MAACKIA (MAK-ee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Handsome East Asian deciduous trees related to Cladrastis, grown for their panicled white flowers. Very hardy.
—Maackia amurensis. (10) MAAC-3. Packet: $2.50
White 1/3" flowers tinged slate blue in dense upright 4 - 8" particles in July and August. Small tree to 40 feet, with pinnate leaves. Manchuria. Zone 4. Very hardy and ideal for landscaping as it blooms when young. Try naturalizing it in the Northeast. Soak, nick hard, to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
MADIA (MAD-ee-a)
COMPOSITAE. Aromatic yellow daisies of dry habitats. Germinates in 3 weeks; some up to 3 months. Easy in warm dry soil in sun or shade, the flowers remaining open all day in. the shade. Their scent is familiar to all California hill-wanderers.
—Madia sativa. (250) MADI-22. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50
'MADI'. Small yellow flowers borne in profusion on a sticky, aromatic annual to 4 feet. California and Chile. The seeds are rich in protein and oil, and were used for food and oil by both California and Chilean Indians. The Araucanians crushed them and pressed or boiled them for the oil. The plant was cultivated in Europe as an olive-oil substitute, as it is sweet and of high quality. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks.
MAGNOLIA (mag-NO-lee-a)
MAGNOLIACEAE. Well-known trees and shrubs grown for their spectacular flowers. They range from the Himalayas to Japan, and eastern North America to tropical America. Fine ornamentals, and fun to grow from seed - seed of hybrid types produce new forms. Sow seed on receipt or refrigerate, germinates best after three months of cold treatment.
—Magnolia Hardy Species. (20) MAGN-HS. Packet: $2.50
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
This seed was sent from northern Iowa, where it has survived 70 years. "The wood has never burned back from our extreme weather, to —30°F. It seems to resemble M. virginiana, height 20 feet, deciduous, white flowers, red fruit, extremely hardy."—Munger.
MELALEUCA (me-la-LOO-ka)
MYRTACEAE. Many Australian evergreen shrubs and small trees, grown for their showy, bottle-brush like flowers. Most stand salt, heat, wind, poor soil, drought and smog. The 'honey myrtles' have the showiest flowers and the 'paper-barks' have attractive layered bark. The larger species are excellent in California and warm regions for hedges, screens and windbreaks or shade trees, often being breathtaking masses of color when in bloom. The smaller species are excellent as specimen plants and in cold regions are grown in tubs in the cool greenhouse. Close up the flowers of some are of exquisite beauty. They germinate in 1 to 7 weeks, cold or smoke often helps.
—Melaleuca alternifolia. (500) MELA-4. Packet: $2.50
'OIL TEA-TREE', 'PAPERBARK'. Small Australian tree grown for the production of the famous antiseptic 'Tea-Tree Oil' distilled from the leaves. White flowers, papery bark, narrow leaves, to 25 feet. Zone 9. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Melaleuca thymifolia. (500) MELA-80. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'FEATHER HONEY-MYRTLE'. Feathery mauve-violet flowers in spikes on a small shrub to 3 feet, with delicate, very fragrant, needle-like leaves. N.S.W. The flowers are exquisite; try it in California. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks. A few weeks cold helps.
MELILOTUS (me-li-LO-tus)
LEGUMINOSAE. Fragrant clover-like herbs.
—Melilotus officinalis. (1000) MELT-18. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $5.00
1/4 pound: $10.00
'YELLOW SWEET CLOVER'. Yellow flowers in dense 4" spikes. Nitrogen-fixing annual or biennial to 4 feet. Eurasia. Excellent soil improver, erosion control, forage, and bee plant, giving large amounts of honey. The sweetly aromatic foliage has many medicinal uses and for flavoring.
MENODORA (me-NO-dor-a)
OLEACEAE. Small sub-shrubs of the Americas and South Africa.
—Menodora scabra. (25) MENO-24. Packet: $2.50
https://southwestdesertflora.com/WebsiteFolders/All_Species/Oleaceae/Menodora%20scabra,%20Rough%20Menodora.html Good photos and info.
https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=ucjeps&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Menodora%20scabra&title_tag=Menodora%20scabra Good photos.
'BROOM TWINBERRY'. Abundant bright yellow flowers in summer, followed by twin pods. Broom-like small subshrub to 4 - 12" tall. S.W. U.S. Zone 4. Used medicinally by the Navajo. Germinates readily.
MENTHA
—Mentha X piperita. (1500) MENT-12. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'PEPPERMINT'. Purple flowers and purple-tinged leaves. To 2 - 3 feet. Likes moist places. Zone 2. The most-used mint, Oil of Peppermint is found in a great range of preparations from toothpaste to candy. Excellent remedy for nausea fever and rheumatism. A fertile hybrid. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm, best with light and KNO3.
—Mentha Pulegium. (500) MENT-13. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00
'PENNYROYAL'. Spikes of lavender flowers on a sprawling, small-leaved herb. Spreads well in moist areas. Zone 7. The pungent leaves are a good insect repellant, and are medicinal. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
MIRBELIA (mir-BEL-ee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Australian shrubs with pea-like flowers in yellow-orange or purple.
—Mirbelia dilatata. (25) MIRB-7. Packet: $2.50
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/http://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2886391#overview Great photos.
https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/4090 Photos.
'HOLLY-LEAF MIRBELIA'. Spikes of purple-mauve flowers at the branch-tips in spring and summer. Large shrub to 12 feet, with wavy, dark green, holly-like leaves and egg-shaped pods. SE Australia. Zone 8. Good in California. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks.
MONARDA
—Monarda citriodora. (250) MOND-2. Packet $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'LEMON BEE BALM'. Purple or yellow showy flowers. Annual or perennial to 32". Zone 5. Highly lemon-scented. The mature seedheads are attractive dried.
MONARDELLA (mo-nar-DELL-a)
LABIATAE. Small aromatic annual and perennial herbs native to W. N. America. Purple, rose-red, or white flowers in dense heads. Good in the rock garden and sunny dry slopes.
—Monardella odoratissima. (100) MONR-18. Packet: $4.00
'MOUNTAIN MINT'. Violet flowers in dense heads, 1/2" leaves. Perennial to 12", sometimes trailing. W. N. America. Very hardy. A highly variable and complex species. The minty leaves have been used as a tea. Germinates in 2 - 9 weeks.
MONTIA (MON-tee-a)
PORTULACACEAE. Widespread small annuals or perennials with small flowers.
—Montia perfoliata. (=Claytonia perfoliata). (100) MONT-10. Packet: $2.50
Click for photos »
'MINER'S LETTUCE'. Bright green annual to 6 - 12", noted for the unusual cup-like leaf below the spike of small white flowers. Young leaves narrow, broadening as the plant matures. W. N. America. Shady places. Excellent in salads, called 'miner's lettuce' as it was eaten by the gold rush miners. It is one of the first wild plants we learned to eat as kids growing up in California. Can be grown as a cut-and-come-again greens. Germinates best at cool to cold temperatures, plus light and or GA-3, to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
MYRTUS (MIR-tus)
MYRTACEAE. Evergreen Mediterranean shrubs.
—Myrtus communis. (25) MYRT-2. Packet: $2.50
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Myrtle_Communis%28Common_Myrtle%29.jpg Beautiful flower photo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrtus_communis#/media/File:Myrtus_communis_L._subsp._communis_-_52505075873.png Many good photos.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10354007/ Large overview of protective effects against numerous toxins.
'MYRTLE'. Fragrant white 3/4" flowers followed by blue-black 1/2" berries. Shrub to 10 feet, with small fragrant leaves. Mediterranean. Zone 7. The berries are eaten and the leaves as flavoring, tea, liqueurs, and medicine. Protective against toxins. Was sacred to Aphrodite by the ancient Greeks. Some lots germinate readily (this lot), others need prechill.
NANDINA (nan-DEE-na)
BERBERIDACEAE. A single species.
—Nandina domestica. (25) 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.
NEPETA
—Nepeta tuberosa. (200) NEPE-54. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
'SPANISH CATMINT'. Long 8" spikes of purple flowers above grey-green foliage. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, from tuberous roots. Spain. Zone 5. Stands drought, used medicinally.
NICOTIANA
—Nicotiana acuminata v. multiflora. (1000) NICO-2. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50
White trumpets in summer on a graceful annual to 6 feet, with pointed leaves. Chile. Attractive in masses. NOTE: Formerly offered as N. Bigelovii, a case of grower mis-identification.
OPUNTIA (o-PUN-sha)
CACTACEAE. Cacti ranging from British Columbia to the tip of South America. Most are 'prickly pears', with flat, oval pads, showy flowers, and red, yellow, or purple edible fruits. Fast growing and adaptable, some are hardy to 45°F below zero. Likes heat, sun, and good drainage. Seed often are helped by nicking, cold treatment, or fall sowing. Many germinate quickly with GA-3.
—Opuntia imbricata. (25) OPUN-116. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $ 7.50
'CHAIN LINK CACTUS', 'COYONOSTLI', 'VELAS DE COYOTE'. Slender 8" cylindrical joints with tubercles forming a diamond pattern ('chain link'). Small shrubby tree to 3 - 10 feet, with 3" wide flowers varying from purplish to reddish or yellow, followed by yellow 1 1/2" fruits. Colorado to México. Zone 5. Use GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 24 weeks.
ORIGANUM
—Origanum heracleoticum. (500) ORIG-26. Packet: $2.50
'GREEK OREGANO'. Aromatic hardy perennial to 18". Called the best oregano for cooking, going well with tomato sauces. SE Europe. Easy in full sun and poor dry soil. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks. GA-3 helps.
PANCRATIUM (pan-KRA-tee-um)
AMARYLLIDACEAE. Warm-region summer-blooming bulbs with fragrant white flowers in umbels. Likes heat and plenty of fertilizer and water while growing. Rest dry after bloom. Good in pots of light rich soil. The name means 'all powerful', referring to the medicinal properties. The beauty of the flowers inspired the name 'spirit lily'.
—Pancratium maritimum. (5) PANC-12. Packet: $4.00
'SAND LILY'. Very fragrant 2 - 3" white flowers with a central, daffodil-like cup surrounded by six spreading white petals, in large umbels of 4 - 10 blooms, August to October. Strap like leaves to 20". Grows in coastal dunes in the Mediterranean. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks or so at warm temperatures.
PANDANUS (pan-DAN-us)
PANDANACEAE. Tropical trees somewhat resembling Yucca.
—Pandanus odoratissimus (=tectorius). (5) PANDA-43. Packet: $3.50 OUT OF STOCK (Germination test failed)
Perishable seed, stored refrigerated.
Click for photo »
'HALA', 'SCREW PINE'. Striking picturesque tree to 20 feet, with narrow sword-like 3 - 5 foot long leaves, and stilt-roots from the trunk. Male flowers are deliciously fragrant, in 12" spikes, used for perfume and medicine. Female flowers in small balls, followed by orange-red fruits resembling pineapples. SE Asia and Polynesia. Zone 10. Leaves much used in Hawaii for thatching and plaiting after removing the small spines on the edges. Ripe fruits eaten raw or cooked, the flowers eaten, and the seeds have been eaten after preparation. Soak large seeds overnight then plant on their side and keep warm, germinates over a long period.
PAPAVER
—Papaver Rhoeas 'Falling in Love'. (1000) PAPA-38FL. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $10.00
25 grams: $35.00
Nice mixture of double and semi-double flowers in picotee and 'bicolor shades of rose, white, red, and pink. Good in masses.
—Papaver Rhoeas Wild Type. (1000) PAPA-38. Packet: $2.50
'CORN POPPY'. Striking deep cinnabar-red 2" flowers with a black blotch at the base of each petal. Hardy annual to 3 feet, with pinnately divided leaves. Eurasia. The original form of an important species with over 30 botanical varieties and innumerable horticultural forms. The seeds are used on cakes like ordinary poppyseeds, but have their own flavor. A fine oil is expressed from them, being valued like olive oil. The petals were made into a deep red syrup, used to color soups and other foods.
—Papaver rupifragum. (500) PAPA-41. Packet: $2.50
'SPANISH POPPY'. Apricot-pastel 1 1/2" flowers on a long-lived perennial to 10". Mountains of Southern Spain. Germinates in 2 - 5 weeks.
PARKINSONIA (PAR-kin-son-EE-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. American and African ornamental feathery-leaved trees of arid regions. Nick and soak seed to germinate in 1 - 5 weeks at warm temperatures.
—Parkinsonia aculeata. (10) PARK-4. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'JERUSALEM THORN', 'PALO VERDE'. Fragrant yellow five-petaled inch-wide flowers in 6" spikes, one petal turning red, followed by 2 - 6" pods. Graceful small green-barked tree to 10 - 30 feet, often with somewhat weeping branches. Long, narrow, feathery pinnate 16" leaves. Texas to S. America. Zone 8. Fast growing, stands heat, drought, salinity. Excellent firewood, erosion control and animal fodder, cultivated in Africa and India.
PENNISETUM (pen-i-SEE-tum)
GRAMINEAE. Warm region ornamental grasses. Best in warm light soil. In cold regions grow as annuals or overwinter in a cellar.
—Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty'. (50) PENN-10P. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50
Deep purple leaves and long purple spikes. Hardy annual to 3 - 5 feet. A striking cultivar of pearl millet, this is an open-pollinated selection. If grown for dried arrangements, cut spikes before anthers develop. Seedlings start green, become purple later.
PENSTEMON
—Penstemon speciosus. (250) PENS-147. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50
https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=ucjeps&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Penstemon%20speciosus&title_tag=Penstemon%20speciosus Lots of good photos.
'ROYAL' or 'SHOWY PENSTEMON'. Large blue flowers in clusters, May to July. Hardy perennial to 2 feet or so. Western U.S. Zone 3. Give well-drained soil. Attracts pollinators. Prechill 4 - 8 weeks.
PHLOMIS
—Phlomis Russeliana. (10) PHLO-21. Packet: $3.00
Yellow, curved 1 1/2" flowers in stacked whorls, May to September. Hardy perennial to 3 - 4 feet, with attractive 8" pointed leaves. Turkey. Zone 7. The basal rosettes make an attractive spreading groundcover. Dried seedstalks nice in arrangements. Bee plant. Sun or part shade, stands drought. Give seed GA-3 to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
PHYGELIUS (fee-JEL-ee-us)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Small South African shrubs grown for their drooping scarlet tubular flowers. Somewhat resembles Penstemon. Good in the green- house or outdoors in sheltered places. Easy from seed or cuttings. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, warm.
—Phygelius capensis. (50) PHYG-6. Packet: $2.50
'CAPE FUCHSIA'. Showy purple-scarlet 2" flowers in 18" panicles. Sub-shrub to 2 - 3 feet. S. Africa. Used by the Southern Sotho as a charm against witchcraft, hailstorms, to give courage, and in circumcision ceremonies. They rub the powdered burnt root into scarifications to relieve numbness.
PHYTEUMA (fi-te-YOU-ma)
CAMPANULACEAE. 'HORNED RAMPION'. Hardy herbaceous perennials with showy blue, purple or white 5-petaled flowers in heads or spikes. Most are alpine or rock garden plants, some are woodland species. Woodland types are easily grown in ordinary soil, the rock kinds in rocky clefts. They don't resemble Campanulas, having long curved flowers.
—Phyteuma Scheuchzeri. (1000) PHYT-40. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
Deep, almost purple-blue flowers in dense, round, 1" heads. Hardy perennial to 6 - 18", with narrow leaves. S Europe. Nice shade lover, long-lived and attractive. Best germination with 250ppm GA-3.
PHTOLACCA
—Phytolacca americana. (100) PHYO-4. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'POKE', 'SKOKE', 'POCAN', 'CANCER-ROOT'. Small white or purplish flowers in 6" spikes followed by attractive purple berries. Hardy perennial to 12 feet, with bold foliage and purplish stems. E. N. America. Zone 4. The young shoots to 6" tall are esteemed as a succulent vegetable. Root poisonous but a valuable medicine. Berries eaten by birds but toxic to people. Kills the snails that carry bilharzia. Give seed 3 months cold treatment to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. GA-3 helps. Year-old seed germinates better.
I had excellent results self-treating for Lyme disease with Phytolacca americana root—this publication is to place this information in the public domain in order to prevent possible future patenting.
"Have used the ripe poke berry to treat skin moles. Crush the berry and apply to the mole. Use the whole berry with seeds. Cover with a bandaid. Be careful because the juice will stain clothing and your skin. Change out every day replacing with a fresh crushed berry and bandaid. There will be a slight burning sensation to begin with. This is normal and not to worry about."—S. Fowler, Oklahoma.
—Phytolacca americana 'Silberstein'. (50) PHYO-4S. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50
Click for photo »
'VARIEGATED POKE'. Leaves have moderate to heavy white borders and/or flecking. Variable from seed, some plants with stable variegation, others put out some green shoots. Interesting. Give seed 8 - 12 weeks pre-chill to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks. Very nice!
PICEA
—Picea mongolica. (50) PICA-32. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.50
'MONGOLIAN SPRUCE'. Rare tree to 90 feet, with inch-long needles, grey-brown bark, and 3" cones. Mongolia. Zone 2. Good in harsh deserts. Considered 'near threatened'. Prechill 3 weeks.
PINELLIA (pi-NELL-ee-a)
ARACEAE. Ornamental E. Asian summer-growing arums. Best in moist part shade.
—Pinellia tripartia 'Atropurpurea'. (20) PINE-24A. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'PURPLE DRAGON'. Purple 4" spathes in spring and summer, with long green tails. Bulb to 18", with shiny three-parted leaves. Japan. Zone 5. Stands shade.
PINUS
—Pinus aristata. (50) PINU-2. Packet: $2.50
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_aristata.php
'BRISTLECONE PINE'. Small tree to 10 - 50 feet with stark green 1 1/2" needles and 3 1/2" cones. SW U.S. Zone 3. Slow growing and long lived, up to 2000 years. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks, no prechill.
POLEMONIUM
—Polemonium cashmirianum. (25) POLE-7. Packet: $2.50
'HIMALAYAN JACOB'S LADDER'. Large clusters of bright blue flowers in May & June. Bushy perennial with handsome foliage to 3 feet. Himalayas, 7500 to 13,000 feet. Germinates in 25 - 93 days.
POLYGONUM (po-lee-GO-num)
POLYGONACEAE. 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 tinctorium. (50) POLY-46. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'JAPANESE INDIGO', 'DYER'S KNOTWEED', 'AI' (Japan). Bright pink flowers in dense 3 1/2" spikes. Hardy annual to 2 - 3 feet. China. The leaves produce a beautiful blue dye of commercial importance in the Orient. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
PONCIRUS (pon-SIR-us)
RUTACEAE. A single species of hardy citrus.
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, and some great photos.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874196014511 "Anti-anaphylactic activity of Poncirus trifoliata fruit extract." The extract prevented anaphylactic shock in rats.
—Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'. (20) PONC-4F. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $8.00
1/4 Pound: $20.00
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/
