CASIMIROA (kas-i-mir-O-a)
RUTACEAE. Central American trees grown for edible fruit.
NEW—Casimiroa edulis. (5) CASI-12. Packet: $4.00
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'WHITE SAPOTE', 'ZAPOTE BLANCO', 'CHOCHIZAPOTL' (Nahuatl name meaning 'sleepy sapote'). Yellow-green 3 - 4" fruits with soft, creamy, sweet custard-like pulp with a banana-peach flavor. Tree to 50 feet, but pinch the terminal bud to form an umbrella-crowned tree. Glossy green 3 - 5" leaves, divided fanwise into 3 - 7 leaflets, and fragrant green-white flowers. Mexican highlands, stands some frost (stands more cold than avocados). Zone 9. Mature trees can produce several hundred pounds of fruit annually. Overindulgence in the fruit is said to induce sleep in about 2 hours, and said to ease rheumatism. Bark, leaves, and seeds said to be used to induce sleep, and the seeds as an aphrodisiac, undried seeds said to be poisonous. Start seeds in pots, plant out when 3 feet tall. For best germination, peel off seed coat, soak overnight.
Info and photos link: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62618/
General info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sapote
Research on aphrodisiac properties: http://www.aphrodisiacsnatural.com/casimiroaedulis.html
Use for sleep: http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=55376
CEPHALOTAXUS (se-fa-lo-TAX-us)
CEPHALOTAXACEAE. Several Asian yew-like trees.
NEW—Cephalotaxus Harringtonia var. drupacea. (10) CETX-6D.
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'PLUM YEW'. Shrub or small tree to 10 feet, with dark green yew-like needles. Purple plum-like, edible 1 1/2" fruits in October, taste like sweet plums with a piney flavor. Large edible seed. East Asia. Zone 6. Stands part shade. Leaves produce an anti-cancer compound. Give 3 months prechill.
CHAENOMELES (kay-NO-me-leez)
ROSACEAE. Showy spring flowering shrubs.
—Chaenomeles Species and Hybrids Mix. (50) CHAE-X. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $12.00
Fresh seed stored in cold storage.
FLOWERING QUINCE'. A nice mix from over 30 parents. Flowers in shades of white, pink, peach, red, and occasional variegated bloom. Shrub to 2 - 10 feet, usually 4 - 5 feet. The small fruits are made into jelly or canned, with a quince-like flavor, and containing similar nutraceuticals. Prechill seed.
DIOSPYROS
NEW—Diospyros virginiana Improved Mix. (10) DIOS-128X. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $7.50
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
Seed saved from the orchard of a persimmon breeder, from improved trees selected for large fruits with good flavor, and trees that hold their leaves until fall. "Once you've had these, you can't go back to the wild type!" writes the collector.
GINKGO (GINK-go)
GINKGOACEAE. A single species. Sprouts easily.
—Ginkgo biloba. (e,h) GINK-1. Packet: 2.50
1/4 lb: $6.00, lb: $15.00. About 270 seed per pound this year.
Click for photo »
PERISHABLE. AVAILABLE JANUARY to JUNE ONLY!
'MAIDENHAIR TREE'. Hardy tree to 120 feet with handsome 2 - 3" fan-shaped leaves. Beautiful golden fall color. E. China. A relict species with identical fossils dating to 200 million years ago. Probably extinct in the wild (may occur wild in Zhejiang) and surviving only in cultivation. As this is the sole remaining member of a formerly widespread family, it is the prime example of preservation through dissemination, and a model species for biological enrichment. The seeds are eaten and both seeds and leaves are valued in Chinese medicine, and have been proven useful for a variety of conditions associated with ageing. Hardy to Zone 5 or more, easily grown, pest free. Plant it everywhere!
KETELEERIA
PINACEAE. Tall evergreen SE Asian conifers resembling Abies. Good in mild climates.
—Keteleeria evelyniana. (20) KETE-12. Packet: $3.00
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
Tall conifer to 130 feet, with attractive needles and narrow cones. Young shoots rusty brown. Southern China to Viet Nam. Zone 8. Does well in California. The wood is used in construction, the seeds are rich in oil, and it has been used medicinally. If killed to the ground by a strong freeze, it may re-grow from the roots. Germinates in a month or two.
MACADAMIA (ma-ka-DAY-mee-a)
PROTEACEAE. Tropical nut-bearing trees.
—Macadamia tetraphylla. (5) MACA-23. Packet: $3.00
50 seed: $20.00 (plus $6.00 postage in the U.S., $11.00 to Canada, $15.50 to México, $17.00 everywhere else)
Fresh seed, stored refrigerated.
'MACADAMIA NUT'. Foot-long pendulous racemes of pink or white flowers, followed by large edible nuts. Tree to 40 feet, with large dark green, prickly-toothed leaves. Eastern Australia. Called 'rough-shell macadamia', this is hardier than the common one, and stands down to 20°F. Good in inland areas of southern California. The nuts are sweeter than the common one. Warmth to germinate.
PONCIRUS (pon-SIR-us)
RUTACEAE. A single species of hardy citrus.
NEW—Poncirus trifoliata. (20) PONC-4. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $6.00, Pound: $40.00
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'TRIFOLIATE ORANGE.' Large white fragrant 2" flowers before the leaves, followed by very fragrant 2" fruits. Deciduous small tree to 15 feet, hardy to Chicago. Zone 5. Makes a nice, deer-proof 'living barbed wire fence' planted 2 feet apart, and because the thorns are curved, they are not a hazard to tractor tires if branches get left on the ground after trimming. Fruits make a nice juice, best if squeezed a few weeks after picking. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks, best in the dark, cover seed well.
Photo and information links:
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/poncirustrifoliata/poncirus.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14734210 "Poncirus trifoliata fruit induces apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia cells." Poncirus fruit is used against cancer in Korea, and here is research showing it has activity against leukemia.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Poncirus+trifoliata A good overview of uses of Poncirus.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874196014511 "Anti-anaphylactic activity of Poncirus trifoliata fruit extract." The extract prevented anaphylactic shock in rats.
NEW—Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'. (20) PONC-4F. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $10.00, Pound: $80.00
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'FLYING DRAGON TRIFOLIATE ORANGE.' Striking variety with curly stems and hooked thorns, making a stunning display when leafless in winter. Large white fragrant 2" flowers before the leaves, followed by very fragrant 2" fruits ("Dragon's Eggs"). Deciduous small tree to 8 feet (smaller than the type, so easier to keep trimmed), hardy to Chicago. Zone 5. Makes a nice, deer-proof 'living barbed wire fence' planted 2 feet apart, and because the thorns are curved, they are not a hazard to tractor tires if branches get left on the ground after trimming. Fruits make a nice juice, best if squeezed a few weeks after picking. Comes 95% true from seed. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks, best in the dark, cover seed well.
Photo and information links:
http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/poncirus-trifoliata-or-flying-dragon.html Great photos!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31545/
For wholesale mail-order bare-root one-year old seedlings for planting hedges (about 6" tall, with 6" roots, $2.00 each in lots of 50 or more, plus postage), contact Adam Turtle of Earth Advocates Research Farm, 30 Myers Road, Summertown, TN 38483-7323, Phone 1-931-964-4151 (7AM to 5PM Central Time).