BERBERIDACEAE. A single species.
NEW—Nandina domestica. (20) NAND-1. Packet: $2.50
'HEAVENLY BAMBOO'. Large clusters of small white flowers followed by brilliant red berries in autumn. Evergreen shrub to 6 feet, with cane-like stems and pinnate leaves which have some winter color. Japan to India. Zone 7. Does well in shade to full sun. Nice pot plant in the North. Revered in Asia as a sacred tree, it has many interesting medicinal uses, said to drive away sleepiness, prevent hunger, and keep off old age. Germinates in 6 - 20 weeks.
NARCISSUS (nar-KISS-us)
AMARYLLIDACEAE. Popular spring and autumn flowering bulbs, standing heat and cold, and naturalizing well. Good for forcing and cut-flowers. Deep moist well-drained soil is best. Divide every 5 years.
—Narcissus poeticus. (d,g) NARC-42. Packet: $2.50
'POET'S NARCISSUS', 'PHEASANT'S EYE'. Pure white, very sweet-scented 2 - 3" wide six-petaled flowers with yellow centers ringed red, May to June. To 1 1/2 feet. Moist sites, Spain to Greece. Good in semi-shade. Flowers used in perfumery. Germinates at cold or warm, in 2 - 11 months.
NECTAROSCORDUM
LILIACEAE. Several interesting Eurasian bulbs.
NEW—Nectaroscordum siculum (10) NECT-12. Packet: $3.00
Lovely umbels of nodding, bell-shaped, greenish white 3/4" flowers marked red, at the ends of graceful pedicels, in May and June. Hardy bulb to 3 - 4 feet, with strap-like leaves. S. Europe. Prechill seed.
NEMOPHILA (nee-MOF-i-la)
HYDROPHYLLACEAE. Showy, low-growing annuals valued for their bright, abundant, bell-shaped flowers. Good for naturalizing, they are best in masses. Continuous bloom from spring through summer. Sun or part shade, ordinary soil, moderate water. Easy from seed, sow where they are to grow. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks at cool temperatures.
—Nemophila Menziesii. (a,h) NEMO-16. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 86% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
Click for photo »
'BABY BLUE EYES'. Bright blue 1 1/2" flowers with white centers, blooming abundantly over a long period. Low annual to 10". California. Nice for edging, borders or sown in drifts. Drought resistant.
NEPETA (NE-pe-ta)
LABIATAE. Aromatic annuals & perennials with pretty blue or white flowers. Easily grown in most soils, sun or shade. Sow where they are to stand. Germinates in about 1 - 2 weeks. Seed viable 5 years.
—Nepeta Cataria. (b,h) NEPE-3. Packet: $2.00
1/2 Oz: $6.00
'CATNIP'. Dense whorls of small white or pinkish flowers, July to November. Hardy perennial to 3 feet; with downy, heart-shaped 3" leaves. Eurasia. Well-known cat attractant due to feline sex-pheromones. Said to repel rats. Good bee plant. Makes a nice tea and the young shoots are used in French cooking. Germinates irregularly in 1 - 4 weeks and up.
—Nepeta Mussinii (=Faassenii). (a,h) NEPE-10. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $10.00
'PERSIAN GROUND IVY'. Spikes of lavender-blue flowers in June & July. Hardy aromatic perennial to 1 foot, with silvery grey-green leaves. Caucasus. Good in the rock garden or for edging. Attracts cats, and is a good bee plant. Likes sandy soil. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks.
NEW—Nepeta parnassica. (100) NEPE-20. Packet: $2.50
'GREEK CATNIP'. Spikes of flowers ranging from white to pale pink, and rarely blue, July to September. Wine-colored calyces. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with grey-green leaves. Sweeter fragrance than regular catnip.
—Nepeta subsessilis Pink Dreams. (d,h) NEPE-40P. Packet: $3.00
Beautiful 1 1/4" flowers in deep pink, soft pink, sometimes shaded yellow, in abundant spikes in July to August. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with deep green 3 - 4" leaves. Japan. Zone 3. Best in moist part shade. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEPTUNIA (nep-TOO-nee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'SENSITIVE BRIER'. Peculiar perennial herbs or shrubs of warm regions, some aquatic and floating (hence the name), and some with sensitive leaflets which close up at a touch. Feathery bipinnate leaves and dense heads or spikes of very unusual flowers. The spongy, floating stems of some species are eaten in salads.
—Neptunia dimorphantha. (d,g) NEPT-7. Packet: $2.50
'WATER MIMOSA', 'SENSITIVE PLANT'. Lemon-yellow blooms and feathery, sensitive leaves that close when touched. Aquatic plant from Australia. Nick seed to germinate in 1 week.
NICANDRA (nee-KAN-dra)
SOLANACEAE. A single species. Grow like tomatoes, likes full sun and ordinary soil, but stands part shade. Space 1 - 3 feet apart. Good in pots. Flowers in about 14 weeks from seed and for 12 weeks more. Aged seed sprouts readily, fresh seed needs cold or GA-3.
—Nicandra Physalodes. (a!,h) NICA-1. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50, 25 grams: $14.00
Click for photo »
'SHOO-FLY PLANT', 'APPLE OF PERU'. Sky-blue, inch-wide bells all summer, followed by attractive, unusual papery, five-winged pods which are useful in dried arrangements. Vigorous bushy half hardy annual to 2 - 5 feet tall, with light green, wavy-edged leaves. Peru. An old-fashioned garden favorite, grown for ornament and its fly-killing or repelling properties, which many people swear by. Formerly much grown around farm houses for this purpose. Also grown in greenhouses as it attracts and kills white flies. Give GA-3.
—Nicandra Physalodes Black Rod. (a,h) NICA-1B. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% GA-3 Tested: 10/09, 1/4 Oz: $5.00, Oz: $16.00
Deep purple-black stems and the pods blushed purple. Excellent for fresh or dried cut flowers. Give GA-3.
—Nicandra Physalodes Splash of Cream. (b,h) NICA-1SC. Packet: $2.50
'VARIEGATED SHOO-FLY PLANT'. Striking variety with variegated leaves. Unique! Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm. Fresh seed may need GA-3.
NICOTIANA (ni-KO-she-A-na or NI-ko-tee-A-na)
SOLANACEAE. 'TOBACCO'. Nearly 70 species of herbs to small trees, mostly Western Hemisphere, but 20 in Australia and 1 in SW Africa. Valued for their often showy, mostly fragrant trumpet shaped flowers, & the bold effect of the foliage. Excellent in borders, preferring rich moist soil and full sun. Fragrant types may be flowered in pots for indoor scent. Many species have been smoked, and several are grown for the production of the valuable biodegradable insecticide nicotine. Sow indoors a month or two before last frost or outdoors when the weather has warmed. Surface sow, most germinate in 1 - 3 weeks. Seed long-lived, with a half-life of 5 - 10 years.
—Nicotiana alata Sweet Scented White. (a!,h) NICO-3W. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $8.00, 5 grams: $32.00
Click for photo »
'JASMINE TOBACCO'. Very sweet scented pure white trumpet-shaped flowers 3 - 4" long and 1 - 2" wide. Tender perennial to 3 - 4 feet, usually grown as an annual. Brazil. Popular and free blooming. "Fall sown seedlings make excellent pot plants in winter... and are very fragrant."—Ricker. This is the true old-fashioned type, tall and intensely fragrant, which we reproduced from our seed archives.
—Nicotiana rustica. (a,h) NICO-29. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 68% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
'INDIAN or WILD TOBACCO', 'YETL'. Many yellow inch long flowers that remain open during the day. Half hardy annual or short lived perennial to 3 feet, with oval, foot-long, dewy leaves. México north to Maine, and south. Cultivated world wide for smoking and nicotine production, as it is hardier and more potent than N. Tabacum. It was even used as an arrow poison in México, similar to its modern use as an immobilizing agent in the capture of wild animals. An excellent home insecticide.
—Nicotiana rustica Rapa Nui. (b,h) NICO-29RN. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $9.00, 5 grams: $36.00
Click for photo »
'AVA-AVA', 'EASTER ISLAND TOBACCO'. Yellow flowers and 15" long leaves, on a plant to 3 - 4 feet. Originally collected on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), where the local indigenous cowboys call it 'ava-ava' and smoke it mixed with milder commercial tobacco or with Can nabis. They say it has always been on the island (not introduced). They say it is very strong-flavored. Curiously, 'ava-ava' is used elsewhere in the South Pacific to refer to the intoxicating drink 'kava'. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Nicotiana sylvestris. (a!,h) NICO-33. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 80% Tested: 10/09, Gram: $7.50
Click for photo »
Sweet scented drooping white flowers with long slender tubes flaring to 1 - 2" wide. Vigorous tender perennial to 5 feet, with large 20" basal leaves, making bold attractive clumps. Argentina. On a warm summer evening a clump will perfume a yard with one of the most delightful scents I've known.
Nicotiana Tabacum Varieties:
'SMOKING TOBACCO'. Robust annual or short-lived perennial to 3 - 6 feet or more, with large leaves and beautiful rosy-red trumpet-shaped 2" flowers. Tropical America. Strikingly beautiful, attracts many hummingbirds, and a valuable organic insecticide. They are lovely, useful plants - you don't have to smoke them to like them - few things make me as happy as being next to a blooming tobacco plant!
LIABILITY DISCLAIMER NOTE: Nicotine is the single most addictive substance known to man. I doubt if anyone is unaware of the negative health consequences of tobacco use. I do not encourage anyone to use tobacco, but I also do not condemn anyone who does use it. I distribute tobacco seeds because it is a beautiful and useful plant, and because I feel that those who do use tobacco will benefit from growing it. I believe that growing your own will provide you with additive-free and pesticide-free tobacco. Tobacco taxes are extremely high, and are not earmarked to provide health-services to tobacco users as they should be, unfairly exploiting tobacco users. I call on all governments to earmark tobacco tax revenues solely for the medical care of tobacco-related health problems. I do encourage those who already use tobacco to try growing their own as this will help in harm reduction.
An interesting and overlooked idea, that was originated by health workers seeking harm reduction from tobacco use, is the strategy of producing high-nicotine tobacco, the opposite of commercial low-nicotine cigarettes. Low nicotine cigarettes tend to cause the smoker to smoke more. The theory here is that high-nicotine tobacco will enable the smoker to deliver a dose of nicotine that will satisfy the addiction with just a puff or two, reducing the amount of tar, carbon monoxide, benzene, smoke particulates, and other toxic, carcinogenic, and harmful components of cigarette smoke, in the same way that the nicotine "patch" reduces harm by avoiding damaging the lungs with tobacco smoke. Theoretically, dampened tobacco leaves placed on the skin could also deliver nicotine into the addicted person's system - there are cases where tobacco smugglers have gotten nicotine poisoning by carrying tobacco next to the skin.
Some pharmacologists have stated that research should be done to produce semi-synthetic analogues of the nicotine molecule that produce nicotine-like effects, but with lowered toxicity, as a harm-reduction strategy.
"You might like to know that tobacco grows very well outdoors in Alaska, reaching 6 feet tall and flowering even in cold wet summers. I just start the plants early, like tomatoes."—V. Robeson, 11/98.
Tobacco packets contain about 1200 to 2200 seed, and they run about 10,000 to 20,000 seeds per gram.
Up until a few years ago, tobacco was an allotment crop in 48 states - you needed Agriculture Department permission to grow more than 1/10 acre. Now you don't need permission, and you can grow as much as you like!
Burley types are planted at 6 - 7000 per acre (about 2 1/2 feet apart), the Havanas at 12,000 per acre (about 2 feet apart). For home use space 2 - 4 feet apart. A large plant can yield up to 5 oz. Curing isn't difficult, and good results can be obtained at home. Tobacco prohibition is coming, so learn to grow your own additive-free and tax-free supply.
For learning how to grow and cure tobacco for home use, we recommend the two inexpensive pamphlets we sell in our book section - see below for link. Home growers should try a couple of varieties to see what produces well for you and gives a type of tobacco that you like. Just like tomatoes, you need to try a few to find what you like! Also, different curing will affect the type of tobacco you end up with, so this is something to experiment with. Don't give up if you don't get what you like the first try - like cooking, it takes practice to find the right "recipe" that gives a tobacco suited to your personal taste.
Curing recipe from W.D. Fuller, Louisiana: Take mature, dried brown tobacco leaves and re-moisten so that they are quite soft. Seal in a plastic bag and leave in a closed car in the sun where it gets hot. Check the leaves twice a day - when the bag smells of ammonia when opened, they are done - remove from the bag and re-dry till all the ammonia is gone. When fully dry they can be remoistened to the state you like for smoking. The development of ammonia helps release the nicotine from where it is bound up in the leaf, and this recipe can actually change bad-tasting tobacco into excellent quality material.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is not carried in the seed - growing tobacco will not introduce this virus into your garden. It is carried by many plants, but not tobacco seed. TMV does not kill the plant, but reduces yield, and does not make the tobacco unfit for use.
Varieties susceptible to Black Shank should be grown in rotation with other crops.
There are very few sources for unpatented tobacco seed left, and these are all unpatented varieties.
Two other companies distributing heirloom tobacco seeds:
New Hope Seed Company: http://www.newhopeseed.com/tobacco/index.htm
Victory Seed Company: http://www.victoryseeds.com/tobacco/index.html
For more detailed information on tobacco cultivation and curing:
Kentucky & Tennessee Tobacco Production Guide: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id160/id160.pdf
Virginia Cooperative Extension Tobacco Crop Guides: http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-cg-cr-to
SEE BOOK SECTION FOR TOBACCO BOOKS.
STANDARD BURLEY VARIETIES:
—Nicotiana Tabacum Burley KY-17. (a!,h) NICO-36KB. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 10/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
A standard Kentucky Burley with high quality, good yield, and multiple disease resistance. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
Disease resistance levels:
Black Shank Race 0: Medium resistance.
Black Shank Race 1: Medium resistance.
Black Root Rot: High resistance.
Fusarium Wilt: Medium-low resistance.
Mosaic: High resistance.
Wildfire: High resistance.
—Nicotiana Tabacum Burley TN-90. (a!,h) NICO-36TB. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 88% Tested: 10/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
A standard Tennessee Burley with high quality, good yield, and multiple disease resistance. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
Disease resistance levels:
Black Shank Race 0: Medium resistance.
Black Shank Race 1: Medium resistance.
Black Root Rot: High resistance.
Mosaic: High resistance.
Wildfire: High resistance.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum VA 509. (a!,h) NICO-36VB. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Medium-early maturing stand-up burley that produces high quality and good yield. Stand-up varieties hold their leaves higher off the ground, keeping them cleaner. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
Disease resistance levels:
Black Shank Race 0: Medium resistance.
Black Shank Race 1: Medium resistance.
Black Root Rot: Medium low resistance.
Fusarium Wilt: Low resistance.
Wildfire: High resistance.
HAVANA TOBACCO VARIETIES:
These old Cuban varieties have been grown in the U.S. for decades, producing well even in northern states. The Havanas are smaller plants than the burley types, and are highly valued because of the fine flavor - Cuban cigars are renowned throughout the world! The seed is getting scarce.
—Nicotiana Tabacum Havana 608. (a!,h) NICO-36H6. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 10/09, Gram: $9.00, 5 grams: $36.00
The best Havana for home use. Fast maturing in 65 days. High yield. Good for cigars and chew. Good in the North. Seed originally grown in Wisconsin.
RARE PERIQUE TOBACCO
This is the rarest commercial tobacco in North America, and one of the most highly-prized.
—Nicotiana Tabacum Perique. (a!,h) NICO-36PQ. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $9.00, 5 grams: $36.00
Click for photo »
'PERIQUE'. The famous and extremely rare Louisiana tobacco. Originally grown by the Indians and fermented and pressed in hollow logs, this is a very potent tobacco. Usually used mixed with milder types. Now grown by only a few families, the leaves are prepared by prolonged pressing and fermenting, into an almost black tobacco which commands high prices. My favorite! Germinates in 2 weeks warm.
DARK TOBACCO VARIETIES:
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Green Wood. (a!,h) NICO-36GW. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
A nice traditional variety that holds itself up well and gives a good yield of high-quality dark tobacco that cures a brown color. Good for chewing or smoking. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Little Crittenden. (a!,h) NICO-36LC. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
A good old-fashioned dark tobacco that holds itself up well, so that the leaves stay cleaner. Good yield and cures well. Makes a good chewing tobacco, as well as for smoking. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Little Wood. (a!,h) NICO-36LW. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
An old-fashioned dark tobacco with a shorter leaf than other types, producing good yields of good quality tobacco. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Improved Madole. (a!,h) NICO-36IM. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Preferred by many growers for producing well and giving a high-quality dark tobacco leaf. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Narrow Leaf Madole. (a!,h) NICO-36NM. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 84% Tested: 11/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
An old narrow-leaf variety which cures well and produces a good yield of high quality dark tobacco. Used for cigars and chewing. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
—Nicotiana Tabacum Small Stalk Black Mammoth. (a!,h) NICO-36BM. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Gives a good weight of fine dark tobacco, and holds itself up well so that the leaves stay cleaner. Certified Kentucky-grown seed. "It is in great demand by some growers because it will produce either a wrapper or a snuff tobacco when allowed to get ripe."—Newton. "We've got leaves 3 1/2 feet long on this! Awesome!"—Bertrand, 8/96.
—Nicotiana Tabacum Tom Ross Madole. (a!,h) NICO-36TR. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Gives a good yield of high quality dark tobacco which cures well. Preferred by many growers. Certified Kentucky-grown seed. "This tobacco out-performed about 8 varieties in my location 30 miles south of Tulsa, Oklahoma."—Bill Breckinridge, 2/97.
VIRGINIA TOBACCO VARIETIES:
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Brown Leaf. (a!,h) NICO-36BL. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
An old variety that originated in Kentucky, and much grown by Virginia growers. Has large leaves of medium body, producing a dark tobacco. Fair resistance to Black Root Rot.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Lizard Tail Orinoco. (a!,h) NICO-36LT. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Another old variety much grown in Virginia. The medium-sized leaves are closely spaced on the stalk and have a heavy body. Produces a fine dark tobacco.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Lizard Tail Orinoco X Turtle Foot Cross. (a!,h) NICO-36TF. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Originated from a cross between Lizard Tail Orinoco and Turtle Foot, producing a dark tobacco of good quality. Produces more weight than most varieties.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Shirey. (a!,h) NICO-36S. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
Pronounced "Shirley", this is a favorite of many growers, producing a high quality dark tobacco.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum VA 309. (a!,h) NICO-36V3. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 11/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
A good selection with high quality and good yields. Certified Kentucky-grown seed.
Disease resistance levels:
Black Shank Race 0: Medium resistance.
Black Shank Race 1: Medium resistance.
Black Root Rot: Medium resistance.
NEW—Nicotiana Tabacum Walker's Broadleaf. (a!,h) NICO-36WB. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $30.00
An old Virginia variety, long grown. Medium-sized wide leaves that are spaced closely on the stalk.
NIGELLA (ni-JELL-la)
RANUNCULACEAE. Showy, easily grown hardy annuals. White, blue or yellow flowers followed by interesting inflated pods. The leaves are delicate and finely divided. Sow from March onwards outdoors in a sunny place, & they will give much bloom for little care. In warm areas you can sow in fall. Makes good cut flowers and the dried pods are ornamental. Succession sowing extends bloom. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Nigella hispanica Exotic. (b,h) NIG-5E. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 68% Tested: 8/09, 5 grams: $7.50
'SPANISH FENNEL-FLOWER'. Large blue 2 1/2" wide flowers with red stamens, followed by attractive 'spider-shaped' seedpods. Hardy annual to 16", with feathery foliage. Spain, N. Africa. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Nigella sativa. (a!,h) NIG-22. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 84% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $ 5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
'NUTMEG FLOWER', 'BLACK CUMIN', 'ROMAN CORIANDER'. White or blue 1 1/2" flowers followed by odd inflated pods. Branched annual to about 12", with divided leaves. E. Mediterranean. The aromatic seeds are used as seasoning in the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. Commonly used in curries, on bread and cakes. Called 'Four-Spice' in France, it is described as having a lemon-carrot scent. Also medicinal, and placed among clothes to repel insects. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NOLANA (no-LA-na)
NOLANACEAE. The only genus in this interesting family between the Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae. Little trailing, free-blooming half hardy perennials grown as annuals. From the west coast of Chile & the Atacama desert. Good in poor rocky soils and coastal gardens, or in the border and full sun. Excellent in pots and hanging baskets. Easy from seed which germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Nolana humifusa Little Bells. (c,h) NOLA-12L. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, 10 grams: $7.50
Little bell-shaped light blue flowers with purple veins in the throat, abundantly produced on a creeping half-hardy perennial to 8". Peru. Good in hanging baskets. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Nolana paradoxa Blue Bird. (50) NOLA-16B. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 10/09, 10 grams: $8.00
Sky blue 2" wide flowers with creamy throats, on a creeping half hardy perennial to 8" tall, with thick leaves. Chile. Excellent for hanging baskets. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Nolana paradoxa Snow Bird. (50) NOLA-16S. Packet: $2.50
Pure white 2" flowers on a creeping half-hardy perennial to 4" or so. Chile. Good in hanging baskets. Sister to Blue Bird. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
NYMPHAEA (nim-FEE-a or nim-FAY-a)
NYMPHAEACEAE. 'WATER LILY'. Showy aquatics with floating leaves and beautiful flowers. Easily grown in ponds, small pools, and even tubs. Sow seed on the surface of rich soil and submerge pot so water stands 1/4 - 1/2" over the soil. Grass-like seedlings emerge in 1 - 2 months, developing broad leaves later. As seedlings grow, increase depth until 2 - 3 feet deep. Full sun best.
If you read up on Nymphaea germination on the internet, you will find a number of claims that the seed must be very fresh and undried, or it will not germinate. Untrue! The seedlings in the photos were grown from seed received dry and stored with desiccant for two months, and the seed stays viable for several years of dry storage.
NEW—Nymphaea ampla. (b,g) NYMP-4. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $4.00, 10 grams: $30.00
Click for photo of seedlings»
'WHITE WATER LILY', White lilies 5" across, floating on the surface. Large 16" wide round floating leaves are green spotted purple-black. Tropical America. Zone 10. Germinates in about 2 months.
NEW—Nymphaea caerulea. (b,h) NYMP-10. Packet: $3.00
Click for photo of seedlings»
'SACRED EGYPTIAN BLUE LOTUS'. Pale blue 6" flowers held above the water. Large round floating leaves. North and central Africa. This is the sacred lotus of the ancient Egyptians, important in their cosmology, and used by them as a sedative. Germinates in about 1 - 2 months.