- Biennial plant with little maintenance
- Cutting the seed pods for decoration
- The silver leaf as an ingredient in the herb salad
The so-called annual silver leaf (Lunaria annua) is actually a biennial plant and relatively inconspicuous in the first year. A member of the cruciferous family that thrives with very little to no maintenance, it is cultivated in the garden primarily for its decorative seed pods in a shimmering silvery moon shape.
Both the flowers and the transparent silver leaves can be used for decoration
Biennial plant with little maintenance
The most important thing when sowing the silver leaf in the garden is choosing a suitable location. This should not be too sunny and dry, as the silver leaf needs constant soil moisture and also appreciates a certain level of humidity. Since the plant only develops relatively inconspicuous leaves with a low height in the first year, it sometimes accidentally falls victim to weeding in the garden. Therefore, mark the location of your silver leaf with a bamboo stick or a similar reminder so that you really "leave the plants alone" until the second year's flowering. For use in salads, you should only pluck part of the leaves from the silver leaf in the first year so that the plants can still develop well.
Cutting the seed pods for decoration
The silver leaf usually flowers relatively discreetly in white, pink or violet between April and June. Since the flowers are rather inconspicuous, they are rarely used as cut flowers. From late summer, the initially green and later increasingly whitish seed pods with their flat, moon-like shape appear more and more clearly on the plants. Over time, the outer walls of these seed pods become almost as translucent as thin parchment, revealing the brown, flattened seeds as well. For use as a permanent decoration in a vase, you should cut off the seed heads before they begin to open and the seeds fall out.
The silver leaf as an ingredient in the herb salad
In the first and second year you can pluck individual leaves from the annual silver leaf (Lunaria annua) and serve in salads, cooked vegetable side dishes or on sandwiches. The leaves, stalks and flowers of the silver leaf are non-toxic and therefore wholesome in moderation. However, the seeds of the silver leaf should not be used for consumption as they contain various alkaloids.
tips
The annual silver leaf (Lunaria annua) is widespread in Europe. In addition, there are less common perennial silver leaf species that can be cut during their lifespan and propagated by division.