The Silver Dollar plant (also known as Honesty or Lunaria) is one of those garden gems that usually takes care of itself through self-seeding. Depending on your gardening style, you can either let it go wild or keep it on a shorter leash. If you want to take the reins, controlled sowing is also super easy. Here’s how you can manage the growth of these shimmering beauties in your own backyard.
Natural Self-Seeding
In the wild and in most gardens, the Silver Dollar plant reproduces all on its own. Honestly, once you have one Silver Dollar plant in your garden, you can pretty much bet on seeing a whole lot more of them popping up by next year!
Helping Mother Nature Along
If you love the look of a naturalized garden and want to encourage self-seeding, you can give the plants a little helping hand. Here’s how to set them up for success:
- Lightly dig up and loosen the soil around your existing plants.
- Trim back or remove any aggressive neighboring plants that might crowd out the new seedlings.
- Don’t harvest all those gorgeous seed pods for indoor decor! Make sure to leave plenty of stalks in the garden so the seeds can drop naturally.
Keeping Things Under Control
On the flip side, if you’re worried about the plant taking over, you’ll want to step in before the seeds fully ripen. Simply snip off the seed pods before they have a chance to open. Pro tip: Don’t toss these pods onto your compost pile unless you want Silver Dollars growing out of your mulch next year—throw them in the trash instead.
Controlled Sowing
For those who prefer a more organized garden layout, you can easily sow the seeds yourself. You can get your hands on seeds by:
- Collecting them from plants you already have.
- Picking up a packet at your local garden center.
Harvesting Your Own Seeds
If you already have Silver Dollars growing, collecting seeds is a breeze. After the flowers fade, flat seed pods (the “silver dollars”) will form. They start out green and eventually turn brown and translucent as they ripen. You’ll know they’re ready when they start falling out of the pods on their own.
How to Plant
The best times to get your seeds in the ground are either in the fall or early summer. There’s no need to fuss with seed trays or starting them indoors—these guys prefer to be direct-sown right into the garden. Just scatter the seeds in your chosen spot, cover them with a very thin layer of soil, and keep the area consistently moist. You should see those cute little sprouts popping up within a few weeks!
