Lunaria annua 'Violet' – deep purple Honesty for garden and dried bouquets

Lunaria annua 'Violet' is a unique and decorative variety of the well-known Honesty. While the traditional Lunaria is known for its lilac to light purple flowers, the Violet itself with an intense deep violet color. This elegantly flowering biennial is beloved by gardeners, floral designers, and insects. With its striking flower clusters in spring and beautiful silvery-white seed pods later in the year, Lunaria annua 'Violet' adds value to both your garden and interior in every season.

A plant with two faces – colour and structure

In its first year, Lunaria annua 'Violet' develops a rosette of fresh green leaves. The second year, the spectacular blooms appear: long stems with numerous violet-purple flowers that immediately attract attention. These flowers typically appear from April to June and are rich in nectar, making them an important food source for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. This makes Honesty a valuable plant for a natural and biodiversity-friendly garden.

After the flowering period, the iconic seed pods—the familiar "pennies"—appear. They are initially green and later dry into shiny, almost translucent discs. These seed pods are a popular material for dried flowers, flower arrangements, cut-flower bouquets, and interior decorations.

Growing and caring for Lunaria Annua 'Violet'

Lunaria annua 'Violet' is a hardy, easy-to-grow plant with few demands. It's best sown between May and July, directly in the ground or in pots for later planting. The plant prefers a light, humus-rich soil with plenty of nutrients. It thrives in both sun and partial shade, although a partially shaded spot will result in a slightly slower flowering period, often with larger flowers.

A major advantage of Lunaria is its ease of self-sowing. If the seed pods are allowed to ripen and burst open in the garden, new plants will naturally appear the following year. This creates a natural and playful cluster of Honesty in the border, perfect for gardens with an informal, natural look.

Maintenance is minimal. Extra watering is only necessary during very dry periods, and old flower stems can be pruned back after the seeds have been collected, dried, or dispersed. Lunaria annua 'Violet' grows to a height of approximately 70–100 cm and looks stunning in the middle of the border.

Application in garden design

The intense purple color of Lunaria annua 'Violet' makes it a perfect match for soft pastel shades or contrasting varieties. Think of white-flowering campanulas, silver-leaved Artemisia, or soft pink Digitalis. In wild borders, it looks stunning among ornamental grasses, while the dried seed pods create a playful, almost graphic effect later in the year.

This Honesty looks its best in both a modern garden and a cottage garden, or a natural cutting garden. This makes Lunaria annua 'Violet' a versatile plant for those looking for color, structure, and a vibrant planting.

Why choose Lunaria annua 'Violet'?

✔ Deep purple flowers – extra striking in the border
✔ Perfect for bees, butterflies and other pollinators
✔ Forms beautiful silver seed pods suitable as a dried flower
✔ Easy to sow and self-sowing
✔ Ideal for natural gardens, borders and bouquets