COMPOSITAE. Spring and summer blooming hardy perennials. Large basal leaves & 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.
NEW—Balsamorhiza sagittata. (b,h) BALS-22. Packet: $2.50
'OREGON SUNFLOWER', 'ARROW-LEAF BALSAM-ROOT'. Showy yellow 2" blooms. Perennial to 2 feet, with 9" leaves. N. W. U.S. 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.
BANKSIA (BANK-see-a)
PROTEACEAE. Spectacular Australian evergreen trees and shrubs, noted for their striking foliage and large, bizarre flowers in magnificent spikes. Best in the cool greenhouse as they do not stand frost well. Needs perfect drainage but constant moisture. In warm climates a sheltered place among shrubs is best. Most germinate readily, but some like light nicking or hot water and a 24 hour soak. Sow in sandy soil. In California some are sown in fall to germinate in spring. Seed viable 4 - 5 years. Smoke treatment may help germination.
—Banksia violacea. (10,1) BANK-92. Packet: $3.00
'VIOLET BANKSIA'. Distinctive deep metallic violet flowers in round spikes. Dwarf shrub with grey heath-like foliage. Western Australia. Prefers slightly acid soil and constant moisture. Germinates in 3 - 4 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. (c,h) BAPT-2. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 9/08, 1/4 Oz: $6.00, Oz: $15.00
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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. "Handsome. Probably the best species for cultivation."—L.H. Bailey.
—Baptisia leucantha. (d,h) BAPT-28. Packet: $2.50
'WHITE FALSE INDIGO'. White inch-long flowers with standard marked purple, in foot-long spikes in June & July. Hardy perennial to 3 - 5 feet with attractive blue green trifoliate 2" leaves. Ontario & Wisconsin to the Gulf states. Long-lived & showy. Medicinal. "Very striking... good dye plant, ornamental seedpods."—S. Adams. Nick seed, germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Baptisia pendula (=alba) (10,h) 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 - 9. Choice! Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
BARBAREA (bar-BAR-ee-a)
CRUCIFERAE. About a dozen species of hardy biennial & perennial herbs, grown for cress & ornament.
—Barbarea vulgaris Variegata. (c,h) BARB-25V. Packet: $3.00
'WINTER CREAM'. An absolutely stunning variety of winter cress, with large rounded leaves splashed with light creamy-yellow variegation. Hardy biennial to 2 feet. Eurasia. Easily grown in rich soil, and if the flowering stems are cut before they open, it is practically perennial. Germinates in 1 - 2 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.
NEW—Begonia grandis (=Evansiana) (500) BEG-70. Packet: $2.50
HARDY BEGONIA'. Large pink flowers in September. Tuberous, to about 12" tall. Japan & China. Stands some frost; hardy to about Zone 6. Needs cold to break dormancy in spring. Likes part shade and moist soil. Also propagated by the axillary bulblets.
BELAMCANDA (bell-am-KAN-da)
IRIDACEAE. Two E. Asian hardy perennials. Easily grown, preferring full sun and good drainage. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks at warm temperatures.
NEW—Belamcanda chinensis. (d,h) BELA-6. Packet: $2.50 Click for photo »
Germination: 56% Tested 8/09, Oz: $7.50
'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.
"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 & 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. (a!,h) BELL-3. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested 7/09, 5 grams: $12.00
'ENGLISH DAISY'. Single white 1 - 2" daisies in spring and early summer. Hardy perennial to 6", with rosettes of 1 - 2" leaves. Europe. 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..."
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 Red Beauty. (b,h) BERG-6R. Packet: $2.50
'HEARTLEAF BERGENIA'. Bright red flowers in nodding clusters, March to May. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with large roundish heart-shaped evergreen bronzy 10" leaves. Siberia & Mongolia. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
NEW —Bergenia cordifolia Winterglow. (b,h) 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 & Mongolia. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BERKHEYA (berk-HEY-a)
COMPOSITAE. Interesting showy African daisies.
—Berkheya purpurea. (d,h) 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. Good cut flowers. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
BERLANDIERA (ber-LAN-dee-ER-a)
COMPOSITAE. Southwestern perennials valued for bloom & fragrance. Easy from seed which germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Berlandiera lyrata. (e,h) BERL-12. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 92% Tested 8/09, Gram: $12.00, 10 grams: $80.00, 100 grams: $500.00 (about 130 seeds per gram)
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'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 NM. Flowers used as seasoning. This is a high-quality lot that has given us 92% germination - if you have ever failed with this in the past, try it again now! This is the best seed of this species I've ever obtained, and it is sure to go fast.
BETULA (BE-tu-la)
BETULACEAE. 'BIRCH'. Hardy ornamental N. Hemisphere trees and shrubs, most preferring moist sandy soils. Valued for their graceful habit, & 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. (a,g) BETU-14. Packet: $2.50
'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. 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.
BIXA (BEE-ha)
BIXACEAE. A single species. Good in the far South or in the greenhouse. Seed irregular in germination, coming up in 2 - 15 weeks or more warm.
—Bixa Orellana. (c,h) BIXA-1. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'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. 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.
BOMAREA: See Reserved Access page.
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.
NEW —Borago officinalis. (c,h) BORA-3. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested 10/09, Oz: $7.50
'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. (d,h) BORA-3A. Packet: $2.50
'WHITE-FLOWERED BORAGE'. The lovely white-flowered form, so rarely seen. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
"Wherefore I will not rule, and also ruled I will not be!"—J. H. Mackay.
BRACHYCHITON (bra-kee-KI-ton)
STERCULIACEAE. Australian trees with swollen trunks. Grown in warm regions for their masses of showy flowers.
—Brachychiton discolor. (e,h) BRAC-10. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00 (about 100 seed)
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'LACEBARK BOTTLE-TREE', 'HAT TREE'. Large bell-shaped pink 2" long flowers in masses. Tree to 100 feet, with palmate 4 - 8" leaves and a swollen trunk, which appears even in seedlings. NW Australia. Soak seed in hot water, rub covering off, then it germinates over about 1 - 5 months. Easy.
BRACHYCOME (BRA-kee-KO-me)
COMPOSITAE. Mostly showy Australian half-hardy annuals and perennials. Easily grown, giving a good display in deep rich soil and full sun. Good in masses in the border, or singly in pots in the greenhouse or windowsill. Germinates in about 1 - 4 weeks. Sow in March, or in September for winter bloom.
—Brachycome iberidifolia Bravo Deep Blue With Black. (b,h) BRAK-10B. Packet: $2.50
Deep blue flowers with black centers. Compact hardy annual to 8 - 10", selected for a longer bloom time. Good in pots and baskets. Germinates in a week.
—Brachycome iberidifolia Mixed. (a!,h) BRAK-10. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/09, 7100/g, 10 grams: $6.00, 25 grams: $10.00
'SWAN RIVER DAISY'. Blue, pink, violet and white inch-wide daisies borne in profusion on a compact annual to 10 - 12". Ferny, divided foliage. Australia. A beautiful little plant, forming a carpet of color. The flowers are sweetly scented. Blooms about 13 weeks from seed. Germinates in a week at warm temperatures, up to 4 weeks at 40°F.
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. (b,h) BRAS-19. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 96% Tested: 8/09, 25 grams: $6.00
'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 & 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. (b,h) BRIZ-1. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 52% Tested: 7/09, 10 grams: $6.00
'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.
BUDDLEJA (bud-LEE-a)
LOGANIACEAE. 'BUTTERFLY BUSH', 'SUMMER LILAC'. Showy deciduous or evergreen shrubs of great value for the garden. Their handsome flowers are profusely produced in round heads or spike-like panicles, and are attractive to butterflies, who congregate to feed on the nectar. Handsome large leaves. Best in full sun and well-drained soil. Many will survive in the North if the base is protected. Easy from seed sown on the surface or lightly covered. Keep warm to germinate in 2 - 12 weeks. Give ventilation to prevent damping off. Try using GA-3.
—Buddleja Davidii (=variabilis). (a!,h) BUDD-6. Packet: $2.50
'ORANGEYE BUTTERFLY BUSH'. Lilac flowers with orange throats, in dense 4 - 10" spikes in late summer. Shrub to 6 - 15 feet, with large, narrow, dark green leaves that are white underneath. China. If cut to the ground by a freeze, it will sprout from the base and reach 7 feet by fall. "A very handsome species with showy and fragrant flowers appearing in great profusion in late summer."—L.H. Bailey. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks.
BULBINELLA (bul-bi-NEL-a)
LILIACEAE. Tuberous-rooted South African and New Zealand plants with flowers in dense spikes. Good in mild climates and nice in pots.
—Bulbinella angustifolia. (d,v) BULB-4. Packet: $2.50
Pale yellow flowers in dense spikes to 2 feet, in June to August. Narrow, grass-like leaves. Fairly hardy perennial, zone 6. Germination irregular, hold pots.