Family:  Mustard (Brassicaceae)

Hardy to Zones 6 to 10, otherwise grown as an annual, 60 days to flowers

(Moonwort, Honesty, Moneyplant, Penny Flower, Silver Dollar, Satinflower, Lunaria annua) Self-seeding overwintering annual or biennial flower to 28 inches, native to Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy.   The plant has naturalized itself in gardens throughout the world, and is a favorite, given the surprising brilliancy of its purple spring flowers giving way to the moon-like seed pods with their mother of pearl radiance, so commonly used in dried decorations.  It is easy to get these started in your garden, and once started, they are unlikely to ever be absent!  Simply strew the seeds on the flower bed in the moist, part shade and they will soon germinate and grow quickly into handsome flowers.  Best to sow in fall or very early spring. Fall-sown seeds will produce plants that flower very early in the spring, while spring-sown seeds will flower later.   The plant is appreciated mostly for the abovementioned beautiful attributes, but it is also edible.  You can eat the green seedpods and seeds, which are mustard-like, or you can eat the leaves, or use the flowers in salads.

10 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown