LUNARIA REDIVIVA

Description

In the wild this European native is found in damp woodland on chalk, although in cultivation it seems willing to grow almost anywhere, and in fact generally chooses the places where it feels most at home by self-seeding! It bears fragrant, purplish flowers in late spring and early summer which are followed by decorative mother-of-pearl coloured seed pods, but unlike on the annual forms, these are elliptical in shape, and taper to a point.

Sowing Advice

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.

Key Facts