MERREMIA (me-RE-mee-a)
CONVOLVULACEAE. Twiners with bell or funnel-shaped morning glory-like flowers and divided or entire leaves. Mostly tropical, they are valued for their fast growth, attractive foliage, and some for ornamental pods or edible tubers. Easily grown in ordinary soil, the roots of the perennials can be stored over winter like Dahlias.
—Merremia sibirica. (10) MERR-3. Packet: $2.50
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Pale pink 3/4" flowers on a vigorous vine to 20 feet. Long, heart-shaped leaves, 2 1/2" wide and 4 1/2" long, turning red in autumn. Reddish stems. Grown from seed from Beijing, China. Hardy annual. Nick seed to germinate in a week. Blooms in 3 months. "It is certainly a profuse bloomer. I had three plants on a trellis, and it was not uncommon to see up to a hundred flowers each morning!"—E. Kniola. "Really attracts pollinators here—butterflies, skippers, honeybees, bumble bees, and several kinds of wild bees swarm the plant."—S. Calkins.
MORINDA (mo-RIN-da)
RUBIACEAE. Tropical trees and shrubs.
—Morinda citrifolia. (25) MORI-8. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $10.00
'NONI', 'INDIAN MULBERRY'. Starry white 1/2" flowers in clusters, followed by knobby 2" fruits. Small fast-growing tree to 20 feet, with large shiny leaves. SE Asia and Pacific. Zone 10. Bears in 18 months, giving 8 - 17 pounds of fruit per month, year round. Fruits eaten cooked or juiced, and used medicinally as a panacea. Some evidence of anticancer activity. Young leaves eaten. Stands salt spray at seaside. Seed needs warmth to germinate in 6 - 12 months, clipping the tip of the wing helps. Generally has low germination.
MORINGA (mor-RIN-ga)
MORINGACEAE. Interesting and useful tropical trees of semi-arid regions of Asia and Africa. Easily grown in warm areas of the U.S. or in the greenhouse. Easy from seed.
—Moringa pterygosperma. (=Moringa oleifera) (10) MORG-16. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $9.00
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'HORSERADISH TREE', 'SAJAN'. Clustered, inch-wide, fragrant, oddly-shaped flowers followed by 12 - 18" pods. Tripinnate leaves. India. Zone 10. Valuable multi-use tree. Leaves eaten boiled or fried, and are especially rich in the sulfur-bearing amino acids methionine and cystine, which balance bean protein, and in vitamin A; planted to prevent deficiency-blindness. Young pods called 'drumsticks', eaten cooked or pickled. Seeds yield a fine edible oil (ben oil), also used by watchmakers. The roots have a horseradish flavor and are used as a condiment. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
NELUMBO
—Nelumbo nucifera White. (10) NELU-17W. Packet: $3.00
'WHITE SACRED LOTUS'. The white flowered form, with large fragrant flowers. Unusual.
NEPETA
—Nepeta Cataria citriodora. (500) NEPE-3C. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'LEMON CATNIP'. A lemon-scented variety. Prechill seed 4 - 8 weeks to germinate in 6 weeks and up.
OPLOPANAX (OP-lo-PA-nax)
ARALIACEAE. Deciduous shrubs.
—Oplopanax horridum. (=Echinopanax horridum) (25) OPLO-11. Packet: $2.50
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Seed Perishable, Stored moist and refrigerated.
DEVIL'S CLUB'. White flowers in umbels followed by scarlet fruits. Stout shrub with striking palmate leaves. Alaska to California. Hardy to 20°F below zero or more. Valuable medicinal roots.
OSMARONIA (oz-ma-RO-nee-a)
ROSACEAE. A single species.
—Osmaronia cerasiformis. (=Oemleria cerasiformis). (30) OSMR-2. Packet: $2.50
'OSO BERRY', 'OREGON PLUM'. Fragrant white 1/3" flowers followed by blue-black 1/2" berries, edible when fully ripe. Shrub to 15 feet, with light green foliage. W. N. America. Zone 6. Best in the shade. Sow in fall or prechill 2 - 4 months.
OTATEA (o-ta-TAY-a)
GRAMINEAE. Two Central American bamboos.
—Otatea acuminata. (25) OTAT-4. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'MEXICAN WEEPING BAMBOO.' Narrow, grass-like weeping 6" leaves on graceful curving stems to 25 feet or so. Mexico. Zone 8 (15°F). Forms nice clumps, and highly attractive. Makes nice container plants. Blooms once in about 30 years, then dies, so get your seed now or wait a while!
PAPAVER
—Papaver setigerum 'Midnight'. (2000) PAPA-43MI. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50, 100 grams: $25.00
Deep purple-black single flowers. The blackest! Cool temperatures to germinate.
PARDANCANDA
IRIDACEAE. Hybrid origin between Pardanthopsis and Belamcanda, developed and introduced by Park's Seed.
—Pardancanda norissi. (10) PARD-16. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'CANDYLILY'. Large 3" flowers in shades of yellow, red, and violet, with tiger stripes and spots. Iris-like plants to about 2 feet. Zone 5. Nice! Germinates in about 2 - 4 weeks.
PASSIFLORA
—Passiflora incarnata. (25) PASS-17. Packet: $3.00
1/4 Ounce: $15.00 (about 240 seed), Ounce: $40.00 (about 960 seed)
'MAYPOPS', 'WILD PASSIONFLOWER'. Cream or yellowish 2" flowers with purple or pink corona. Yellow 2" edible fruits. Hardy perennial vine with 3-lobed leaves. Virginia to the Tropics. Cultivated by the Indians. The hardiest species, to Zone 5 or 6 if given a heavy mulch. Medicinal. Irregular germination. Give 8 - 12 weeks cold treatment.
PENSTEMON
—Penstemon Clutei. (100) PENS-35. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'SUNSET CRATER PENSTEMON'. Deep pink to rose inch-long flowers in summer. Rare endemic hardy perennial to 3 - 5 feet, known only from a few volcanic cinder cones in Arizona. Zone 4.
—Penstemon Digitalis. (250) PENS-52. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $10.00
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'FOXGLOVE BEARDTONGUE'. Whitish, inflated inch-long flowers. Hardy perennial to 2 1/2 feet. Maine, South Dakota, to Texas. Zone 3. Prefers damp situations, and can be long lived. Requires light to germinate; surface sow.
—Penstemon Palmeri. (100) PENS-121. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50
Tall spikes of white to lavender 1 1/4" flowers, 3/4" wide. Robust perennial to 2 - 5 feet, with whitish blue 6" leaves. Utah to Arizona. Zone 5. Needs hot, dry sunny spots and well-drained gravelly soil. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Penstemon pruinosus. (1000) PENS-127. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'CHELAN PENSTEMON'. Deep indigo to blue-purple 1/2" tubular flowers in whorled spikes in May to July. Hardy perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with long-petioled, spoon-shaped basal leaves. B.C. to Washington. Zone 7.
PHACELIA
—Phacelia procera. (250) PHAC-13. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
White 1/4" flowers in curved 4 - 6" cymes in June and July. Tall perennial to 3 - 5 feet, with attractive divided leaves. Washington to California.
PHORMIUM (FOR-mee-um)
AGAVACEAE. Bold New Zealand perennials for mild climates. Fast and easily grown and probably root-hardy to 0°F. Stands almost any soil, heat, salt spray, drought etc. Makes nice specimen plants.
—Phormium tenax atropurpureum. (25) PHOR-4A. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
Rich reddish-purple sword-shaped leaves in bold clumps to 6 feet tall. Dull red tubular flowers in large branching spikes. New Zealand. Zone 8. Germinates in 4 - 20 weeks.
—Phormium tenax variegatum. (25) PHOR-4V. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
'VARIEGATED NEW ZEALAND FLAX'. Bold clumps of sword-shaped leaves up to 9 feet long and 5" wide, striped with creamy yellow and white. Dull red tubular 1 - 2" flowers in large branching spikes to 15 feet tall. New Zealand. Zone 8. Leaves long used by the Maoris for the tough fiber. The flowers are filled with a remarkable quantity of sweet nectar which can be sucked with a straw.
PIMPINELLA
—Pimpinella Saxifraga. (250) PIM-23. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'LESSER BURNET'. White flowers with crimson stigmas and long drooping filaments. Finely divided leaves, some of which resemble birds in flight, hence the old Dutch name meaning 'God's Little Birds'. Hardy perennial to 2-3 feet. England. Zone 4. The leaves smell like cucumbers when bruised, and were used to cool tankards much like Borage, and were added to salads. The fresh root is very hot like pepper, and was chewed for toothache and gargled for sore throat. When dried and stored for a while, it loses much of its pungency, and becomes aromatic like anise. Relished by sheep, and said to increase milk flow in cattle.
POTENTILLA
—Potentilla atrosanguinea v. argyrophylla. (50) POTL-9A. Packet: $2.50
Bright orange yellow inch-wide flowers with red centers, in summer. Hardy perennial with silky foliage, forming a mound to 16". Himalayas. Zone 5.
PRUNUS
—Prunus subcordata. (5) PRUN-130. Packet: $2.50
Fresh seed stored in cold storage.
'MODOC PLUM', 'SIERRA PLUM'. Fragrant white 1/2" flowers in March and April, followed by edible fruits up to an inch long. Shrub or tree to 20 feet, with roundish leaves. Northern California. Zone 7. The fruits are eaten fresh, dried, or in sauces and preserves. Distinctive flavor. "Considered one of the best native fruits of the Pacific Coast region."—Facciola.
—Prunus tomentosa. (10) PRUN-135. Packet: $2.50
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'NANKING CHERRY'. Abundant inch-wide white flowers followed by small red edible fruit. Very hardy shrub to 8 feet. N. China, Tibet. Zone 2. Early flowering. Fruits eaten raw or made into pies or jelly. Can bear in 2 - 3 years from seed. Sow in fall or give 3 months prechill.
PSYCHOTRIA
RUBIACEAE. Tropical shrubs and trees.
—Psychotria viridis. (20) PSYC-122. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $10.00 (about 90 seed), 5 grams: $40.00
'CHACRUNA'. Small white flowers in clusters, followed by red berries. Shrub to 16 feet, with shining 6" leaves. Amazon. Zone 9 or 10. Used in the drink 'ayahuasca'. Germinates in 2 - 9 months, and GA-3 helps. New crop seed (1/24) from Hawaii.
QUAMOCLIT
—Quamoclit pennata. (=Ipomoea Quamoclit). (25) QUAM-4. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50, 25 grams: $12.00, 100 grams: $35.00
'CYPRESS VINE', 'STAR GLORY', 'CARDINAL CLIMBER'. Showy, star-like, trumpet-shaped 1 1/2" scarlet flowers from July to October. Tender graceful annual twiner to 20 feet, with finely divided feathery foliage. Tropical America. Start early indoors in the North. "Beautiful in flower and foliage."—House. Attracts hummingbirds. Soak seed, nick hard ones, germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
RHEUM (REE-um)
POLYGONACEAE. Bold Asian hardy perennials grown for food and the handsome foliage and towering flower clusters. Hardy and easily grown, they look best against a wall. Best in rich moist soil.
—Rheum palmatum var. tanguticum. (25) RHEM-20T. Packet: $4.00
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'TURKEY RHUBARB'. Huge, round, deeply lobed and laciniated leaves, and tall 6 - 12 foot stalks of white, pink, and red flowers in June and July. Bold, fast growing hardy perennial. NE Asia. Zone 4. The leaf-stalks are eaten like rhubarb, and have been made into wine. The huge roots are used medicinally. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
ROSA
—Rosa moschata. (15) ROSE-99. Packet: $2.50
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'HIMALAYAN MUSK ROSE'. Creamy white 1 1/2 - 2" musk-scented flowers in large corymbs in April and May. Large deciduous climber. Himalayas to 4000 to 8000 feet. Zone 6.
SALVIA
—Salvia lyrata Wild. (75) SALV-48. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $5.00
'LYRE-LEAVED SAGE'. Pale blue 3/4 - 1 1/2" long flowers in long spikes of whorls. Hardy perennial to 8 - 18", with red veined leaves. E. U.S. Zone 5. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks warm. Collected from wild plants.
—Salvia Sclarea var. turkestanica. (50) SALV-77T. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
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'VATICAN CLARY'. Large white flowers tinged pink, with light bracts, often almost white. Nice! Zone 4.
SMILACINA (smi-la-SEE-na)
LILIACEAE. Rhizomatous perennials for moist shady places.
—Smilacina racemosa var. amplexicaulis. (50) SMIL-4A. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50, 50 grams: $15.00
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This is moist seed, stored refrigerated, and sprouting.
'FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL', 'FAT SOLOMON'. Fragrant small starry flowers in clusters, followed by attractive red berries in late summer. Hardy perennial with arching stems to 3 feet, forming nice clumps. W. N. America. Zone 4.
STEPHANOTIS (ste-fa-NO-tis)
ASCLEPIADACEAE. Tropical climbers and shrubs grown for their beautiful flowers. Popular in the greenhouse and outdoors in the South. Feed while growing. Germinates in 2 - 13 weeks, warm.
—Stephanotis floribunda. (10) STEP-9. Packet: $3.00
'MADAGASCAR JASMINE'. Very sweetly scented 1 - 2" waxy white trumpet shaped flowers in long-lasting clusters from April to October. Twining evergreen climber to 10 - 15 feet, with glossy dark green leaves. Madagascar. Zone 10. A popular greenhouse plant. The flowers are traditionally used in wedding bouquets. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks, some up to 16.
TABERNAEMONTANA (ta-be-nay-mon-TA-na)
APOCYNACEAE. Tropical flowering shrubs and trees with fragrant flowers.
—Tabernaemontana africana. (10) TABR-4. Packet: $3.50
10 grams: $12.00 (about 130 seed), 50 grams: $45.00
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'SAMOAN GARDENIA'. Fragrant large white five-petaled pinwheel-like flowers to 4"wide, on a slow-growing shrub to 15 feet. Dark green 6" leaves. Tropical West Africa. Zone 10. Best in moist soil and part shade to full sun. "The flowers open in the late afternoon, last a couple days and are fragrant day and night. I think they are the ultimate for the lover of white scented flowers like gardenias and jasmines...they really are 'intoxicating' in the sense that you whiff it once, then want to smell it again and again...One will scent the whole room."—Vierra. Germinates in a month or two, and longer. Keep warm.
TAMARINDUS (ta-ma-RIN-dus)
LEGUMINOSAE. A single species. Zone 9.
—Tamarindus indica. (10) TAMA-1. Packet: $2.50
'TAMARIND'. Evergreen tropical tree with feathery pinnate foliage, and racemes of pale yellow flowers. Fast growing to 80 feet; slow if kept on the dry side. Good bee plant. The thick, 8" long pods are eaten throughout the tropics. They have a wonderful tart sweet flavor that blends with other fruits more subtly than lemon juice, The pods. are soaked in water an hour or two, when the husk and seeds can be easily removed. The pulp is then beaten smooth and added to fresh or cooking fruit. Superb with bland dried fruit like figs or pears. The pulp puree is a fine drink in water, with just a little sweetening added, as it is high in both natural sugar and acid. With longer soaking, the water becomes a refreshing drink, and the pulp becomes mild enough to use in applesauce cake, or as filling. Can be thickened with corn starch for a dessert sauce. Soak seed, nick hard ones, germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
THYMUS
—Thymus capitatus. (500) THYM-6. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'ZA'ATAR FARSI'. Strongly aromatic perennial with compact heads of pink flowers. Mediterranean. Zone 7. Said to be the strongest thyme, much used in cookery. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
TROPAEOLUM
—Tropaeolum majus 'Blue Pepe'. (25) TROP-5BP. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $6.00, 100 grams: $12.00
Striking new variety bred especially for salad use. The small leaves are steel blue with purplish undersides, and make an attractive addition to baby salad mix, to add color and flavor. Choice!
UMBILICUS (um-BIL-i-kus)
CRASSULACEAE. Succulent perennials from tuberous roots. Some fairly hardy. Goes dormant after blooming. Likes moist soil, but rest dry.
—Umbilicus rupestris. (1000) UMBI-21. Packet: $2.50
1/10 gram: 7.50
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'PENNY-PIES'. Round, rubbery 1 - 3" wide succulent leaves and small yellow-green flowers marked with reddish dots in long drooping 12" spikes in spring. Forms a small caudex. England to the Mediterranean. Fairly hardy. Zone 7. Use GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.
VERBESINA
—Verbesinia virginica. (50) VEBE-86. Packet: $2.50
'FROSTWEED'. Small white flowers in clusters to 6" across. Hardy perennial to 6 feet. E. U.S. Zone 6. Attracts butterflies and bees. The winged stems exude water when frost hits, creating interesting ribbon-like patterns. Many medicinal uses among the Indians, who also smoked the leaves like tobacco.
VITIS (VEE-tis or VYE-tis)
VITACEAE. Tendril-climbing woody vines of the North Hemisphere, grown for their clustered berries and for ornament. Valued for wine making since ancient times. Cold usually helps germination.
—Vitis vinifera. (100) VITI-100. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $9.00
'WINE GRAPE'. Tall climbing vine to 30 feet, with clustered small flowers followed by grapes used for wine or eaten, and the young leaves used to wrap dolmades (pronounced dol-MA-thays), Greek stuffed vine leaves. Zone 5b. Prechill 8 - 12 weeks.