PINACEAE. Attractive N. Hemisphere, conifers with pendulous cones. Grown for ornament or timber. Most soils and zones, and easy from seed.
NEW—Picea asperata. (25) PICA-3. Packet: $2.50
'DRAGON SPRUCE'. Blue-green 3/4" needles, young growth yellow, and pendulous 4" grey cones. Tree to 100 feet. West China. Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Picea jezoensis. (b,v) PICA-22. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $9.00, Oz: $30.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'YEZO SPRUCE'. Tree to 150 feet, with short, glossy dark green 3/4" needles, white below. Grey flaking bark and 3" red young cones that turn brown in fall. Japan and N. Asia. Zone 2. Prechill seed 3 weeks, but will give some germination warm.
NEW—Picea koraiensis (=Picea Koyamai) (100) PICA-24. Packet: $2.50
Grey-green or blue-green 1/2" needles. Tree to 80 feet, with brown 3" cones. East Asia, Japan. Zone 5 or 6. Germinates in 3 - 4 weeks.
—Picea likiangensis. (b,h) PICA-26. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $12.00
'LIJIANG SPRUCE'. Tree to 100 feet, with green to blue-green 1/2" needles. Grey scaly bark and 3" cones that may be reddish or purple when young. SW China and Tibet. Zone 7. "In April and May when loaded with its male flowers and brilliant red young cones it is spectacularly beautiful."—Hilliers. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
—Picea purpurea. (b,g) PICA-44. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $7.50, Oz: $22.00
'PURPLE-CONED SPRUCE'. Tree to 150 feet, with deep green 1/2" needles, blue-green below. Scaly, flaking orange-brown bark and deep violet-purple young cones. China. Zone 5. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
NEW—Picea Wilsonii. (100) PICA-68. Packet: $2.50
'WILSON'S SPRUCE'. Glossy dark to grass-green 1/2"needles. Tree to 75 feet, with 2 1/2" cones and red-brown flaking bark. Western China. Zone 5. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
PILOSOCEREUS (pee-lo-so-SEER-ee-us)
CACTACEAE. Night-blooming columnar cacti with prominent cephalia.
Photos of various species: http://www.columnar-cacti.org/pilosocereus/page3.html
NEW—Pilosocereus azulensis. (25) PILO-4. Packet: $2.50
Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilosocereus_azulensis
Endangerment info: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/40888/0
Columnar cactus endemic to Pedra Azul, Brazil. Said to be critically endangered by habitat loss.
NEW—Pilosocereus azureus (=Pilosocereus pachycladus) (50) PILO-6. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Photos: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/510/
http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Pilosocereus&species=pachycladus
http://www.columnar-cacti.org/pilosocereus/page1.html
http://www.cactusinhabitat.org/index.php?p=specie&id=161&l=es
'BLUE COLUMNS', 'FACHIERO AZUL'. Beautiful blue columns to 30 feet, with nice yellow spines, and white or pink flowers. Brazil. Zone 9, tip damage at 25°F. Tolerates cold and lots of wet. Use GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 12 weeks.
NEW—Pilosocereus magnificus. (25) PILO-16. Packet: $2.50
Photos and info: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/140667/
http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Pilosocereus&species=magnificus
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/swallowtail/785/pilosocereus_magnificus_2.jpg
Beautiful video of a huge one in flower in India: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoQs0Ldn1N8
'FACHIERO'. Blue-green 3" thick columns to 10 feet tall, the ribs edged with dense orange-brown spines. White 2" flowers at night in summer. Brazil. Zone 10. A beautiful species.
PIMPINELLA (pim-pi-NEL-a)
UMBELLIFERAE. Herbs with white or yellow flowers in umbels, and feathery leaves. Best sown directly to not-too-rich soil. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Pimpinella Anisum. (a!,h) PIM-1. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $6.00
1/4 lb: $15.00 1/4 lb unit out of stock, ounces and packets still available
'ANISE'. White flowers. A dainty annual to 1 1/2 - 2 feet, with feathery bright green leaves. Greece to Egypt. Grown for the popular seeds used as a condiment for bread, pastries and cheese, to flavor liqueurs, and medicinally. Known to the ancient Greeks, it is mentioned by Dioscorides, Theophrastus, and Pliny. The leaves may be used in salads. Medicinally the seeds and oil are used as estrogenic agents to promote milk secretion, regulate and promote menstruation, ease birth, and allay symptoms of menopause. A number of synthetic estrogens were originally modeled after the estrogenic compounds found in the oil. Anise still has merit in that it is non-carcinogenic, has low toxicity, and is gentle in action. Not to mention you don't need a prescription, and it is low cost. See: 'Fennel and Anise as Estrogenic Agents'. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (1980) Vol. 2, pages 337 - 344.
PINUS (PEE-nus or PYE-nus)
PINACEAE. North Hemisphere evergreen conifers. The pines are popular and widely adapted. Valuable for timber, ornament, fuelwood, rosin, turpentine, and edible seeds. Best in well-drained soil.
—Pinus Armandii. (e,g) PINU-3. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.00 (about 170 seed)
'CHINESE WHITE PINE', 'YU SUNG'. Large tree to 60 - 120 feet, with wide-spreading crown. Bright glossy green 4 - 7" needles in fives, and 6" cones. E. Asia. Zone 5. "A very ornamental species with its drooping glaucous leaves and decorative cones."—Hilliers. The nuts are eaten as a delicacy in China. Prechill 12 weeks to germinate in 4 - 8 weeks.
—Pinus Bungeana. (e,g) PINU-10. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $11.00
'LACE-BARK PINE'. Bright green 3" needles in threes, and 2 1/2" yellow-brown cones. Picturesque spreading tree, often multi-trunked, to 75 feet or more. Striking whitish flaking bark. NW China. Tolerates heat and cold, to Zone 5, but may be bushy in severe climates. The pea-sized seed are edible. Germinates in 4 - 8 weeks.
—Pinus Cembra. (d,v) PINU-13. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $5.00
'SWISS STONE PINE'. Round-headed tree to 30 - 75 feet, with dark green, twisted, 5" needles, and 3 1/2" cones. Europe to N. Asia. Slow growing. Hardy to –35°F. The large seeds are edible. Sow in fall, or give seed 3 - 9 months cold to germinate in 3 - 12 weeks. Tough and undemanding.
—Pinus Coulteri. (d,h) PINU-17. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $16.00
'BIG-CONE PINE', 'PITCH PINE'. Deep green needles in threes, up to 6 - 14" long. Large 10 - 14" cones with large edible seeds. Much eaten by the Indians. Tree to 40 - 80 feet, with dark, almost black bark. Moderately fast growth. S. Calif. Hardy to Zone 7. Good in desert areas, stands heat and drought. Germinates in 6 - 16 weeks warm.
—Pinus densiflora. (c,h) PINU-19. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00
'JAPANESE RED PINE'. Broad-crowned tree to 70 - 120 feet, with bright bluish-green 3 - 5" needles and tawny 2" cones. Japan. Fast growing, often multi-trunked tree, hardy to –20°F. Dislikes hot, dry climates. Used as flavoring in Korea. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks, and 3 weeks prechill may help.
—Pinus edulis. (d,g) PINU-20. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $6.00
'PINYON PINE'. Dense, dark green inch-long needles in pairs. Slow growing shrub or round topped tree to 10 - 20 feet, with 2" cones. Southernmost Wyoming to Arizona. Hardy to Massachusetts (Zone 5). The large, oily, protein-rich piñons are an important food for Indians, and are second only to the pecan as a commercial wild nut. Bears in 25 years. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks. Soaking or cold may help.
NEW—Pinus hwangshanensis. (100) PINUS-27. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00
Tree to 80 feet, resembling Thunbergii, with paired, 2 - 3" green needles and 2" cones. Eastern China. Hardy to at least Zone 7. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks warm.
—Pinus koraiensis. (e,g) PINU-31. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'KOREAN PINE'. Round-headed tree to 90 - 150 feet. with dark green 4" needles and 6" cones. SE Siberia to Japan. Zone 3. Hardy and slow growing. Edible seeds and pollen, and the needles used as flavoring. Give 8 - 12 weeks cold to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Pinus Mugo Mughus. (d,g) PINU-44. Packet: $3.00
'DWARF SWISS MOUNTAIN PINE'. Low shrub to 4 feet, with crowded 2" needles and 2" cones. Alps. Zone 3. Very ornamental. Produces Hungarian terebinth. Germinates in 2 - 24 weeks warm.
—Pinus patula. (b,h) PINU-55. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50 (about 3450 seed), 1/4 lb: $22.50
'OCOTE MACHO', 'MEXICAN WEEPING PINE'. Foot-long grass-green drooping needles. Fast growing tree to 40 - 80 feet, with 4 - 5 " cones. México. Zone 8, to about 15°F. One of the fastest growing pines in the world. "An elegant species with gracefully drooping foliage."—Hilliers. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks warm, a prechill helps some lots.
—Pinus Pinea. (e,h) PINU-62. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
1/4 lb: $12.00 OUT OF STOCK
'ITALIAN STONE PINE', 'UMBRELLA PINE'. Round-topped tree to 40 - 80 feet, with stiff, bright to grey green 8" needles, and 4" cones. Mediterranean. Cultivated for the large, sweet, edible nuts. Considered sacred to Poseidon by the ancient Greeks. Zone 8. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm.
—Pinus pumila. (=cembra var. pumila) (e,v) PINU-64. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK - NOT EXPECTED THIS YEAR
Oz: $22.00 OUT OF STOCK - NOT EXPECTED THIS YEAR
'DWARF JAPANESE STONE PINE'. Dwarf, often prostrate shrub to 1 - 10 feet, with 3" needles and 1 3/4" cones. Mts. of E. Siberia and Japan. Seeds edible. Zone 4. Prechill 4 - 5 months, to germinate in 4 weeks.
—Pinus radiata. (d,h) PINU-68. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00
'MONTEREY PINE'. Fast growing tree to 50 - 150 feet, with bright green 3 - 7" needles and 7" cones. Native to only 4 stands in coastal California, but naturalized elsewhere, a fine example of preservation through dissemination. The fastest-growing pine, up to 6 feet a year when young, and 50 feet in 12 years. Zone 7 - 10. Widely planted for timber, best in cool coastal climates. Germinates in 2 - 7 weeks warm.
—Pinus Roxburghii. (=longifolia) PINU-72. Packet: $2.50
Oz: 5.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
'CHIR' or 'EMODI PINE'. Beautiful Himalayan pine to 80 feet, with long, drooping, light green 12" needles and 7" cones. Zone 6. The seeds are eaten in India. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks with no prechill needed.
—Pinus Sabiniana. PINU-73. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00
'FOOTHILL PINE', (formerly 'DIGGER PINE'). Fast-growing pine to 50 feet, with grey-green 8 - 12" needles and 10" cones. California foothills. Zone 8. Often has a forked trunk in the wild. Stands drought and heat, yet thrives in Seattle. Give seed 8 -12 weeks prechill to germinate in 4 weeks. The large seeds were an important food of California Indians, who were known by the derogatory slur "Diggers" or "Digger Indians", so polite folks now call it "Foothill Pine". Historical note: The "Diggers" (originally The True Levelers) were also a group of agrarian anarchists in England begun in 1649 by Gerrard Winstanley, who advocated for individual freedom and equality in small agrarian communities cultivating common land. The movement was crushed by 1651. They were emulated by a group of anarchists in San Francisco (also called Diggers) in the 1960s, who gave away food, had a 'free store' in which you took what you needed, and left items you no longer used. So the term "Digger" may be an insult to one man, or a compliment to another!
"I took my spade and went and broke the ground upon George-hill in Surrey, thereby declaring freedome to the Creation, and that the earth must be set free from the intanglements of Lords and Landlords, and that it shall become a common Treasury to all."—Winstanley, founder of the Diggers, 1649.
—Pinus Thunbergii. (e,g) PINU-82. Packet: $2.50
'JAPANESE BLACK PINE'. Fast growing, broad-crowned tree to 130 feet, with stiff, bright green 4 1/2" needles and 3" cones. Japan. Zone 4. One of the best evergreens for the seaside, and excellent bonsai material. Prechill 4 - 8 weeks, to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Pinus Torreyana. (10,h) PINU-97. Packet: $3.00
'TORREY PINE'. Small round-headed tree to 60 feet, often gnarled in the wild. Stiff dark green 8 - 12" needles and round 6" cones. Rare endemic, only a few thousand trees occur in a small spot on the San Diego coast and on Santa Rosa Island. Zone 8. Large edible seeds. Germinates in 4 - 6 weeks or so.
—Pinus Wallichiana. PINU-107. Packet: $2.50
Oz: 5.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
'BHUTAN PINE', 'BLUE PINE'. Tall conical tree to 150 feet, with drooping 8" blue-green needles in 5s. Long, cylindrical 6 - 12" cones. Himalayas. Zone 6. Give seed 2 - 12 weeks prechill.
PITHECELLOBIUM (pi-the-se-LO-be-um)
LEGUMINOSAE. Ornamental broad-headed tropical and subtropical trees with puff-like flowers and pinnate leaves. Easily grown in warm regions. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Pithecellobium flexicaule. (10) PITH-9. Packet: $2.50
1/4 lb: $18.00
Seed has been treated with Sevin, then washed.
'TEXAS EBONY' Fragrant yellow or creamy puff-like flowers in 1 1/2" spikes in summer, followed by large pods. Shrub or small tree to 20 - 50 feet, with dark green shining pinnate leaves. Texas to Baja and Yucatan. Zone 9. Valuable ornamental, much planted in warm regions. The rich reddish brown wood is tinged purple, with bright yellow sapwood. It is hard, heavy and valuable. The green seeds are eaten boiled, and roasted as a coffee substitute.
PLANTAGO (plan-TA-go)
PLANTAGINACEAE. About 250 species of herbs and some shrubs. Worldwide distribution. Easily grown and vigorous, some sown for ornament, medicine, food, erosion control, bird and wildlife food. A few are weedy, others are rare endemic endangered species. Generally easy from seed, which is long-lived. Sow on the surface.
—Plantago major 'Variegata'. (50) PLAN-15V. Packet: $2.50
Stunning variety with broad dark green leaves marbled with white, becoming red on older leaves. Hardy perennial to 10". Zone 3. Nice!
PLATYCODON (pla-te-KO-don)
CAMPANULACEAE. 'BALLOON FLOWER'. A single species. A showy hardy perennial thriving in well drained sandy loam. Easy from seed; blooms the second year. The flower buds are inflated and balloon-like before they open. Allow stems to die back in fall. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at warm temperatures. Do not cover seed. The young leaves are used in salads in Japan. Native to eastern Asia.
—Platycodon grandiflorus Apoyama Fairy Snow. (25) PLTY-1AF. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $18.00
Large white flowers with blue veins. Dwarf to 10". A choice variety! Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Platycodon grandiflorus Florist Blue. (b,h) PLTY-1B. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $22.00
'BLUE BALLOON FLOWER' Large blue 3" flowers. Showy perennial to 2 feet. Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Platycodon grandiflorus 'Hakone White'. (50) PLTY-1HW. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $20.00
Elegant pure white twinned flowers-two perfect flowers nested together with the petals offset, like five-pointed stars. Hardy perennial to 20". Zone 3.
POGOSTEMON (po-go-STEM-on)
LABIATAE. Tropical Asian herbs for fragrance.
—Pogostemon heyneanus. (500) POGO-11. Packet: $3.00
'INDIAN PATCHOULI'. Small purple flowers in spikes on a shrubby tropical perennial to 5 - 6 feet, with highly fragrant leaves. Tropical Asia. Zone 10. Prefers full to part shade, good houseplant. One of the main sources of patchouli oil.
POINCIANA (poin-see-A-na)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy warm-region small broad-crowned trees and shrubs with feathery pinnate foliage and spectacular flowers. Fast growing heat lovers, best in well-drained soil. Drought-resistant thriving in hot sun and warm regions, north to Oregon. Easy in pots in the greenhouse. Easy from seed, grow like Caesalpinia, which see.
—Poinciana Gilliesii (=Caesalpinia Gilliesii) (e,h) POIN-2. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $14.00
Click for photos »
'BIRD of PARADISE BUSH'. Striking flowers with 3 - 5" long bright red stamens from 5-petaled yellow flowers in dense clusters. Blooms all summer. Shrub or small tree with feathery foliage. South America. Fast growing to 10 to 20 feet or so. An excellent ornamental, good in desert areas and the South, but grown as far north as Oregon. Zone 8. Easy in pots in the greenhouse in the North, and said to be possible as an annual if started early. The stamens have been used as a saffron substitute. "A very showy and worthy plant."—L. H. Bailey. Nick seed, germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Poinciana pulcherrima (=Caesalpinia pulcherrima) (e,h) POIN-4. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00
Click for photo »
'PRIDE OF BARBADOS', 'DWARF POINCIANA', 'FLOWER FENCE'. Striking flowers with red crinkled petals edged yellow, and bright 2 1/2" red stamens. Dense shrub to 10 feet with delicate dark green feathery foliage. West Indies. Zone 9. Fast growing, good hedge or screen in warm regions, blooming throughout warm weather. Stands some frost. Sacred in India. The seed and pods yield tannin and dye, and the orange colored wood is carbonized for ink in India. Leaves used as a fish poison in Guatemala. All parts have medicinal uses, and extracts have shown antiviral effects. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Poinciana regia: See Delonix regia.
POLANISIA (po-la-NIS-ee-a)
CAPPARIDACEAE. Cleome-like North American annuals.
NEW—Polanisia dodecandra ssp. trachysperma. (200) POLN-6T. Packet: $2.50
1/2 Oz: $7.50
Info and photos: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/lf_clammyweedx.htm
'DWARF CLEOME'. Clusters of white 1" flowers with long, red, whiskery stamens. Summer-blooming hardy annual to 2 feet, with trifoliate leaves. W. N. America. Zone 4. Easy in sandy soil and hot, dry places. Attracts bees and butterflies. Young plants boiled as greens by Indians, and the leaves were smoked in ceremonial cigarettes.
POLEMONIUM (po-le-MO-nee-um)
POLEMONIACEAE. Mostly easily grown perennials for the border. Blue, yellow or purplish flowers. Best from fall-sown seed in rich loam. Common kinds germinate in 1 - 4 weeks at warm.
—Polemonium yezoense 'Purple Rain Strain'. (50) POLE-28P. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $15.00
Large violet inch-wide flowers in June and July. Hardy perennial to 20", with pinnate leaves. Japan. Zone 4. Until early summer the whole plant is reddish-purple, making a nice display. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks or so.
POLYGONUM (po-LI-go-num or PO-li-GO-num)
POLYGONACEAE. 'FLEECE-FLOWER'. A large and varied genus of annuals and perennials grown for their abundant bloom and attractive foliage. They range from dry, rocky areas to deep woods, to aquatic habitats. Easily grown in the border and wild garden; some are good ground covers or great in hanging baskets. Various species provide food, in the form of seeds, greens or roots, or forage, medicine and dyes. Researchers might find this vigorous group a fertile source of new crops. Most germinate in 2 - 3 weeks, some up to 2 months. Seed viable up to 25 years.
—Polygonum Aubertii. (=Fallopia baldschuanica) POLY-5. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00
'SILVER LACE VINE', 'CHINA FLEECE VINE'. Fragrant small white flowers in long upright branched racemes in late summer. Rampant fast-growing twining hardy perennial to 20 - 40 feet, with 2 1/2" leaves. Western China and Tibet. Zone 4. Sometimes blooms twice in a season. Very ornamental. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Polygonum orientale. (d,l) POLY-18. Packet: $2.50
'KISS-ME-OVER-THE-GARDEN-GATE', 'PRINCE'S PLUME'. Bright pink or rose flowers in dense 3 1/2" spikes in autumn. Tall annual to 6 feet with large 10" leaves. Asia. Easily grown, self-sows. The roasted or steamed seeds are said to have been eaten in China. They were said to relieve thirst and fever, brighten the eye and breath. Give seed one month cold treatment to germinate in 2 weeks.
POLYSTICHUM (po-LIS-ti-kum)
POLYPODIACEAE. Mostly temperate zone woodland ferns grown for ornament. Easily grown. Prefers limestone and leafmold. See Fern Spores for germination.
—Polystichum munitum. (a!!,h) POLYS-12. Packet: $2.50
'GIANT HOLLY FERN', 'WESTERN SWORD FERN'. Large, deep green, pinnate, leathery evergreen fronds to 10" wide, in large clumps to 3 to 5 feet tall. Striking and hardy, living to great age. Alaska to California. The thick roots were peeled and roasted in embers or cooked like potatoes with salmon eggs by Northwest Indians. Said to have a banana-like flavor. I've got to try it someday!
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).
