Silver Dollar Flowers!

Every year I would admire the beautiful, tall purple flowers called silver dollars (Lunaria annua) that appeared at my Mom and Dad’s home each spring. And every summer, my Mom would give me branches bearing the dried, flat coin-shaped seed pods.

I’d plant them at different spots throughout my garden. But, silly me, come spring, I’d yank them out, thinking they were weeds as I didn’t recognize them!

Finally, one spring I wised up and did not pull the plants out. Good thing, because Mom sold the family home and moved into a retirement home after Dad passed away. It’s not like the new owners would give me any seed pods! But this year, the silver dollar plants have cropped up on their own in my garden.

They are a biennial, meaning that the first year after the seeds are sown, the plant produces vegetation, and does not flower until its second year. While the plant dies after the second year, there will be so many “volunteer” plants, that it can be considered an invasive species in some places!

I have no worries that they will overtake my garden. I am just quite happy to have them invoke memories of my parent’s home. The silver dollars took a very long time to find their way into my home. I plan on keeping them forever!