MALVACEAE. Warm-region, often showy Asian herbs. Many are edible, including okra; some kinds have edible leaves. Formerly classed as Hibiscus. Sow early indoors for prolonged bloom. Full sun and heat resistant. Germinates in about 10 days.
—Abelmoschus Manihot. (d,h) ABEL-14. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 80% Tested: 10/07, 1370/Oz, 1/2 Oz: $6.00
Large yellow to white 3 - 5" flowers with purple eyes. Tall tender perennial to 3 - 9 feet, with large palmately divided leaves. Tropical Asia. Grow as an annual in the North, and may be mulched and held over winter in the middle states. Easy from seed. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked and the buds are also eaten. Lightly nick to germinate in 10 days.
ABRONIA (a-BRO-nee-a)
NYCTAGINACEAE. North American sand-loving plants grown for their attractive heads of fragrant flowers. Seed germinates best when husk removed (tedious!). Best in light sandy soil.
—Abronia villosa. (b,v) ABRO-25. Packet: $2.00
'DESERT SAND-VERBENA'. Sweet-scented rose to lilac flowers in rounded clusters. Trailing tender perennial with roundish, inch-wide leaves. S. California to Utah. Good in hot, dry, sandy places.
ABUTILON (a-BOO-ti-lon)
MALVACEAE. Attractive tender shrubs grown for their beautiful flowers and handsome foliage. Good in the greenhouse or outdoors in California and the South. Best in loose well-drained soil. Treat like geraniums or fuchsias, they make nice pot plants.
—Abutilon Hybridum Mixed. (d,g) ABUT-10X. Packet: $2.00
Germination 75% Tested 9/07, 277/g, 10 grams: $6.00, 25 grams: $9.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'FLOWERING MAPLE'. Nodding bell-shaped 2 - 3" flowers in pastels shades of orange, red, white, and pink. Arching shrub to 10 feet, with broad maple-like leaves. Main bloom period in spring, but some colors are almost everblooming. Makes a nice tub plant in the North, and can be pinched to keep compact. Easy from seed, germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Abutilon vitifolium. (d,h) ABUT-46. Packet: $3.50
Germination 68% Tested 12/07, Gram: $9.00, 5 grams: $25.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Large blue and white mallow-like 2 - 3 1/2" wide flowers. Half hardy shrub or small tree to 1 1/2 - 3 feet in cultivation, to 25 feet in the wild. Lobed 6" leaves. Coastal Chile. Said to be hardy to Zone 7. Good in the cool greenhouse. Choice. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
ACACIA (a-KAY-sha)
LEGUMINOSAE. Some 1200 warm-region species of great ecological & evolutionary interest. Their earliest fossils are in North America, from where they expanded to worldwide, with an Australian center of diversity. Many species remain to be discovered. Some of the endangered endemics are now common in cultivation and are naturalized in safe new habitats. Highly ornamental, drought resistant, and should be grown by everyone living in warm climates. Excellent in pots in the cool greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. They produce timber, fuelwood, dyes, tannins, medicinals, gums, forage, food, perfume, are nitrogen-fixing, soil stabilizing, diversifying, and have been used by man since the Neolithic. Elegant puff-like flowers and either feathery pinnate foliage or the leaves reduced to flat phyllodes. Fast growing, free blooming & ranging from tiny shrubs to tall trees. Best in areas with 18°F minimum temperature, though some stand some snow. Full sun & well-drained soil. Plant out early. Most have very long lived seed. Nick and soak to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks, unless noted otherwise. Smoke treatment may help germination.
For pushing the hardiness limits, try: boormannii, dealbata, melanoxylon, penninervis & pravissima. Other fairly hardy species: baileyana, decurrens, farnesiana, longifolia, & angustissima.
For growing in pots, try: baileyana, brachybotrya, burkitti, Drummondii, farnesiana, glaucoptera, granitica, Greggii, lineata, macradenia, longissima, complanata, mucronata, obtusifolia, Sophorae, suaveolens, triptera, uncinata, & victoriae.
For species closely related to the ever-popular but currently unavailable alpina & phlebophylla, why not try: floribunda, longifolia, longissima, mucronata, obtusifolia, Sophorae, & triptera.
—Acacia auriculiformis. (d,h) ACAC-9. Packet: $2.00
'EARPOD WATTLE'. Fast growing tree to 95 feet. Spikes of yellow flowers followed by twisted pods. Flat 8" leaves. New Guinea. Excellent for tropical reforestation, it can grow 19 feet in 2 years, and reach 55 feet in 8 years. Builds soil, fixes nitrogen, smothers imperata grass. Stands soils ranging from pH 3.0 to 9.0, and rainfall from arid to 8 feet per year. Produces up to 20 cubic meters of fuelwood per year. Stands both clay and sandy soils.
—Acacia Baileyana. (d,h) ACAC-10. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 9/07, 1/2 Oz $9.00
Click for photo »
'COOTAMUNDRA WATTLE', 'GOLDEN MIMOSA'. Spectacular masses of fragrant golden flowers in January & February, almost covering the tree. Feathery blue-grey bipinnate foliage on a small compact tree with arching growth, to 30 feet. One of the hardiest, and tolerates most any soil & full sun to part shade. Native to only a few stands in New South Wales, Australia, and would be endangered if not in cultivation, a fine example of garden preservation. Nick seed.
—Acacia Baileyana v. purpurea. (e,h) ACAC-10P. Packet: $2.00
'PURPLE-LEAVED COOTAMUNDRA WATTLE'. Young foliage tinged purple. Prized. Nick seed.
—Acacia boormanii. (d,h) ACAC-15. Packet: $2.00
'SNOWY RIVER WATTLE'. Tall shrub to 15 feet, with fragrant golden yellow flowers in late winter & spring. Narrow slaty-green foliage. Endemic to Snowy River, SE Australia. Fairly hardy, standing some snow. Attractive and adaptable. Nick seed to germinate in a week.
—Acacia complanata. (d,h) ACAC-25. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 80% Tested: 9/07, 5 grams (about 100 seed): $6.00
'LONG-POD WATTLE'. Showy shrub to 3 - 9 feet, with abundant yellow flower balls in summer to autumn. Broad green 2 - 3" leaves and long straight 6" pods. E. Australia. Excellent in warm coastal areas and should be grown more. Rarely seen in cultivation, and much sought by collectors. Nick seed. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Acacia dealbata (=decurrens). (c,h) ACAC-30. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
'SILVER WATTLE'. Profuse bloomer forming a mass of bright yellow fragrant flowers in late winter. Elegant silvery green feathery foliage. Fast growing adaptable tree to 50 - 100 feet. SE Australia. One of the hardiest, standing considerable snow & low temperatures. Grown for perfumery, fuelwood, tannin, gum production and florist material. Nick seed.
—Acacia Drummondii elegans. (c,h) ACAC-40E. Packet: $2.00
Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $19.00
'DRUMMOND'S WATTLE'. Golden flowers in inch-long spikes on a nice dwarf shrub to 3 - 6 feet. Dark green feathery bipinnate foliage. West Australia. Excellent pot plant in the greenhouse. "One of the most beautiful little shrubs imaginable." —H.E. Saier. Nick seed.
—Acacia dunnii. (10,h) ACAC-41. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 70% Tested: 10/07, 10 grams: $12.00
'ELEPHANT EAR WATTLE'. A spectacular & unusual species, with huge silver-blue leaf-like phyllodes up to 14" long & a foot across, resembling elephant ears, quite unlike the feathery foliage or narrow phyllodes of other species. Rich golden flowers in round 3/4" heads. Small tree to 20 feet or so, from dry tropical Australia. Fast growing. "Gorgeously defined foliage, even when quite small, but very sensitive to drying out. Much misting when young is a must, and pays off as they grow the first year." —C. Malanowski, South Carolina, 6/2001. Nick seed.
—Acacia elata (=terminalis). (d,h) ACAC-42. Packet: $2.00
'CEDAR WATTLE', 'PEPPERMINT-TREE WATTLE'. Tall, fast-growing tree to 60 feet, with large dark green ferny 16" leaves and creamy flowers in summer. N.S.W. One of the fastest-growing, up to 25 feet in 3 years. Fairly long-lived. Nick seed.
—Acacia Farnesiana. (e,h) ACAC-48. Packet: $2.00
'PERFUME ACACIA', 'HUISACHE', 'CASSIE'. Highly fragrant deep yellow flowers on a small spiny tree to 10 - 20 feet. Feathery bipinnate foliage. Pantropical. Good in hot deserts. Grown in S. France for perfume manufacture. Bark used for tanning, pods for black ink and dye, yields a gum & has nard, tough wood. Medicinal, and the flowers are considered aphrodisiac & insecticidal. Excellent in the greenhouse, blooming most of the year. Nick seed.
—Acacia Greggii. (10,h) ACAC-54. Packet: $2.00
Treated with Sevin, and then washed.
'CATSCLAW', 'TEXAS MIMOSA', 'SICHINGILY' (Cahuilla Indian name). Pale yellow flowers in 1 - 2" spikes, from August to September, followed by 4" twisted pods. Small tree with feathery bipinnate leaves. California to Texas. The pods were pounded into a coarse meal by the Indians. The seeds contain 34% protein and 25% oil, with trace alkaloids. If bitter, they were leached before eating.
—Acacia Koa. (10,h) ACAC-74. Packet: $4.00
'KOA', 'HAWAIIAN MAHOGANY'. Tall forest giant to 50 - 110 feet, with trunk up to 10 feet thick. Clustered pale yellow balls of flowers, and long, crescent-shaped leaves. Smooth, light grey bark. Hawaii. The wood is highly valued for furniture, canoes, ukuleles, etc., and is the most valued Hawaiian timber. Nick seed, germinates in 2 weeks. "The monarch of native Hawaiian trees..." —Neal. In Hawaiian legend, the tree is associated with the humming of the menehunes, spirits which are the Hawaiian version of the "little people". Closely related to A. simplicifolia.
—Acacia Maidenii. (c,h) ACAC-88. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 9/07, 10 grams: $10.00, 100 grams: $70.00
'MAIDEN'S WATTLE'. Rare and beautiful upright shrub with pale yellow spikes of flowers. Narrow 3 - 8" leaves, coiled and twisted 5" pods. E. Australia. Blooms late summer to late autumn. Fast growing, becoming a dense-crowned small tree to 50 feet. Good landscape material for warm regions. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
—Acacia melanoxylon. (d,h) ACAC-90. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 44% Tested: 2/08, Oz: $6/00, 1/4 pound: $15.00 New Price
'BLACKWOOD ACACIA', 'MOOEYANG' (aboriginal name). Creamy flowers in March & April. Tall evergreen tree to 40 to 120 feet, with 2 - 4" phyllodes. SE Australia. Hardy to 15°, fast growing. Good shade or street tree in California. Valuable timber tree. The hard, dark wood takes a fine polish and is used for furniture, veneers, and by the aborigines for war shields. Bark yields tannin and was used by the aborigines to stupefy fish. Nick, 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Acacia mucronata. (d,h) ACAC-92. Packet: $2.00
'NARROW-LEAF WATTLE'. Deep to pale yellow flowers in spikes in early summer. Shrub or small tree to 6 - 30 feet, with narrow 2 - 10" leaves. N.S.W. and Tasmania. Variable. Good in cool to cold areas. Related to A. Maidenii. Nick and soak seed to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Acacia obtusifolia. (d,h) ACAC-98. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 9/07, 5 grams: $10.00, 10 grams: $16.00
'BLUNT-LEAF WATTLE'. Pale yellow to creamy flowers in 2" spikes in spring & summer. Shrub or small tree with 3 - 8" leaves. SE Australia. Good in coastal areas. Related to A. Maidenii. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Acacia pendula. (d,h) ACAC-101. Packet: $2.00
'WEEPING MYALL', 'BOREE' (an aboriginal name). Beautiful and graceful weeping tree to 30 feet, with silvery blue-grey 4" phyllodes and lemon yellow flowers in spring. E. Australia. The wood is hard, dark, close-grained and has a strong scent of violets, so is used for fancy boxes. Bark yields tannin & gum. Leaves relished by livestock. Was used for boomerangs by the aborigines. Nick, 1 - 2 weeks.
—Acacia pravissima. (c,h) ACAC-110. Packet: $2.00
'OVEN'S WATTLE'. Unusual tall graceful shrub to 20 feet, with pendulous branches with small 1/2" triangular grey-green leaves held edgewise to the stems. Covered with masses of yellow fragrant flowers in spring. SE Australia. Very hardy, standing some snow. Nick seed, germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Acacia simplicifolia: See Reserved Access page.
—Acacia Smallii. (d,h) ACAC-118. Packet: $2.00
'TEXAS HUISACHE'. Fragrant golden yellow balls of flowers about 1/3" across. Shrub or small tree to 30 feet, with feathery, bipinnate, grey-green foliage and small spines. Texas. The flowers are loved by bees and produce excellent honey and pollen. Much like A. Farnesiana, but with smaller leaflets and hardier. Good arid region landscaping. Nick seed.
—Acacia stenophylla. (e,g) ACAC-121. Packet: $2.00
'RIVER COOBA', 'EUMONG', 'SHOESTRING ACACIA'. Long thin phyllodes to 16", on a fast-growing weeping small tree to 20 - 30 feet. Creamy 1/2" flower balls in winter and spring. Easern Australia. Stands wet streamside conditions as well as drought. Hardy to Zone 8. Soak, nick hard, to germinate in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Acacia triptera. (c,g) ACAC-136. Packet: $2.00
'SPURWING WATTLE'. Dense shrub to 6 feet, with odd pointed leaves resembling three wings spreading out from the stem. Dense spikes of yellow flowers in spring. E. Australia. Unusual and distinctive. Related to A. Maidenii. Nick, germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
ACHILLEA (a-KILL-ee-a)
COMPOSITAE. North temperate region perennials grown for their attractive flowers and often aromatic foliage. Easy in any soil and full sun, good in borders and rock gardens. Good for fresh or dried cut flowers, and if started early will bloom the first season. Hardy and easily grown favorites Some can be mown for a lawn substitute. Most kinds hardy to zone 2 or 3. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
—Achillea filipendulina Parker's Var. (=Cloth of Gold) (a,h) ACH-10P. Packet: $2.00
'FERN-LEAF YARROW'. Showy bright yellow flowers in dense 5" wide clusters in summer. Hardy perennial to 4 feet, with attractive fern-like 8" leaves. Central Asia. Zone 3 or 4. A fine variety.
—Achillea Millefolium White. (a!!,h) ACH-20. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 82% Tested: 12/07, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $12.00
'YARROW', MILFOIL', 'THOUSAND SEAL', 'KWAYU'HAYIPSNL' (Chehalis Indian name meaning "squirrel-tail"). White 1/4" flowers in flat 2 - 6" clusters in June to September. Aromatic hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with delicate feathery 8" leaves. North Hemisphere. Easily grown old-fashioned flower, giving lots of bloom for little care. Forms nice clumps with age. Good for sowing in meadows. Highly valued as medicine in all parts of the world where it grows, used for coughs, colds, aches and pains, to stop bleeding, childbirth medicine, bronchitis, and as a tonic. Girls would put it under their pillows to dream of future lovers. Was used as a tobacco substitute, for snuff, and in place of hops for brewing beer to make it more intoxicating. Contrary to popular belief, this is a native North American plant. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
NEW—Achillea Millefolium Colorado. (b,h) ACH-20C. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/07, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $25.00
Striking strain with flowers in shades of red, pink, apricot, yellow, pale yellow, beige, and an occasional white, May to October. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with feathery leaves. Superior strain! Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Achillea Millefolium rubra. (a!,h) ACH-20R. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 96% Tested: 9/07, 1/4 Oz: $7.00, Oz: $14.00
'ROSY RED YARROW'. Nice deep reddish-pink flowers in flat 2 - 6" clusters in June to September. Hardy perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with delicate feathery leaves. North Hemisphere. An old-fashioned carefree favorite, good for naturalizing in meadows. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
—Achillea sibirica var. camtschatica Love Parade. (b,h) ACH-76C. Packet: $2.50
Soft pink 3/8" flowers in large umbels from June to September. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with odd, attractive sword-shaped leaves, pinnately divided on the edges. Kamchatka. Good cut-flower & often blooms the first year. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
"Man is the dream of a shadow." —Pindar, 500 BC.
ACINOS (a-KEE-nos or a-SEE-nos)
LABIATAE. Eurasian aromatic herbs, good in dry rocky soils. Often classed as Calamintha.
—Acinos alpinus (=Calamintha). (d,g) ACIN-4. Packet: $2.00
'ALPINE BASIL THYME'. Violet 1/2 - 3/4" flowers with white markings on the lip, in loose whorls, June to August. Hardy perennial to 10 - 18", with small leaves. Mountains of Europe & N. Africa. Good in full sun, dry rocky soil. Used for flavoring and tea. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks with light or GA-3.
ACONITUM (AK-o-ny-tum)
RANUNCULACEAE. Hardy herbaceous perennials & annuals valued for their showy summer to fall bloom. Though they stand full sun, they are at their best in part shade and cool, moist fertile soil in the back of the border. Divide roots in early spring or fall. Good for naturalizing in woodlands. Most are poisonous. Seed germinates best at cold temperatures- keep at 40°F for 3 months or more. Easy on damp paper towels in the refrigerator.
—Aconitum Carmichaelii (=wilsonii) (d,h) ACD-10. Packet: $2.00
5 Grams: $20.00
Click for photo »
Large violet-blue 1 1/2" flowers in long panicles in mid to late summer. Vigorous hardy perennial to 5 - 6 feet, with dark green 3 - 5 lobed leaves. Central China. Zone 3. Germinates in 10 - 20 weeks at 40°F.
—Aconitum Napellus. (b,f) ACD-16. Packet: $2.00
5 grams: $15.00
Click for photo »
'TRUE MONKSHOOD'. Intense dark purple-blue helmet-shaped 1 1/2" flowers in dense 8" racemes in July & August. Hardy perennial to about 3 feet, with palmately divided leaves. Europe & N. America. The extremely poisonous roots were used as an arrow poison & medicinally. Germinates in 2 - 6 months cold.
—Aconitum orientale. (e,g) ACD-18. Packet: $2.50 Click for photo »
Large open panicles of large 1 1/2 - 2" light pink flowers in summer. Hardy perennial to 6 feet. Central Asia. "Very nice." —Bertrand. Germinates at 40 degrees F.
NEW—Aconitum septentrionale Ivorine. (e,g) ACD-22I. Packet: $3.00 Click for photo »
Beautiful ivory-white 3/4" flowers in dense racemes in May and June. Hardy perennial to 18", with a bushy habit. Sweden. Germinates at 40 degrees F.
—Aconitum Vulparia. (d,g) ACD-36. Packet: $2.00
Pale yellow 3/4" flowers in open clusters. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with large rounded basal leaves. Central Europe.
ACRONYCHIA: See Reserved Access page.
ADANSONIA (a-dan-SOW-nee-a)
BOMBACEAE. Tropical trees and shrubs with large pendulous flowers. They make nice foliage plants when young. Good in the greenhouse or outdoors in the far South. Likes sandy, clayey soil. Rest dry in winter. Hardy to at least 27°F. Easy from seed. Nick and soak till swollen, to germinate in 1 - 7 weeks at warm temperatures. Avoid high humidity.
—Adansonia digitata. (e,h) ADAN-7. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 11/07, 56 seeds/Oz, Oz: $9.00, 1/4 lb: $25.00, lb: $50.00
'BAOBAB', 'LEMONADE' or 'MONKEYBREAD TREE'. The famous African tree with a huge swollen trunk up to 30 feet in diameter, and not more than 60 feet tall. The thickest trunk in the world. Large, white, hibiscus-like 6" flowers are pollinated by bats. The foot-long, gourd-like fruits are filled with refreshing, lemon-flavored pulp and edible seeds. Leaves are eaten like spinach. The trunk stores considerable water, and is used as a reservoir, sometimes being tapped for as much as 1000 gallons. Hollowed out, they are used as rooms. Worshipped as a fertility tree. Nick and soak to germinate in 1 - 7 weeks.
—Adansonia Gregorii. (5,h) ADAN-8. Packet: $3.00
'BOTTLE TREE', 'GOURD TREE'. Large tropical tree with swollen trunk similar to the African Baobab, but smaller. NW Australia. The seeds and pulp were eaten by aborigines, and the trunk used as an emergency water source. Nick and soak seed.
ADENOPHORA (a-de-NO-for-a)
CAMPANULACEAE. Hardy Eurasian perennials like Campanula, and as easily grown. Best in light well drained soil. Most germinate in 3 - 6 weeks at cool to warm temperatures.
NEW—Adenophora lilifolia. (b,f) ADEN-26. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
'LADYBELLS'. Sweet-scented light blue 1/2" wide bell-shaped nodding flowers borne profusely in summer. Very hardy perennial to 1 1/2 - 3 feet, with round, heart-shaped basal leaves. Eurasia. Cultivated in Japan for the thick, edible roots. Germinates in 2 weeks.
AGAPANTHUS (ag-a-PAN-thus)
LILIACEAE. Beautiful S. African perennials grown outdoors in warm regions, or in pots or tubs in the North. Easily grown & drought resistant. Hardy to Zone 8. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at warm temperatures.
—Agapanthus africanus Blue. (d,h) AGAP-1. Packet: $2.00
'BLUE LILY-OF-THE-NILE'. Violet-blue 1 - 2" funnel-shaped flowers in umbels of 10 - 30 blooms. Tender perennial to 1 1/2 - 3 feet, with strap-like basal leaves. S. Africa. Rootstock used medicinally.
NEW—Agapanthus orientalis. (c,h) AGAP-7. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 70% Tested: 11/07, 1/4 Oz $6.00, Oz: $18.00 New Price
'LILY-OF-THE-NILE'. Medium blue funnel-shaped 2" flowers in umbels of 40 - 110. Evergreen half-hardy perennial (probably to 0°F) to 4 feet, with strap-like leaves. South Africa. Thick rootstock was used medicinally. This lot from huge, old (over 50 years!) clumps in San Francisco, and our collector has moved, so this last of it! Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
AGASTACHE (a-ga-STA-che)
LABIATAE. Delightful aromatic perennials from Asia and North America, with spikes of flowers much like Salvia. Easily grown.
—Agastache foeniculum (=anethiodora). (b,h) AGAS-4. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 42% + dormant, Tested: 12/07, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 pound: $20.00
'ANISE HYSSOP', 'WONDER HONEY PLANT'. Lavender-blue flowers in large spikes from early June till frost. Hardy perennial to 3 - 4 feet with strongly anise scented leaves. N. Central U.S. The leaves are used fresh or dry as a tea or seasoning, especially by the Indians. The flowers produce abundant nectar and it is an excellent honey plant. Birds like the seed. Blooms the first year. Germinates best with GA-3. Year-old seed germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Agastache foeniculum Golden Jubilee. (b,h) AGAS-4G. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 72% Tested: 10/07, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: 19.00
Attractive golden leaves and short purple spikes of flowers. Perennial to 20". Nice. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Agastache nepetoides. (a,f) AGAS-8. Packet: $2.00
'YELLOW GIANT-HYSSOP'. Yellow-green flowers in dense 5" spikes. Hardy perennial to 6 feet, with catnip-like leaves. Central & E. U.S. Bee plant. Germinates in 10 - 20 days. Light, cold or GA-3 may increase the percentage.
—Agastache rugosa. (a,h) AGAS-12. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC
1/4 Oz: $10.00 OTC ORGANIC
'KOREAN MINT'. Whole plant highly anise scented and flavored. Hardy bushy perennial to 3 - 4 feet, with spikes of purple-violet flowers and 2" leaves. Korea to Vietnam. Easy from seed, and thrives in the temperate U.S. Sunny places. Zone 4 or 5. Fresh or dried it makes an excellent tea, which was used in China as a mouthwash and hangover remedy. Also good for seasoning meat and other dishes. Fresh leaves good on sandwiches. Good cut flowers and an excellent bee plant. Fresh seed dormant, needs cold or GA-3, aged seed germinates in 2 - 3 weeks. "Another one to sow thinly due to very high germination, with slightly spicier and more exotic scent than traditional Anise Hyssop." —C. Malanowski, South Carolina, 6/2001.
—Agastache rupestris. (b,h) AGAS-21. Packet: $2.00
'SUNSET HYSSOP', 'LICORICE MINT'. Orange inch-long flowers with lavender calyces, in summer. Very sweetly aromatic foliage-grey-green narrow leaves with a feathery effect. Perennial to 2 - 3 feet. SW U.S. to México. Good in hot dry areas. Said to stand to Zone 5 if well-drained. The deliciously-scented foliage is used as a tea. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
AGAVE (ah-GA-vee)
AGAVACEAE or LILIACEAE. 'CENTURY PLANT'. Striking, mostly arid-region plants with dramatic rosettes of sword-shaped, succulent leaves. They range from tiny rosettes less than a foot wide, to gigantic species 20 feet wide, sending flower-spikes 40 feet into the air. Various species provide food - roasted hearts, leaves and nectar; fiber - henequen, sisal, and paper; drink - fermented juice for pulque & distilled for mescal. They provide thorns for needles, thatching, smoking and other uses. Easily grown outdoors in mild climates or in pots in the North. Set outdoors in summer. Best in a well-drained sandy loam and full sun. Sow on the surface to germinate in a few weeks to 3 months or so.
—Agave Parryi. (e,h) AGAV-192. Packet: $2.00
'MESCAL'. Small rosettes of 10 - 16" grey- or blue-green, sword-shaped, 4" wide leaves with spines along the edge and tip. Bright yellow 1 1/4" flowers from red buds, in 5 - 8 foot long clusters on stalks to 10 - 15 feet tall. Arizona to México. One of the hardiest agaves. The hearts were roasted in pits for mescal, a staple food of the Indians. Roasted flowerstalks eaten, and the leaves produce fiber. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
—Agave Victoriae-Reginae. (d,h) AGAV-302. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
'PINTILLO'. A beautiful tiny species forming foot-wide rosettes of dark green leaves attractively marked with white lines. Pale green 2" flowers in long spikes to 4 feet tall. NE México. Produces a fiber called 'noa'. Choice, slow-growing, lives 20 years, then flowers and dies. Does not make offsets, so only propagated by seed. CITES Appendix II species. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
AGONIS (A-go-nis or a-GO-nis)
MYRTACEAE. 'WILLOW MYRTLE'. Handsome, drought-resistant West Australian trees. Fast growing and noted for tolerating severe arid conditions if given a few deep waterings while establishing. Smoke treatment may help germination.
NEW—Agonis flexuosa. (b,f) AGON-2. Packet: $2.00
'PEPPERMINT WILLOW MYRTLE'. Striking weeping tree to 25 - 35 feet, densely clothed with narrow, willow-like, bronze-edged 6" leaves, which are a rich pink in spring. Abundant, scented small white flowers in spring. W. Australia. The foliage is strongly peppermint-scented when crushed. Quickly forms a nice single-trunked tree resembling a weeping willow. Tolerant of a variety of soils, good in limestone areas. Easy in tubs, sun or semi-shade. Freezes to the ground at 25 of, but can stump sprout. "One of the best small trees for California gardens where temperatures stay above 27°F." —Sunset. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks at warm temperatures.
AGRIMONIA (ag-ri-MOE-nee-a)
ROSACEAE. 'AGRIMONY' Hardy perennial herbs with racemes of small yellow flowers. Grown for ornament and the fragrant medicinal leaves, which are a popular spring tea. Good in the shade.
—Agrimonia Eupatoria. (d,h) AGRI-4. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC
'AGRIMONY'. Golden-yellow apricot-scented flowers in dense, slender spikes. Deep green pinnate aromatic foliage. Hardy perennial to 3 - 5 feet. Europe. The fragrant leaves are used as a tea, and it produces a yellow dye. Germinates in 1 - 6 months.
AJUGA (a-JOO-ga)
LABIATAE. 'BUGLE-WEED'. Easily grown hardy herbaceous annuals and perennials with abundant, usually blue tubular flowers in spikes in summer. Low growing plants, the perennials creeping. Useful in the border, wild garden, and as groundcovers.
—Ajuga pyramidalis. (d,g) AJUG-19. Packet: $2.50
Showy violet-blue 1/2" flowers in leafy heads with purple bracts. Evergreen pyramidal creeping hardy perennial to 2 - 10", with tight rosettes of dark green foliage, deep purple at the branch-tips. Europe. "The foliage alone is a killer." —Bertrand. Give GA-3 500ppm plus 6 - 8 weeks prechill.