until the beginning of autumn, light brown and silver tones begin to appear. The pods become stiff to the touch.
It is this time that is suitable for cutting the stems, which is carried out directly under the root. Then drying is carried out in a well-ventilated dry room for at least 14 days. This period is enough for the foliage to dry out and the seeds in the pods to fully ripen. Fruiting in this variety is abundant, the diameter of the fruits reaches 3 cm.
Lunaria rediviva
is a perennial plant, the height of which is almost a meter. The stems grow straight, the upper part of which is characterized by branching. The surface of the stems is covered with small hairs. The leaves that grow in the upper part of the stems have an oval shape, sessile, their arrangement is regular. The foliage in the lower part is equipped with petioles, and leaf plates grow opposite each other. The shape of these leaves is heart-shaped, the edge is decorated with denticles. The color of the leaves is deep green.
When blooming, the buds open, with purple petals. The flowers are fragrant in diameter reaching 4 cm. Paniculate inflorescences are usually collected from them. Pod fruits appear large in size, their length is 5 cm. The outlines of these pod-shaped seed pods are oval-lanceolate, there is a slight sharpening on both tops. The fruits ripen at the end of the summer season.
This variety has been cultivated in culture since 1575. In natural conditions, he prefers open locations in shady forests. Late frosts are a serious problem. The soils on which natural growth occurs are nutritious, there is high-quality aeration, the reaction of the soil is neutral.
When sowing, the first two leaves will unfold in May, the second only by the end of summer. A year before flowering, flower buds will already be formed in adult specimens in the first autumn period. In the middle of spring next year, the buds will serve as a source of new shoots, and by the end of May, buds will bloom on them. Fruit ovary occurs at the end of summer, and already in September the seed material falls off. If the shoots were accidentally damaged, then in August a second wave of flowering is possible. When a plant grows in nature, then flowering will come by the 5-7th period of life, and with cultural cultivation, it will be possible to enjoy flowers already in the second year.
Usually, this variety is often successful only in botanical gardens, and amateur flower growers prefer an annual look. Today, through the efforts of breeders, a large number of varieties of annual lunaria have been bred, among which the following can be noted:
- Purple characterized by purple inflorescences.
- Alba when blooming, flowers with absolutely white petals are revealed.
- Colored (Variegata) flaunts with leaf plates of various shades and flowers of mauve color scheme.
- Munstead Purplet the owner of a fragrant aroma with flowering and lilac flowers.
Related article: Growing matthiola or levkoy in the garden, tips and tricks.
Video about growing lunaria in the garden:
