Getting the Lunar Tear is the hardest challenge in NieR Replicant (2021) — and it just got harder on PS4. This grueling task is annoying, but if you know exactly how to handle it, it’s entirely possible. And it won’t take weeks of your time either. There have been some major discoveries in the latest version that make cultivating this rare flower easier, so we’re going to explain in detail how to grow it — step-by-step.
The Lunar Tear isn’t really a special item or anything. If you manage to get one, you’ll find it’s just a full heal. The Lunar Tear is pretty valuable, selling for 5,000 gold per flower. The real reason you’ll want one is to earn the ‘Legendary Gardener’ trophy, which is usually the one trophy holding everyone back from a Platinum.
More NieR Replicant guides:
How To Access The New Story Content | All Endings Guide | All 30 Weapon Locations | Fishing For Gold & Upgrades | How To Ride Wild Boars | Grow Crops Much Faster With Time Zone Tricks
How To Cultivate A Lunar Tear | Gardening Guide
To grow a Lunar Tear, you need to cross-pollinate different flowers. By planting flowers on the same row side-by-side, you can cross-pollinate and combine flowers to create a new color. It’s entirely random, and the type of fertilizer you use / watering doesn’t improve your chances — it only increases the yield.
It takes 24-48 hours to grow a Lunar Tear flower. Growing occurs in real-time, so crops will continue to grow even when the game is off.
- NOTE: Before attempting this, you’ll want to unlock the garden and all cultivation rows via the expansion by completing side-quests or by purchasing the Cultivator’s Handbook in the Village in Part 2.
To get started, we need to create two new flower strains via cross-pollination — Peach Moonflower and Pink Moonflower. Cross-pollinating Peach and Pink will give you a Lunar Tear.
- Peach Moonflower + Pink Moonflower = Lunar Tear
To get the hybrid Peach / Pink Moonflower, we’ll need to cross-pollinate basic flower types you can purchase.
- How To Grow Lunar Tear: Cross-pollinate to acquire Peach & Pink Moonflower. Plant flowers side-by-side on the same row for a chance to cross-pollinate.
- Gold + Red = Peach Moonflower
- Gold + Blue = Indigo Moonflower
- Red / Indigo + Peach = Pink Moonflower
- Peach + Pink = Lunar Tear
To successfully cross-pollinate, you need to let the flowers die on the vine and acquire the seeds instead of picking the living flowers. Wait until the flowers are wilted before collecting — that’s when you’ll get the special hybrid Moonflower types. This includes for the Lunar Tear.
Use all three rows to improve your chances. Plant each color in alternating order. Hybrid Flowers will take much longer to grow, so if you see one taking longer to bloom, you can bet that it’s a hybrid flower.
After picking the Lunar Tear flower, you’ll earn the Legendary Gardener trophy. And take note — it seriously takes 24-48 hours to grow a Lunar Tear! To make things faster, check out the time zone manipulation strategy linked above.
Quick Time Manipulation Tips: If you don’t already know, you can change the time on PC to speed up growing. On PS4, that isn’t possible — instead, you’ll need to play around with the time zone settings. Set your time zone to the earliest possible, then plant, then switch to the latest possible. If you do it correctly, you can skip a full 24 hours.
It’s also important to note that watering and fertilizer are NOT required. Neither improves your chances of getting a Lunar Tear or any hybrid flower. So you’re free to skip ahead a full 24 hours and see if there’s any improvement in your garden.
