COMPOSITAE. Spring and summer blooming hardy perennials. Large basal leaves and showy sunflower-like blooms. Sandy soil. Some germinate in as little as 2 - 6 days, others need prolonged cold treatment. Plant out to permanent position early. They are fine plants and worth growing.
—Balsamorhiza deltoidea. (50) BALS-7. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $19.00 NEW PRICE
Large yellow 2 - 4" flowers. Showy perennial to 3 feet, with foot-long leaves. Western U.S. Drought resistant and stands harsh conditions. Seeds were eaten, and the root used medicinally by Indians.
—Balsamorhiza sagittata. (100) BALS-22. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $16.00, 1/4 pound: $48.00 NEW PRICE
'OREGON SUNFLOWER', 'ARROW-LEAF BALSAM-ROOT'. Showy yellow 2" blooms. Perennial to 2 feet, with 9" leaves. NW U.S. Zone 4. The roots were eaten by the Nez Pierce and other Indians after peeling and cooking on hot stones. The result was called 'pash' or 'kayoum'. They are said to have a sweet flavor. The seeds were made into meal. Use GA-3 or prechill to germinate in 2 - 12 weeks.
BAPTISIA (bap-TEE-zee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'WILD INDIGO'. Sturdy, hardy perennials with attractive deep green foliage and lupine-like flowers in racemes. In late fall the pods turn dark and are quite ornamental. Excellent in the border and makes nice cut flowers. Easy in any ordinary soil and a sunny position. Sow in fall or early spring outdoors, or nick seed and sow in pots to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks. Some were used as dye plants, medicinal antiseptics and for edible shoots.
—Baptisia australis. (50) BAPT-2. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $9.00
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'BLUE WILD INDIGO', 'RATTLEBUSH'. Inch-long, deep indigo-blue flowers in long terminal racemes in June and July. Stout hardy perennial to 4 - 6 feet, with attractive blue-green, clover-like 2 1/2" leaves. Racemes up to 10" long. E. U.S. Zone 3. "Handsome. Probably the best species for cultivation."—L.H. Bailey.
—Baptisia pendula. (10) (=alba) BAPT-42. Packet: $5.00
Pure white 1/2" flowers in spikes in summer, followed by nodding pods. Hardy perennial to 2 - 4 feet, with blue-green 2" leaves. New growth black-red. SE U.S. Zone 3. Choice! Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
BAUHINIA (bo-HIN-ee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy tropical and sub-tropical trees, shrubs and vines, grown in the greenhouse or outdoors in California and the South for their flamboyant flowers. Some are hardy to 15°F. They make good tub plants, and can flower in 3 - 4 years.
—Bauhinia monandra. (20) BAUH-10. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
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'ORCHID TREE'. Showy pink 4" wide poinciana-like flowers with darker streaks, in spring. Small tree to 20 feet, with smooth grey bark and 2-lobed leaves. Burma. Zone 10. Nick seed to germinate in 3 - 6 weeks.
BEGONIA (be-GO-ne-a)
BEGONIACEAE. A large genus of tropical herbs and soft shrubs. Popular plants for pot culture, valued for their blooms and foliage in the greenhouse or window. Easily raised from seed using the Plastic Bag Method. Dust the seed on the surface and keep warm (65 - 75°) to germinate in about 2 - 3 weeks. A good soil mix is 2 parts loam, 2 of peat, 1 1/2 of leaf mold, and 1 of sand. The three main types are fibrous rooted, tuberous rooted, and rhizomatous. Most like to dry out between waterings, and frequent fertilizing during growth and blooming.
—Begonia baumanii BK10509.8. (200) BEG-18. Packet: $4.00
'KILLU KILLU', 'GRANISO T'IKA'. Large rose flowers on stalks above round crinkled 6" wide leaves. Tender perennial to 2 feet, from caudex-like tubers. Bolivia. Zone 8 or 9. Tubers used as rennet for making cheese. Introduced into cultivation by plant-explorer Ben Kamm. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. For more seeds and plants grown by plant-explorer Ben Kamm, including many Andean rarities, see his website at www.sacredsucculents.com
BELAMCANDA (bell-am-KAN-da)
IRIDACEAE. Two E. Asian hardy perennials. Easily grown, preferring full sun and good drainage.
—Belamcanda chinensis. (50) BELA-6. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50, 1/4 pound: $25.00
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'BLACKBERRY LILY', 'SHE GAN'. Deep orange 2" flowers with red spots, blooming in early summer, followed by ornamental clusters of black seeds. Hardy perennial to 1 - 4 feet, with iris-like leaves. China, Japan. Zone 5. The rhizome is an important Chinese medicine, and has been shown to be antifungal and antiviral. Young leaves have been eaten. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks at warm temperatures.
"Better no rule than cruel rule."—Aesop.
BELLIS (BELL-is)
COMPOSITAE. 'ENGLISH DAISY'. Attractive annuals, biennials and perennials growing in tufts. Favorites for edging, rock gardens, and colonizing in lawns. May be sown in early spring for bloom the first year in harsh climates, or up to late summer for bloom the following year. Germinates in 10 - 15 days. Space 6" apart. Best in cool climates and moist soil. Good carpeting in shady areas, and for winter flowering pot plants in the cool greenhouse. Good cut flowers. Seed viable 6 - 7 years.
—Bellis perennis White. (1000) BELL-3. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $6.00, Ounce: $12.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are still available
'ENGLISH DAISY'. Single white 1 - 2" daisies in spring and early summer. Hardy perennial to 6", with rosettes of 1 - 2" leaves. Europe. Zone 3. Excellent for sowing in lawns, good with moisture and stands shade. This is the original daisy used in the classic love-divination "He loves me, he loves me not..." Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BERGENIA (ber-JEN-ee-a)
SAXIFRAGACEAE. Vigorous creeping Asian perennials, with handsome foliage and attractive flowers in early spring. Best in humusy soil and part shade. Makes nice blooming plants in 2 - 3 years. Sometimes called 'pigsqueak'.
—Bergenia cordifolia 'Winterglow'. (100) BERG-6W. Packet: $3.50
'HEART -LEAF BERGENIA'. Striking red-colored fall and winter foliage. Bright red flowers in nodding clusters, March to May. Hardy perennial to 16", with large, rounded, heart-shaped evergreen leaves. Siberia and Mongolia. Zone 3. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BERKHEYA (berk-HEY-a)
COMPOSITAE. Interesting showy African daisies.
NEW—Berkheya cirsiifolia. (100) BERK-8. Packet: $3.00
Stunning large white flowers with yellow centers, June to September. Perennial to 2 feet, with densely spiky foliage. South Africa. Zone 8. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks.
—Berkheya purpurea. (25) BERK-24. Packet: $3.00
'ZULU WARRIOR'. Large silvery-blue to lavender 3" wide daisies with dark centers, in late summer. Tender thistle-like perennial to 15 - 28". S. Africa. Zone 6. Good cut flowers. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BETULA (BE-tu-la)
BETULACEAE. 'BIRCH'. Hardy ornamental N. Hemisphere trees and shrubs, most preferring moist sandy soils. Valued for their graceful habit, and some for timber. They range to 70° N. latitude. Best from seed sown in fall. If given light, they do not need cold treatment.
—Betula lenta. (500) BETU-14. Packet: $2.50
5 Grams: $10.00
'SWEET or CHERRY BIRCH'. Tree to 15 - 70 feet, with dark reddish brown aromatic bark, and 2 - 5" leaves. Round headed when young, pendulous with age. E. U.S. Zone 3. The bark and twigs have a strong wintergreen flavor, containing methylsalicylate, and are an official source of Oil of Wintergreen. The leaves have been used for tea and the sap fermented for 'birch beer'. The inner bark has been eaten, and the richly marked wood valued for cabinetry. Sow on the surface, germination irregular.
BIDENS (BI-denz)
COMPOSITAE. Easily grown annual and perennial herbs with pretty yellow or white daisy like flowers. Similar to Cosmos. Likes full sun and moist soil. Good for cut-flowers. Sow hardy kinds outdoors in March, to bloom in 10 weeks. Half hardy kinds in flats to germinate in 9 days at 60°F. Set out in April to bloom in July to September.
—Bidens aristosa. (100) BIDE-1. Packet: $2.50
Showy yellow 1 - 2" flowers in mid to late summer on a hardy annual to 1 - 4 feet. Central U.S. Attracts pollinators and birds eat the seeds. Likes wet soil to germinate.
—Bidens bipinnata. (50) BIDE-4. Packet: $2.50
'SPANISH NEEDLES'. Small yellow flowers on a hardy annual to 5 feet, with attractively divided leaves. E. Asia & E. U.S. Used in Chinese medicine. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Bidens frondosa. (50) BIDE-7. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50, 25 grams: $15.00
Yellow-orange flowers in summer. Annual to 3 feet, with trifoliate leaves. N. America. Medicinal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Seed dormant.
—Bidens pilosa. (100) BIDE-19. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
'BEGGAR'S TICKS'. White flowers with yellow centers, May to October. Annual to 4 feet. Tropics. Young leaves eaten and used for tea. Medicinal—antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-malarial, anti-cancer, against enlarged prostate, and many more. Dead-head to prevent seeding. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BIXA (BEE-ha)
BIXACEAE. A single species. Good in the far South or in the greenhouse.
—Bixa Orellana. (50) BIXA-1. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 Pound: $12.00, Pound: $25.00
'ANNATO', 'ACHIOTE', 'URUCU', 'LIPSTICK TREE'. Large, five-petaled rose, pink or white flowers with yellow stamens, followed by striking, maroon to vivid scarlet 2" spiny pods. Amazon Basin. Zone 10. For millennia Amazonian Indians have used the red dye obtained from the seedcoat as face and body paint. Cultivated throughout the tropics for food coloring and dye for cheese, soap, cloth, paint, lipstick, margarine, etc. A few seeds can be added to rice, soups, or to flavor chocolate and meats. Seeds eaten cooked in butter. Bark provides fiber. Good hedge and honey plant. Used medicinally. Soak, nick hard ones, to germinate in 2 - 15 weeks or more warm.
BORAGO (bo-RA-go)
BORAGINACEAE. Robust annuals and perennials with showy blue or white saucer-shaped 5-petaled flowers and downy foliage. Grown in the flower and herb garden, and they are good bee plants. Drought resistant and free-flowering. Sow seed in spring or fall where they are to flower. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Space 9 - 15" apart. Seed viable 8 - 10 years.
—Borago officinalis. (100) BORA-3. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $5.00, 1/4 pound $12.00
'BORAGE'. Easily grown showy annual with blue or purplish star-shaped 1 1/2" wide flowers in nodding clusters in summer, on branched 2 foot stems. Silvery, downy leaves. Mediterranean. The young fresh leaves have a refreshing cucumber-like flavor and are used in salads, summer drinks and cooked greens. The flowers are a colorful addition to salads, can be floated on cool drinks, and are candied. Pliny called it ephrosynon, believing it made men merry and joyful who drank wine flavored with it.
—Borago officinalis var. alba. (25) BORA-3A. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $12.00, 50 grams: $40.00
'WHITE-FLOWERED BORAGE'. The lovely white-flowered form, so rarely seen. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
BRACHYCHITON (bra-kee-KI-ton)
STERCULIACEAE. Australian trees with swollen trunks. Grown in warm regions for their masses of showy flowers.
NEW—Brachychiton populneus. (10) BRAC-19. Packet: $2.50
50 seeds: $7.50
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'BOTTLE-TREE', 'KURRAJONG'. Bell-shaped white flowers in clusters in May and June. Evergreen tree to 60 feet, with swollen, bottle-shaped trunk and dense, pale green 3" leaves. Australia. Zone 8. Good shade tree in the low desert. Soak overnight, rub off covering, to germinate in 1 - 3 months.
BRASSICA (BRASS-i-ka)
CRUCIFERAE. 'MUSTARD', 'COLE'. Tall yellow-flowered plants, including many valuable edibles like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rape, rutabaga, turnip, etc. Easily grown, mostly cool season crops. The seed is viable 4 to 15 years or more.
—Brassica nigra (=Sinapis nigra). (100) BRAS-19. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50, 1/4 Pound: $20.00
'BLACK MUSTARD'. Tall hardy annual to 3 - 10 feet or more, with abundant 1/4" yellow flowers on large, wide spreading branches, followed by narrow 3/4" pods filled with the 'Mustard Seed' of commerce. Eurasia. The ground seeds are the main source of table mustard, mixed with water and vinegar. Cultivated since ancient times as a medicine and condiment, it was popular with the Greeks and Romans. The young leaves are used as a pungent addition to salads and greens. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BRIZA (BREE-za)
GRAMINEAE. 'RATTLESNAKE GRASS'. Attractive ornamental grasses grown for their panicles of nodding spikelets resembling rattlesnake rattles, which gracefully hang from thread-like stems. Easily grown in ordinary soil with good drainage in full sun. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, and is viable for 3 years or more. Sow in early spring.
—Briza maxima. (100) BRIZ-1. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
'LARGE RATTLESNAKE GRASS'. Large, graceful nodding 1/2" long spikes, sometimes bronzy, in 5" clusters. Hardy annual ornamental grass to 2 feet. Mediterranean. An excellent ornamental and prized in dried arrangements. Good for naturalizing. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BRODIAEA (bro-dee-AY-a)
LILIACEAE. Beautiful Pacific coast bulbs, best in well-drained soil and full sun. Rest dry in summer.
—Brodiaea californica Pink. (25) BROD-4P. Packet: $2.50
'CALIFORNIA BRODIAEA'. Beautiful pink 1 - 1 1/2" long flowers in 2 - 12-flowered umbels held 4 - 12" high on slender stems. Narrow-leaved bulbous plant of California, blooming May to July. Zone 5. "The finest species for garden purposes."—Baker. Germinates in 1 - 2 months at cold temperatures.
—Brodiaea minor. (25) BROD-16. Packet: $2.50
Violet to pink inch-long flowers with narrow petals. Bulb to 1 foot, with narrow grass-like leaves. California. Zone 8.
BRUGMANSIA (brug-MAN-zee-a)
SOLANACEAE. 'ANGEL'S TRUMPET TREE'. Small South American trees with spectacular pendulous trumpet shaped blooms, most fragrant in the evening. Excellent ornamentals for the greenhouse California and the South, never failing to provoke comment when in bloom. May stand some frost, and will often renew themselves from the roots if cut to the ground. Good in tubs, which can be over-wintered in a cellar. Will often bloom in small 10" pots. Formerly included in Datura, which see for the herbaceous Angel's Trumpets, and for their medicinal and poisonous properties. Some are grown for commercial production of medicinal tropanes.
—Brugmansia sanguinea. (7) BRUG-16. Packet: $4.00
50 seed: $19.00, 10 grams (about 250 seed): $75.00
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'EAGLE TREE'. Large, pendulous 8 - 12" trumpet-shaped flowers are deep red with yellow veins, shading upward to yellow. Spindle-shaped 3 1/2" fruits Small tree to 12 feet, with downy, dark green leaves. Andes. Fairly hardy, standing quite a bit of frost, sprouting from the base. A spectacular, long lived ornamental, thriving in cool coastal climates. Soak seed 1 - 2 days to germinate in 2 - 8 weeks warm.
BULBINE (bul-BEE-nay)
LILIACEAE. Star-like yellow or white six-petaled flowers on annuals or half-hardy perennials, often with tuberous roots. Africa and Australia. They like full sun and well-drained soil, and bloom in spring and summer. Sow in pots in early spring, to germinate in about 2 weeks. Plant out in May. Some may flower in 3 months or so. Good outdoors in warm areas, or in pots in the greenhouse.
—Bulbine frutescens. (50) BUL-16. Packet: $2.50
'BURN JELLY PLANT'. Bright yellow orange flowers in dense foot-long spikes. Shrubby succulent to 2 feet, with narrow, foot-long leaves. South Africa. Zone 9. Leaves used like Aloe vera for burns. Germinates in a week.
BUNIUM (BOO-nee-um)
UMBELLIFERAE. Herbs closely related to Caraway.
—Bunium bulbocastanum. (50) BUNI-5. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
NOTE: I have a report that this is actually Oenanthe pimpinelloides (also has edible tubers).
'EARTH CHESTNUT'. The bulbous, tuberous roots are said to taste like chestnuts and were boiled with broth in England. The seeds were used as a condiment. Eurasia. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks.
BUPHTHALMUM (buf-THAL-mum)
COMPOSITAE. Showy, easily grown Eurasian hardy perennials with large yellow daisies, resembling elecampane. Bold plants, blooming the first year.
—Buphthalmum salicifolium. (250) BUPH-22. Packet: $2.50
'SUNWHEEL'. Golden yellow 2" flowers abundantly borne June to August. Hardy perennial to 2 feet. Central Europe. Zone 3. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BUTIA (BOO-tee-a)
PALMAE. 'YATAY PALMS'. Attractive small feather-leaved South American palms grown for ornament and fruit. Some are fairly hardy. Soak seed for a day or two & plant in sterile soil or sandy peat. Keep warm and inspect for roots now & then — as the seeds sprout, pot up. May take up to 3 years.
—Butia capitata. (10) BUTI-4. Packet: $2.50
'PINDO, JELLY, or PEACH PALM'. Small palm to 10 - 20 feet, with gracefully arching, grey-green, 8 - 12 foot fronds. Brazil 8c Uraguay. Produces large clusters of fragrant yellow inch-wide edible fruits. "Fruit is delicious — a complex orange/Peach/mango taste. Nut is very hard, but if cracked tastes like coconut."—A. Lord. Nut polished and used as beads. One of the hardiest palms—to 15°F.