April 21: Honesty

I thank the book Michigan Wildflowers by Harry Lund for helping me identify this flower.

Honesty

This flower is also found in Ireland and Britain. It's also known as White Satin, Satin Flower, Money Plant, Silver Plate and Two-Pennies-in-a-Purse. You might wonder about the money reference by looking at it now. But after the flowers go, it will produce round papery seed cases. I will keep an eye on it and take pictures when that happens.

Probably because of the seed cases, there is folklore surrounding this flower. For sorcerors, the plant aided shape-changing, flying, finding lost property, unlocking secrets and bringing the dead back to life. And where Honesty grows, the gardener is honest.

The plant was also used to dress wounds and treat epilepsy. In Tudor times the roots were boiled and eaten with meat or grated into salads. Victorians painted the seed pods to use as winter decoration in the home.

It looks a bit like Dames Rocket but the leaves of honesty have rough serrated edges.