Japanese name: ゴウダソウ（合田草） Scientific name:Lunaria annua
[Overview]
A biennial 30–90 cm tall.
The whole plant is covered with rather coarse hairs.
There are basal leaves and stem leaves; the basal leaves and the leaves on the lower part of the stem are elliptic to long heart-shaped, with coarse teeth on the margin.
The leaves on the stem are simple and alternate.
The basal leaves and the lower stem leaves have long petioles, while the leaves in the upper part of the stem are stalkless.
A raceme at the stem tip bears many reddish purple or white four-petaled flowers 2 cm across.
The flowers are fragrant.
The fruit is a very thin, disc-shaped silicle 3–8 cm across; when ripe it splits, the pods on both sides fall off, and a thin glossy membrane remains.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It also multiplies readily from self-sown seed.
It prefers a sunny, airy, well-drained soil.
Take care not to let it become too wet; for potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
Pests include aphids and cutworms.
