Money Plant (Lunaria annua)

Money Plant (Lunaria annua) is an easy-to-grow biennial that is called many names, including Dollar Plant, Silver Dollars, Honesty Plant, and Moonwort. This plant grows to just over two feet high and has large, dark green, heart-shaped leaves with pronounced serrated edges. Money Plant blossoms very early in the spring. To me, the flowers look like a butterfly shape. Each flower has four petals and can be shades of reddish-purple or white.

After the flowers fade, the plant forms seed pods that eventually become the shape and size of silver dollars. The seed pods start out green and become silvery, and after they dry they become so transparent you can see the dried seeds inside.

The Money Plant drops its seeds and reseeds readily, so if you have them growing in an undisturbed area, they will keep producing flowers and seed pods year after year. The dried seed pods are so light-weight, they travel easily, and you may even find (like I do) that you have Money Plants growing in unexpected places without knowing how they got there!

It is possible to grow Money Plants in almost any soil because they aren’t at all fussy about growing conditions, but they will thrive in a good, fertile soil in a sunny or partly-shaded location. The dried seed pods look very decorative and are often used in flower arrangements.

Written by Shirley Filed Under: My Country Gardens