Practical
Plants

Lunaria annua

Honesty · Money Plant

an annual or biennial member of the Lunaria genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Lunaria
Life cycle
annual, biennial
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.25 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked. A pungent flavour, they are used as a mustard substitute[14]. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard[16]. Unripe raw seed add a mustard-like flavours in salads. Root - raw[15][18][13]. Used before the plant produces flowers[17][14].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
Europe - Sweden. More or less naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Moist soils in full sun or light shade, avoiding acid soils.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
nutritionally poor soil, drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
Yes
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or early autumn in situ[8]. The plant will often self-sow.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a light soil[2]. Prefers partial shade but also succeeds in full sun[5]. Established plants tolerate drought[6]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[8]. A good bee and butterfly plant[10]. Often grown in the flower garden[1], it is occasionally cultivated for its root[12]. Plants are fast-growing and usually self-sow freely[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  6. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982-00-00 ISBN 0460045512

    ↩

  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  9. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

  10. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

    ↩

  11. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

  12. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  13. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  14. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

  15. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  18. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (32202/01/01)

    ↩

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