Frosted honesty seed heads

Pennies from Heaven

Posted on by Ann Mackay

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Apparently honesty (Lunaria annua) has around 25 common names. (According to the RHS, you can see their list here.) That’s a lot of names, probably because it’s a plant that has been in our gardens for a very long time. It is known to have been in cultivation in the UK since the sixteenth century and is mentioned in Gerard’s Herbal at that time.

Among these names are several that relate to money, including ‘St Peter’s pence’ and, in an interesting contrast, ‘Judas’s penny’. The names ‘money flower, ‘penny flower’ and ‘silver dollar’ have their origins in the way the seed pods look like coins. The name ‘money-in-both-pockets’ was probably given to the plant for the same reason, but to me, the pods also look like tiny pockets with the coins – seeds – inside. That the seeds are visible through the outer layers of the pods has given rise to the name most of us know it by, the familiar ‘honesty’.

The money-inspired names gave me a fair excuse for the title of this post. (Finding new titles can be hard at times!) But there are many names with other inspirations. ‘Grandpa’s specs’, for instance, which makes me smile, while ‘matrimony’ makes me wonder. (A hopeful name, arising from the plant’s associations with both honesty and prosperity, perhaps?) ‘White satin’, ‘silver leaf’ and ‘satin pod’ are all very descriptive of the central membrane that is left when the outer layers of the seed pods fall away.

But the names that appeal to me most are those that refer to the moon-like appearance of the pods. There’s the Latin name, of course – ‘luna’ means ‘moon’. Then there’s ‘moonwort’ and ‘moon seed’, both of which make me imagine honesty’s tiny papery moons gleaming in the reflected moonlight of an autumn evening.

The seeds have been gathered from the seed pods photographed here, and sprinkled where I’d like the plants to come up in future. Now only the silvery central discs are left and are dripping with slowly thawing frost. To me, they look even more like tiny glowing moons. I see them as little wintry moon-pennies.

In the spirit of honesty, I must admit that I’ve never actually heard anyone use the names mentioned here. Lunaria has always been ‘honesty’ to me. It’s a little sad for old names to die out and be forgotten. They’re part of our culture and the history of our relationship with plants..

Frost melting on honesty (Lunaria annua) seed heads
Frost melting on honesty (Lunaria annua) seed heads
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Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

21 thoughts on “Pennies from Heaven”

  1. I wonder if this species with 25 common names holds the record for the greatest number of them. Unfamiliar with the plant, I found the following: “The leaves can be collected and used as a green vegetable or in salads before the flowers appear. The flowers can be added to salads. The seeds can be used to make a mustard substitute which is strengthened by crushing and mixing with cold water. The root can be peeled and eaten.” Have you ever eaten it in any of those ways?

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    1. It’s the most common names I’ve seen for anything so far, Steve. Honesty is a member of the cabbage family, so it doesn’t surprise me that it’s edible, although I never have. I think I’d rather just look at it and leave it for the bees and butterflies! 🙂

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  2. Interesting that you see them as moon-pennies. Around here, some of the older generation refer to ox-eye daisies as moon-pennies. I’d never heard this name before I moved to Derbyshire, but don’t know if it’s just a local name for them. I don’t know what name – if any – local folk give to honesty. Honest 🙂

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    1. I didn’t know that ox-eye daisies were called moon-pennies – it suits them! It’s interesting to know how people thought about plants in the past and what they called them. (I’d love it if moon-pennies became a name for honesty too, hehe!)

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    1. A very good name for it – those pods do look like papery little moons. I don’t think I saw it much as a child. Caithness might have been a bit too cold for it, perhaps. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if it was common enough there now.

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      2. I just scattered some seeds around and there’s usually some self seeded ones around. I’d like to try the white one though, especially near our silver birch – something for the future I think!

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  5. In the past, I’ve only seen this as a part of dried arrangments. To be honest, I thought it was artificial! It’s shown as introduced on both our east and west coasts, but isn’t listed for the midwest, or for Texas. It reminds me of another plant that hangs on through winter, adding interest to the garden: inland sea oats. Once everything else has gone to sleep for the season, these plants really come into their own.

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    1. Ah, yes, I’ve seen the sea oats in a garden over here and the seed heads are lovely. Honesty doesn’t look quite real and I can remember seeing it in dried arrangements too. (I used to have some in the house, but now I just leave it in the garden to cheer it up a little in winter.)

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    1. I was surprised when I read the RHS list of names – it’s the longest I’ve seen yet. It’s intriguing to see how these papery little seed heads have appealed to the imagination over a very long time! 🙂

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  7. That’s fascinating, Ann. I had no idea there were so many names for what I’ve always known as honesty. It’s a plant I love, especially the mauve-flowered ones so I’ve put it on the planting list for our new garden. Thanks for the reminder! 😊

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