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Annual Biennial

Lunaria annua var. albiflora 'Alba Variegata' (v)

honesty 'Alba Variegata'

A self-seeding biennial growing to around 60cm. The heart-shaped leaves have an irregular, white border, the white flowers appear in late spring and early summer, and are followed by flat, circular seedpods. When ripe, the outer covers and seeds fall away, revealing silvery, paper-thin discs

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Brassicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Lunaria can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with triangular-ovate leaves and leafy racemes of 4-petalled flowers in late spring and early summer
Name status: Not established

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in-situ in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Translucent seedheads are useful for dried flower arrangements; self-seeds readily, leave in situ if self-seeding is desirable, cut back after flowering if seeds are not required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be affected by club root and white blister

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