2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Lunaria (lat. Lunaria) - a flowering winter-hardy plant from the Cabbage family.
Description
Lunnaria is a light-loving shade-tolerant plant that can be either an annual or a biennial, or a perennial. The height of this beauty most often ranges from half a meter to a meter.
Lunaria is characterized by a very unusual and even very original structure of foliage: its lower leaves are usually serrated and petiolate, and the upper ones are sessile.
The transparent "leaves" of the lunar are very similar to tiny coins or mini-moons, which is why this plant is often called the "silver ruble". And its flowers exude a very delicate and pleasant aroma. All lunar flowers are collected in graceful medium-sized inflorescences, while they can be both lilac and lilac or white.
Lunar fruits look like rather large pods, equipped with translucent walls and resembling the shape of the moon.
At present, it is customary to distinguish two types of lunaria - one-year old lunar and reviving lunar.
There is an incredibly beautiful legend about the origin of this amazing plant: Queen Luna, who allegedly saw a myriad of flowers on Earth, decided to go down and take a closer look at them. Fascinated by the unprecedented beauty of these flowers, Queen Luna sat next to them until morning, and before returning to heaven, she decided to pick wonderful flowers and scatter them alongside the stars throughout the sky. But on the way, the bouquet in the queen's hands completely accidentally scattered, and she returned home without him. But the flowers that fell to the ground took on a very unusual appearance, becoming similar to the moon. And since then, Queen Luna periodically visits them during flowering.
Where grows
Lunnaria is quite widespread in central and southeastern Europe. Especially often it can be found in the forests, but this beauty grows just as well in parks with gardens, as well as in personal plots.
Usage
Lunnaria is most often planted in mixborders or in group plantings. Not less often, this beauty is grown to create spectacular winter bouquets. If you remove thin outer plates from dry pods, then only the thinnest oval mother-of-pearl partitions will remain. It is they who are a great decoration for dry bouquets, that is, this is the main decorative feature of Lunnaria!
Growing and caring
The annual lunar is completely undemanding to the soil. At the same time, it will grow best of all in open areas well-lit by the sun, however, in light partial shade, it also feels very good. But for growing perennials, a semi-shady or shady location will be most preferable. As for the soils, well-moistened, deeply cultivated and sufficiently loose soils are more suitable for perennials.
In the care of the lunar, it is unpretentious - it is watered moderately and periodically pampered with good feeding. At the same time, she does not like transplants - this plant is endowed with the ability to grow long enough and quite safely in one place.
Reproduction of Lunaria usually occurs with the help of seeds. As a rule, annual plants are planted in the ground in summer or late spring - in this situation, they will delight with their magnificent flowering in May or June in the second year of life. And if you sow them for seedlings in March, then the lunar will bloom in the first year!
As for all sorts of pests and ailments, the lunar is very resistant to them, however, it is extremely rare that it can still be attacked by gluttonous beetles.
