Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Lunaria annua. |
Common name |
Pope's coinage, annual lunar, Judas medal, herb with shields. |
Family |
Brassicaceae. |
Origin |
Europe, Western Asia. |
Dimensions |
The Pope's coin measures 0.50 to 0.90 m high and 0.30 m wide. |
Foliage |
The plant, with a slender silhouette, has heart-shaped deciduous leaves (heart-shaped) petiolated towards the base and sessile at the top. With a length of 10 to 15 cm, they are toothed at the edge and the young shoots are edible. |
Bloom |
The honey-producing flowers appear from April to July, from the second year of the plant's life. White, white shaded with mauve, pink-purple or lilac-purple, they are delicately fragrant and combined in clusters 10 to 20 cm long, at the end of the stems. |
Fruiting |
After flowering, small light green discs (siliques) are revealed. They then turn brown and become translucent as they dry on the plant. Having become silvery-white, these capsules, 3 to 8 cm in diameter, reveal 4 to 5 round, dark-colored seeds. |
Exposure |
Sun, partial shade. |
Ground |
All types of well-drained, fresh and humus soils. |
Rusticity |
Pope's money is a hardy plant that tolerates cold temperatures down to -15°C. |
Where and when to plant the pope's currency?
Plant the pope's money
from March to May or from September to October
in all types of soil as long as they are drained, cool and deep.
The plant particularly appreciates partial shade and thrives in an undergrowth environment, sheltered by large trees.
A sunny exposure is possible but
Lunaria annua
can suffer from too much heat.
In beds or borders, in association with columbines or heuchera, it will bring a touch of romance to your garden.
Note that
Lunaria annua
can also be grown in pots.
How to plant the pope's currency?
Transplant your plants under cover then place them outside as soon as the risk of frost has passed.
Allow
5 to 7 plants per m2
to obtain a harmonious bush.
Add compost if the soil is poor and a bed of gravel, if necessary, to improve drainage.
How to maintain the Pope's currency?
The plant requires
little care
:
Mulch with compost to keep fresh when the plant reaches around thirty centimeters;
Water only in case of drought;
Add compost in early spring to help with flowering and in fall.
The round, translucent fruits of the Pope's coin are reminiscent of coins.
Copyright (c) 2020 nnattalli/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
How to multiply the Pope's currency?
The pope's coin
reseeds itself spontaneously
.
However, if you want to limit its spread, cut the flower stalks after flowering.
You can harvest the seeds by taking them from the dried siliques.
Then sow in place, broadcast, in March-April in well-drained and loosened soil, to a depth of 3 mm.
Cover with finely sifted potting soil and maintain humidity until the seedlings emerge, after 14 to 21 days.
Then thin out the young plants to keep one every 30 cm.
How to dry the seeds of the pope's money?
Hang the cut flowers, upside down, in a dark, ventilated room
for one to two weeks
.
Rub the walls of the siliques between your thumb and forefinger to accentuate their transparency and remove the seeds.
The pope's coin reseeds itself spontaneously.
Copyright (c) 2022 Lidia_Efimova/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
What are the different species of
Lunaria
?
The
Lunaria
genus has 2 other species:
Lunaria rediviva
, pretty perennial plant;
Lunaria arboreus
, large plant which can reach 1.50 m.