HONESTY : Lunaria annua
This dramatic purple flowered plant is actually an escapee from gardens. Although quite well established on some of our open ground and road verges, it is not actually native to Scotland. In fact it originates from south-east Europe.
Its purple flowers appear from May until June. It's seed pods have thei own attraction. They are translucent with papery silver 'coins' that hang on the skeleton of the plant throughout the winter. The name Honesty most likely arose from the see-through nature of the pods. The coin-like look of the seed pods has led to them being called 'Money Plants' in South East Asia and 'Coins of Judas' in The Netherlands.
WILDLIFE TRUSTS : https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/honesty
