Part of the Brassicaceae family of plants, along with cabbages and the like, honesty's cross-shaped four-petaled flowers are rich in nectar. They are a boon to local bees and butterflies, including butterfly caterpillars that feed on the leaves. Violet or white flowers appear the second year after planting and bloom in early summer, along with the headlong rush of favorite garden perennials. After the bloom, the main attraction is the ripening disks of the seed pods, which change hues and finally dry to a linen color and pique our interest once again as winter drapes them in a dusting of snow.