The post office is finally pushing us into computer-generated postage, so all those interesting stamps are going away. I'll be using up existing stocks on a few parcels, so let me know if you want them on your package. One plus with digital postage is it can automatically send a tracking number to your email, so let me know if this is ok with you. I'm going to miss those beautiful stamps!
Please be prepared to advocate for cleaning up the corruption of the USDA by Big Ag, and their obstructionist over-regulation. This is not a partisan issue—no matter how you feel about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., or the administration, we must unite in defense of our gardens. We are already getting support from Amish and Mennonite farmers. This is the most important battle for seed freedom in our lifetimes.
NOTE: I did not vote for Trump (or Harris) and do not support either party. I am strictly non-partisan. We must stop the divisive hatred that I see tearing apart families and destroying friendships, and unite in common cause and good fellowship in service of garden freedom.
"United we stand, divided we fall."—Aesop, ancient Greece, 620-564 BCE.
"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."—Mark 3:25.
"No doubt that the free interchange of seeds between seed-merchants and customers is one of the most fertile causes of the enormous increase in varieties in recent times."—L.H. Bailey, 1906.
2025 Spring Supplement Seedlist - A - C
ACAENA (a-SAY-na)
ROSACEAE. Mostly Southern Hemisphere perennials.
—Acaena inermis 'Purpurea'. (20) ACAE-36P. Packet: $2.50
Deep purple foliage and 1/2" flowers in July and August. Compact perennial to 4". New Zealand. Zone 5. Give warm, cold, warm cycles. Hold pots.
—Acaena microphylla. (75) ACAE-52. Packet: $2.50
Ferny bronze foliage and small round flower-heads. Mat-forming ground cover to 2" tall. New Zealand. Zone 5. Give warm, cold, warm cycles.
ACMELLA (ak-MEL-a)
COMPOSITAE. Tropical creeping herbs with yellow or white daisy-like flowers on long stalks.
—Acmella oleracea f. purpurea. (250) ACME-18P. Packet: $2.50
'PURPLE PARA CRESS'. Nice bronzy foliage.
'TOOTHACHE PLANT', 'PARA CRESS'. Abundant red-tipped yellow clover-like flowers on a sub-tropical creeper with pointed triangular leaves. Tropics. The young leaves are added to salads, soups, or steamed with rice. They stimulate the saliva and cause numbness and tingling, so they are chewed for toothache. Anti-viral and anti-fungal. Used as a flavor-enhancer. Zone 9. Germinates in 1 week.
AGASTACHE
—Agastache scrophulariaefolia. (250) AGAS-24. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'PURPLE GIANT HYSSOP'. White flowers blushed pink, in spikes to 8" long, blooming over a long period. Hardy perennial to 6 feet, with aromatic leaves. E. U.S. Zone 4. "Bees and butterflies love it. I have counted 5 different types of bee on this plant at once."—N.A., Wisconsin. Prechill 8 weeks to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
ALCHEMILLA (al-ke-MIL-a)
ROSACEAE. Herbaceous plants, good groundcovers.
—Alchemilla xanthochlora. (200) ALCH-96. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $10.00
'LADY'S MANTLE'. Clusters of small yellow-green flowers on a hardy perennial to 2 feet, with rounded, kidney-shaped 5" leaves. Eurasia. Zone 3. Nice mound-shaped plant.
ALLIUM
—Allium obliquum. (25) ALUM-63. Packet: $2.50
'TWISTED-LEAF GARLIC'. Yellowish flowers in balls, June to August. Narrow blue-green leaves. Hardy bulb to 2 - 5 feet. Eurasia. Zone 4. Cultivated since ancient times in Siberia as a garlic.
AMARANTHUS
—Amaranthus cruentus 'Autumn's Torch'. (500) AMAR-2A. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50
Large pyramidal 2 foot clusters of bronze to green flowers. Hardy annual to 4 feet. Good for cutting, long lasting. Edible seeds attract birds. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Amaranthus tricolor. (250) AMAR-42. Packet: $2.00
1/4 Ounce: $6.00
Ounce: $15.00
Click for photo »
Tall vegetable amaranth with red-veined leaves edged yellow.
ANTIRRHINUM
—Antirrhinum braun-blanquetii. (200) ANTR-6. Packet: $2.50
Large white flowers with yellow throats. Half hardy perennial to 11/2 feet. Spain & Portugal. Good in the rockery, blooms April to Oct. Germ: 2 - 4 w.
—Antirrhinum majus ssp. majus. (250) ANTR-30M. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $9.00
'WILD SNAPDRAGON'. Purple-rose flowers in June to September, on a half-hardy perennial to 30" or so. This is the original wild form of the cultivated snapdragon. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Antirrhinum majus nanum 'Circus Clowns'. (1000) ANTR-30CC. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50
100 grams: $25.00
Large spikes of bicolored blooms in white, yellow, orange, lavender, and red. To 18" or so.
ARBUTUS (AR-bu-tus)
—Arbutus Menziesii. (100) ARBU-16. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
'MADRONE', 'MADROÑA'. Striking west coast tree with smooth red bark, peeling in July. Large glossy 6" oval leaves and 6" clusters of urn-shaped white flowers followed by bright red clustered berries. B.C. to California. Produces valuable wood for furniture and fuel. Birds love the berries and the flowers are good bee forage. Give 1 - 2 months prechill to germinate in a month or two.
ARCTOSTAPHYLOS (ark-to-STAF-ee-los)
ERICACEAE. Handsome evergreen shrubs and small trees, most from California. Tiny, clustered, urn-shaped flowers followed by attractive red berries. Smooth red to purple bark on contorted branches make them striking landscape plants for mild climates. Seed may be slow to germinate. Good bee plants and wildlife food and shelter. A complex and rapidly evolving genus in the process of speciation, reaching its greatest diversity in California. The name means 'bear-grape' as bears are fond of the berries, which were also an important item of food among Californian Indians. They are dry, mealy and very nutritious. Their ripening was celebrated by a special dance and 'big eat' held by various tribes. They were made into mush, cider, brandy, and vinegar by the settlers. The wood is prized for woodwork, and is a good hot fuel. The leaves of various species are valued in medicine against urinary infections, due to the action of the antiseptic glucoside Arbutin.
—Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi. (100) ARCO-48. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $9.00
'BEAR-BERRY', `KINNIKINICK'. Small white 1/4" pink-tinged flowers in March to May, followed by small scarlet fruits. Mat-forming shrub to 2" or so, with inch-long shiny green leaves. Northern N. Hemisphere. To Zone 2. Fruits eaten throughout its range. The leaves are smoked by Indians, and are medicinal, being one of the best urinary antiseptics. Germinates best with fire treatment and warm-cold cycles. Hold pots several years for stragglers.
ASARINA (as-a-REE-na)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Attractive tender perennials with showy flowers and triangular leaves. Good in mild climates and the cool greenhouse. Light may help germination, which is irregular over 2 - 20 weeks.
—Asarina procumbens. (100) ASAR-12. Packet: $2.50
Fragrant light yellow 1 1/2" snapdragon-like flowers with darker lip and pink-veined flag, throughout summer. Trailing perennial to 3" tall and spreading to 3 feet, with roundish leaves. NE Spain. Zone 7. Hardy to Philadelphia, best in well-drained soil. Can be grown as an annual. Germinates in 2 - 24 weeks.
ASPARAGUS (as-PAR-a-gus)
LILIACEAE. Eastern Hemisphere perennials grown for food, ornament, and medicine. Easy in rich moist soil. Good foliage plants.
—Asparagus setaceus. (25) ASPG-80. Packet: $2.50
'ASPARAGUS FERN', 'LACE FERN'. Finely divided ferny foliage on a twining climber to 20 feet, with small white flowers followed by red or black berries. S. Africa. Zone 9. Soak 2 days to germinate in a month or two.
ASTER
—Aster Hardy Perennial Mix. (50) AST-X. Packet: $2.50
Includes Aster tataricus, Symphyotrichum Novae-Angliae, S. lateriflorum, and several other species.
BAUHINIA.
—Bauhinia purpurea. (10) BAUH-13. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $10.00
Click for photo »
'PURPLE ORCHID TREE'. Showy orchid-purple fragrant flowers with 5 spreading petals, up to 3 - 5" wide, from January to April. Foot-long flat pods and wide, two-lobed light green leaves. Small broad-headed tree to 40 feet. India to China. Fast growing, up to 15 feet in 2 years, and hardy to 22 - 26°F. The flower-buds are pickled and eaten. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks or so at warm temperatures.
BERLANDIERA (ber-LAN-dee-ER-a)
COMPOSITAE. Southwestern perennials valued for bloom and fragrance.
—Berlandiera lyrata. (25) BERL-12. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'CHOCOLATE DAISY'. Yellow 2" dark-centered daisies with a wonderful chocolate scent from 8AM to noon. Perennial to 1 1/2 feet, with silvery pinnate foliage. Kansas to New Mexico. Zone 5. Flowers used as seasoning. Easy from seed which germinates in 1 - 3 weeks. This is a high-quality lot that has given us 76% germination.
BROMUS (BRO-mus)
GRAMINEAE. About 150 species of grasses, including many ornamentals & important forage species. Easily grown annuals and perennials. Seed half-life is about 3 - 5 years.
—Bromus vulgaris. BROM-140. Packet: $2.50
Graceful nodding clusters of inch-long spikelets on slender stems. Perennial to 3 - 4 feet, forming small clumps. Dry woods and moist shady places, Western North America. A nice graceful native.
CAJANUS (ka-JAN-us)
LEGMINOSAE. Two tropical species.
—Cajanus cajan. (50) CAJA-2. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $5.00
1/4 Pound: $10.00
Click for photo »
'PIGEON PEA'. Yellow flowers followed by edible pods and seeds. Short-lived perennial to 5 feet, thriving in sun and moist to dry poor soil. Africa. Zone 9 or 10. Widely grown in the tropics for the nutritious seed, young pods, and young leaves. Produces abundant food, forage, and builds soil. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks. Some lots need nicking.
CAMPANULA
—Campanula takesimana. (250) CAMP-115. Packet: $2.50
Nodding pink and white bell flowers in May to July. Perennial to 2 feet. Korea. Zone 5. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
CAPPARIS (KAP-ar-is)
CAPPARIDACEAE. Beautiful warm region trees and shrubs with large, long-stemmed white flowers. Best in warm sunny spots and well drained, dry, rocky soil. Said to survive to Zone 4 or 5 if grown against a south-facing wall. Sometimes grown as an annual in the North if started early indoors. Good in the greenhouse. Germinates irregularly, most in 5 - 7 weeks, some up to a year. Lightly scratching the seed can help, as does GA-3 pretreatment and KNO3 pretreatment, and germinating at warm temperatures — 70 - 85°F. Light may also help.
—Capparis spinosa. (25) CAPP-22. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $15.00
Ounce: $40.00
Purdue University Caper info page
Capers: A New Crop for California?
Article abstract on Caper germination
CaperInfo.com
'CAPER-BUSH' . Large beautiful white flowers with four round, crinkled petals, each 2" long, topped with a puff of up to 100 prominent long violet stamens "...the chief beauty of the plant."—L.H. Bailey. Trailing, half-hardy spiny shrub to 3 - 5 feet, with round leaves. Blooms June to September, followed by 1 1/2" oval fruits. Grown extensively in the Mediterranean for the unopened flower buds which are pickled forming the 'capers' of commerce. Known to the ancient Greeks. The young shoots have been eaten like asparagus. The Arabs eat the fruit, which is also pickled in the Punjab.
CARDIOCRINUM (kar-dee-o-KRI-num)
LILIACEAE. Giant Himalayan lilies, grown for their striking display.
—Cardiocrinum giganteum. (20) CARDI-12. Packet: $2.50
'G1ANT HIMALAYAN LILY'. The most magnificent of all lilies, reaching 9 - 12 feet tall, with racemes of 6 - 20 deliciously scented white flowers, each 6" long and nearly as wide. May and June. Large heart-shaped leaves. Himalayas, in damp, shady forest, 7500 to 10,600 feet. Zone 5. Easily grown in light sandy soil. Hardy to Boston. Sow in fall outdoors to germinate and give top growth the next spring. Flowers in 5 - 6 years.
CASSIA
—Cassia javanica. (25) CASS-170. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
'APPLE-BLOSSOM SHOWER', 'JAVA SHOW ER'. Lovely pale brown toned to rosy pink flowers, sometimes fading to white. Small tree to 15 - 45 feet, with thorn-like spurs on the trunk, and 6 - 12" pinnate leaves. Thick cylindrical pods to 1 - 2 feet long. Java, Sumatra. Fast growing from seed.
—Cassia marginata. (10) CASS-200. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK - germination test came in bad
Ounce: $7.50
Rose-pink flowered small bushy tree with pinnate leaves and foot-long cylindrical pods. Ceylon. A popular firewood crop in Hawaii.
CERINTHE (ker-IN-the or ser-IN-the)
BORAGINACEAE. Easily grown Mediterranean region annuals and perennials grown for ornament. Best in well-drained, moist limey soil in part shade.
—Cerinthe major purpurascens. (20) CERI-16P. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50
50 grams: $25.00
Click for photo »
'HONEYWORT'. Purple-blue nodding tubular 3/4" flowers are yellow at the base, surrounded by striking deep blue bracts. Bushy annual or short-lived perennial to 1 1/2 feet, with oval, grey-green, slightly succulent leaves. Mediterranean. Zone 5. Good bee plant. Germinates readily in 1 - 3 weeks.
CEROPEGIA (ser-o-PE-jee-a)
APOCYNACEAE. Tropical succulent twiners and shrubs.
—Ceropegia Woodii. (10) CEROP-92. Packet: $2.50
'HEART VINE', ROSARY VINE'. Heart-shaped inch-long leaves marbled white above and purple below. Peculiar inch-long flowers. Long-lived vine (over 100 years) from a tuber. South Africa. Zone 10. Popular houseplant, good in hanging baskets. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CHEIRANTHUS (ky-RAN-thus)
CRUCIFERAE. 'WALLFLOWER'. Showy hardy perennials often grown as biennials. They rank among the showiest of flowers. Full sun or part shade, and good drainage—raised beds help. Likes limestone soil. Best in cool-summer areas. The showiest plants are produced from seed sown early in spring, to produce strong plants the first season, but they may be sown up till early fall. Sow up to 1/4" deep to germinate in 5 - 21 days. Space 12" apart. May be grown as hardy annuals in the North. Will flower indoors in a 6" pot. Seed viable 3 - 5 years.
—Cheiranthus Cheiri Mix. (1000) CHER-1X. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
1/4 Pound: $15.00
'WALLFLOWER'. Sweetly fragrant inch-wide flowers in spring. Nice mix of orange, pink, and red. Showy short-lived perennial to 2 feet. Southern Europe. Zone 7. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CHENOPODIUM
—Quinoa 'Magenta Sunset'. (250) CHEN-25MS. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Brilliant magenta-orange seed heads ripening to red, pink, and orange striped. Selected from Brightest Brilliant Rainbow, good for the cut-flower trade or consumption. From Shoulder to Shoulder Farm.
CLEMATIS
—Clematis integrifolia. (25) CLEM-58. Packet: $2.50
Nodding, violet-blue, bell-shaped 1 1/2" flowers borne abundantly in June to August, on stems above the foliage. Hardy perennial to 1 1/2 - 3 feet, with 2 - 4" entire leaves. Eurasia. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Clematis mandschurica. (25) CLEM-82. Packet: $2.50
Clustered starry white, sweetly fragrant inch-wide flowers in summer. Large trailing perennial to 3 - 5 feet. Japan and China. Zone 7. Germ: in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Clematis orientalis. (50) CLEM-90. Packet: $2.50
Golden 1 - 2" flowers start bell-shaped and open wider, in clusters in summer. Woody climber to 25 feet, with pinnate 8" leaves. Greece across Asia to Korea. Zone 5. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks warm.
—Clematis tangutica. (50) CLEM-110. Packet: $2.50
'GOLDEN CLEMATIS'. Bright lemon yellow lantern-shaped nodding 4" wide flowers. Bushy climber to 10 feet. Mongolia to China. Zone 2. Striking. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
CLINOPODIUM (klin-o-PO-dee-um)
LABIATAE. Aromatic perennial herbs with tubular flowers, grown for ornament and seasoning.
—Clinopodium vulgare. (250) CLINO-25. Packet: $2.50
'WILD BASIL'. Rosy purple 3/4" flowers in late summer and fall. Hardy perennial to 10", with 2" leaves. N. Hemisphere. The leaves are used fresh or dried for seasoning a variety of dishes, or used as a tea. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks and up to 16 weeks.
COSMOS
—Cosmos 'Apricotta'. (100) COS-1AP. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Ounce: $20.00
Apricot-rose and pink 3" blooms on long stems. Fleuroselect winner in 2021. Nice!
CRYPTOTAENIA (krip-to-TAY -nee-a)
UMBELLIFERAE. Attractive annuals and perennials grown for food, flavoring, and ornament. Easy.
—Cryptotaenia japonica atropurpurea. (25) CRYPT-13A. Packet: $4.00
'PURPLE MITSUBA'. Deep bronze-red foliage on a hardy perennial to 16", with tiny white flowers. Japan. Zone 4. The aromatic young leaves are eaten raw in salads, or cooked in many dishes. The roots and seeds are also eaten. Prechill a few weeks.
CYMBOPOGON (sim-bo-POE-gon)
GRAMINEAE. Large, tufted, tropical Eastern Hemisphere grasses, many of which are fragrant, producing various essential oils including citronella. Most are lemon-scented, and are used as tea or in perfumery and flavoring. Interesting.
—citratus. (250) CYMP-6. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50
'LEMON GRASS'. Large grass to 3 - 5 feet, grown for the pleasantly lemon-scented leaves used in Asian cooking. S. India. Zone 9. Widely grown in warm regions for cooking, tea, and essential oil production. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.