COMPOSITAE. A single species. Easily grown.
—Cnicus benedictus. (c,h) CNIC-1. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $9.00 (about 750 seed), 1/4 lb: $25.00
'BLESSED THISTLE'. Bright yellow inch-wide flowers on a hardy, thistle-like annual to 2 feet, with attractively marbled leaves. Blooms summer & fall. Mediterranean. Once highly valued medicinally as a panacea for everything from "the bitings of mad dogs" to migraine and gout. Contains anti-HIV compounds. An excellent tonic, said to improve the memory. "...lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for qualm... plain Holy Thistle."—Shakespeare. Used in Benedictine, and the seeds yield an oil. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
COBAEA (ko-BEE-a or ko-BAY-a)
POLEMONIACEAE. Rampant vining shrubs grown for their large, bell-shaped violet or white flowers. Easily grown outdoors as annuals, or in the greenhouse. Rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Plant seed edgewise indoors in 4" pots, or outdoors when soil is warm. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks & flowers in 12 weeks. Viable 4 years or more.
—Cobaea scandens. (e,h) COBA-2. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Germination: 84% Tested: 10/09, 10 grams: $9.00, 25 grams: $16.00 OUT OF STOCK
'CATHEDRAL BELLS', 'CUP AND SAUCER VINE'. Large, bell-shaped purple 2" long flowers open green, then darken, from June to October. Fast growing vine to 25 feet, with dark green leaves. México. An old-fashioned garden favorite.
"The state calls its own violence law; but that of the individual crime."—Max Stirner.
COIX (KO-ix or KOY)
GRAMINEAE. Tall ornamental tropical grasses grown for their bead-like seeds. Easily grown in rich sandy, well-drained soil, in full sun or light shade. Start very early in pots, as it needs a long season. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks. Seed viable 5 years or more.
—Coix Lacryma-Jobi. (e,h) COIX-1. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00 - This unit out of stock. Packets and ounces still available.
'JOB'S TEARS'. To 3 - 6 feet, with reed-like 1 1/2" wide leaves, bearing unusual, teardrop-shaped, bead-like seeds ranging from pearly white to shiny grey. Tropical Asia. Tender perennial grown as an annual. Plant out May 1st in Zone 5. Cut stems for dried arrangements before seeds fall. The seeds are widely used as beads in rosaries, etc., to which marvelous properties are attributed. They are edible and are ground for bread and made into beer.
COLCHICUM autumnale: See Reserved Access page.
COLLINSIA (ko-LIN-see-a)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Showy and free-flowering hardy annuals, mostly from California and western North America. Easily grown and much used in borders, bedding and for edging. Will bloom mid-summer till frost with succession sowings. Best in well-drained soil and they stand part shade. Sow seed in spring or fall, 1/4" deep, to germinate in about 14 days. They make long-lasting cut flowers.
—Collinsia heterophylla (=bicolor). (a!,h) COLL-3. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $14.00
'CHINESE HOUSES', 'INNOCENCE'. Large, inch-long flowers in stacked whorls, resembling a pagoda in form, with a white upper lip, and a rosy purple lower lip. Hardy annual to 1 - 2 feet, with slender stems. California. Sow thinly in groups. Best in part shade Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks at cool temperatures.
"The means are the end."—U. K. LeGuin.
CONVOLVULUS (kon-VOLV-you-lus)
CONVOLVULACEAE. 'GLORY BIND'. Showy twining vines or upright herbs grown for their funnel-shaped morning-glory-like flowers. Easily grown in most soils and full sun with little care. Free flowering and good for covering fences or allowed to clamber among shrubs, the bushy types in the flower and rock garden. Some are excellent in hanging baskets. Vigorous growers, only a few are invasive or weedy. Soak seed till swollen, nick if needed. Sow in early spring 1/4" deep, to germinate in about 5 - 14 days at 60 - 65°F. The hardy perennials may be sown in September for early flowers. Many are medicinal. Seed has grown well up to 26 years old.
Convolvulus tricolor Varieties:
'DWARF MORNING GLORY'. Beautiful and floriferous hardy annual in various colors. Upright and bushy, forming a mound about a foot tall and 2 feet wide, with the showy 1 1/2" wide flowers borne in profusion above the narrow leaves. Good in hanging baskets. Blooms continuously all summer. S. Europe. Cultivated since 1629. "A splendid plant for the border."—Booth. Soak seed, nick unswollen ones. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks at warm temperatures.
—Convolvulus tricolor Royal Ensign. (c,h) CONV-22R. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 88% Tested: 10/09, 25 grams: $11.00
Click for photo »
Deep ultramarine blue with a golden center. To 16". Deepest blue of all and closest to the wild type.
COREOPSIS (ko-ree-OP-sis)
COMPOSITAE. Hardy North American annuals and perennials grown for their showy flowers. The annuals were formerly classed as Calliopsis. Beautiful in the border, rock garden and for bedding. They make a fine display in any garden soil in sun. Tolerates smog and poor soil. Makes good cut flowers. Sow outdoors from early spring to fall, on the surface to 1/4" deep, to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks, depending on temperature. Succession sowings from March to June will provide continuous bloom. Often self-sows. Seed viable 3 - 8 years or more.
—Coreopsis grandiflora Baby Sun. (b,h) CORE-11B. Packet: $2.50
Large golden flowers with brown eyes, borne profusely, covering low compact plants to 16". Hardy perennial, blooming June to August. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Coreopsis lanceolata. (b,h) CORE-12. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 72% Tested: 8/09, 5 grams: $7.50
'LANCE-LEAVED COREOPSIS'. Bright yellow 2 1/2" flowers on long stems (up to 12"), May to July. Hardy perennial to 2 - 4 feet, with narrow, sometimes pinnate leaves. E. US. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
"A freely blooming plant here, and will repeat several times a season if kept deadheaded. Does fine in full sun and average soil."—J. Adkins.
—Coreopsis tinctoria Dwarf Red. (a!,h) CORE-6DR. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
'DWARF RED PLAINS COREPSIS'. Bright red flowers on dwarf plants. Hardy annual. Good in meadows and for naturalizing. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Coreopsis tinctoria Tall. (a!,h) CORE-6T. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
'TALL PLAINS COREOPSIS'. Vivid single yellow flowers with wine-red centers. Hardy annual to 3 feet. SW U.S. Excellent for naturalizing along roadsides, in meadows, etc. Stands poor dry soil & part shade, blooming abundantly in summer and fall, reseeding readily. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
CORIANDRUM (ko-ree-AN-drum)
UMBELLIFERAE. Easily grown aromatic annuals grown in the herb garden for their flavorful leaves and seeds. Sow where they are to grow, 1/4" deep, to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. Sow in fall in the South, early spring in the North. Seed viable 6 - 8 years.
—Coriandrum sativum. (b,h) CORI-5. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'CORIANDER', 'CILANTRO'. Annual herb to 1 - 3 feet, with divided leaves and small white or pinkish flowers in umbels, followed by clusters of round aromatic seed. S. Europe. Cultivated since ancient times, the seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs, and they are mentioned by Pliny, Cato, Palladius and Hippocrates. The young leaves are picked at any time for use in salads, soups, etc. They are very popular in Latin America and China. The ripe seed are used for flavoring breads & cakes, liqueurs, curries, etc. Little clusters coated with sugar were a favorite treat of children. In China they were believed to confer immortality. Harvest the seed clusters when they begin to turn brown. Their flavor improves with age. The roots are powdered for seasoning by Southwest Indians.
—Coriandrum sativum Long Standing. (b,h) CORI-5LS. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 85% Tested: 11/09, Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $12.00
'CILANTRO CORIANDER'. This variety is slow to bolt, making it the best for leaf production. Gives a longer season of harvest of the spicy leaves, which are used in Latin American & Asian dishes.
COSMOS (KOZ-mos)
COMPOSITAE. 'MEXICAN ASTER'. Showy, easily grown annuals and perennials planted for their graceful, feathery foliage and abundant mid-summer to fall bloom. Best in poor dry soil, as rich soil will give abundant growth, but little bloom. Sow outdoors after danger of frost or for early bloom, sow indoors 6 weeks earlier. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Good cut flowers if picked when first opened. Seed viable 6 years or more. Old garden favorites.
Cosmos bipinnatus Varieties:
Showy annual to 2 - 10 feet, with feathery foliage and large daisy-like 2 - 6" wide flowers in shades of red, rose, white and pink. Cultivated since 1799. México. The 'Sensation' strain are about 4 feet tall, early blooming, with large, single 4 - 6" flowers.
—Cosmos Candy Stripe. (c,h) COS-1CS. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/09, 25 grams: $12.00
White, rose and red flowers with petals edged and striped darker. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Cosmos bipinnatus Daydream. (250) COS-IDY. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 84% Tested: 5/09, Oz: $9.00
Pale pink flowers shading to deeper rose at the center. Good for cutting. Hardy annual to 3 - 5 feet.
—Cosmos Domino Mix. (b,h) COS-1DX. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/09, Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
A nice rich blend of colors.
NEW—Cosmos bipinnatus Gloria. (500) COS-1GL. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Rosy pink flowers with deep red center. Hardy annual to 3 - 5 feet. Good for cutting.
NEW—Cosmos bipinnatus Picotee. (500) COS-1PC. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/09, Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.00
White flowers with petals edged red, ranging to pure red. Nice. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cosmos Sensation Dazzler. (b,h) COS-1D. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 93% Tested: 3/09, Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Fiery crimson red flowers. Very pretty. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cosmos Sensation Pinky. (b,h) COS-1P. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 88% Tested: 7/09, Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Bright rose-pink, large blooms. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cosmos Sensation Purity. (b,h) COS-1W. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 7/09, Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
A wonderful, large-flowered snowy white.
—Cosmos Sensation Radiance. (b,h) COS-1R. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 88% Tested: 8/09, Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Deep rose with a crimson zone.
—Cosmos parviflorus. (c,h) COS-19. Packet: $2.50
'SMALL COSMOS'. Dainty orchid pink inch-wide flowers. Annual to 2 - 3 feet, with thread-like leaves. Gravelly soil, SW U.S. A lovely species. The young plants have been used in salads. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
Cosmos sulphureus Varieties:
Showy annual to 1 - 7 feet, resembling C. bipinnatus, but in yellow, orange and red shades. Large, 2 - 3" wide, long-stemmed flowers on bushy plants. México. The 'Klondyke' strain has large, early, semi-double blooms, and is about 1 - 3 feet tall.
—Cosmos sulphureus Bright Lights. (c,h) COS-3B. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 87% Tested: 1/10, 10 grams: $5.00, 25 grams: $9.00
Bright mixture of yellow and orange shades, developed for cut-flowers. Hardy annual to 2 feet.
—Cosmos sulphureus Klondyke Sunny Red. (b,h) COS-3R. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 8/09, 25 grams: $11.00, 100 grams: $30.00
Glowing orange-red shades on a dwarf compact annual to 14" tall. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
"Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Either way, it's a mighty sobering thought."—Walt Kelley.
COWANIA (KO-wan-EE-a)
ROSACEAE. Showy desert shrubs of the Southwest. Good in rock gardens and for xeriscaping.
NEW—Cowania mexicana. (c,h) COWA-7. Packet: $2.50
'CLIFFROSE.' Fragrant 1/2" cream to yellow flowers like single roses in May and June, followed by long plumed seedheads. Aromatic 1/2" toothed leaves. Very hardy shrub to 1 - 6 feet. Desert canyon slopes, SW U.S. The inner bark was used for cloth by the Hopi. About half germinate in 2 - 6 weeks warm, but 2 - 8 weeks cold improves germination.
CRAMBE (KRAM-be)
CRUCIFERAE. Herbs or sub-shrubs with large succulent leaves, grown for ornament or as vegetables. Small white fragrant flowers. Easily grown, preferring heavy soil and thriving in exposed situations.
—Crambe cordifolia. (e,h) CRAM-6. Packet: $3.00
'GIANT SEA KALE', 'COLEWORT'. Striking foliage plant with large wavy-margined leaves to 3 feet long. Tiny creamy white, sweet-scented flowers in large clusters up to 5 - 7 feet tall, and as wide. Blooms in July and August. Caucasus. A magnificent hardy perennial. The root and foliage are said to be edible. Well worth growing. Germinates in 1 - 10 months.
—Crambe maritima. (10,h) CRAM-18. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $9.00, 25 grams: $32.00
'SEA KALE'. Large, chalky blue-green, wavy, fleshy, long-stalked 6 - 12" leaves, and large panicles of tiny white flowers in May to July. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, from the sea-coasts of Europe. The flowers are honey-scented, and the young stems are blanched and eaten as a delicacy. Give seed 1 - 3 months cold or crack out of shell to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
"You've got to read between the lies."—J.L.H.
CUMINUM (KOO-min-um)
UMBELLIFERAE. A single species. Sow seed where they are to grow in April or May, after danger of frost, to germinate in about 1 - 2 weeks. They grow quickly and ripen seed in July and August. Space 1 - 2 feet apart. Easy. Seed viable 3 years.
—Cuminum Cyminum. (a,h) CUMI-5. Packet: $2.50
'CUMIN', 'COMINO'. Half hardy annual to 6 - 12", with finely divided dark green leaves and tiny white or reddish flowers followed by aromatic seeds. Upper Nile. Cut stems when seeds begin to dry. An ancient spice, it was grown by the Egyptians and mentioned by Pliny, Hippocrates, and Dioscorides. The hot, spicy, aromatic seeds were used medicinally and are popular for flavoring breads, cheeses, soups, chutneys, curries, liqueurs and Spanish and Méxican dishes. Ground in wine, Pliny claimed them the best appetizer. Common in Normandy in 716 CE, & in England in 1264. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CUPHEA (ku-FEE-a)
LYTHRACEAE. Vivid-flowered plants from the Americas. Easy from seed. Plant out in sheltered spots in April or May. Good pot plants in the greenhouse.
—Cuphea ignea (=platycentra) (b,h) CUP-20. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
'FIRECRACKER PLANT'. Bright red violet white-tipped inch-long tubular flowers produced in profusion in summer. Tender perennial, often grown as an annual, to 1 foot. Attractive shining pointed leaves. México. Nice pot plant. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CUPRESSUS (koo-PRESS-us)
CUPRESSACEAE. Handsome evergreen trees and shrubs with scale-like leaves and round woody cones. Native to warm-temperate N. Hemisphere. For mild climates. The durable wood was used for Egyptian mummy caskets, and the doors of St. Peter's in Rome, made of cypress wood, have lasted 1200 years. Varies in percentage of filled seed, but is viable 20 years. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks or so.
—Cupressus arizonica. (b,l) CUPR-1. Packet: $2.50
'ARIZONA CYPRESS'. Fast-growing tree to 40 feet with dense blue-green to silvery-grey foliage—color very variable from seed. Round inch-wide cones and grey-brown shredding bark. Arizona. Zone 7. Good windbreak in hot desert climates.
—Cupressus cashmeriana (=darjeelingensis) (b,g) CUPR-4. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $8.00, 1/4 lb: $24.00
'KASHMIR CYPRESS'. Striking tree with weeping branchlets of a conspicuous vivid blue-grey color. Fast growing small tree with 1/2" cones. Kashmir, Tibet. Good in California and mild climates. "One of the most graceful and beautiful of all conifers."—Hilliers. Germinates in 1 - 2 months warm, no prechill needed.
CYCLAMEN (SIK-la-men)
PRIMULACEAE. Tuberous-rooted herbs with heart-shaped leaves and beautiful flowers. Popular florist subjects. Most are grown in the greenhouse; some of the species are hardy in the North. They do best in a rich moist soil with plenty of leaf-mold and sand. Seed is variable in germination, so space them widely in flats so that the seedlings can be pricked out singly. Cover seed well. Seed sown in fall & carried over in a protected place will flower in 6 - 18 months. An important point is to keep them growing when young. Hardy species are good in shady, woodsy spots. Cyclamens may live 100 years.
NEW—Cyclamen hederifolium. (20) CYCL-11. Packet: $4.00
'IVY-LEAF CYCLAMEN'. Soft rose-pink inch-long flowers on 3 - 4" stems. Large, ivy-like, heart-shaped, silver-mottled 5" leaves. S. Europe to Turkey. One of the most reliably hardy species, to Zone 5 at least. Blooms late summer and fall, after the leaves die back. Germinates irregularly, the roots forming in 3 - 16 weeks, the leaves show 1 - 2 months later.
CYMBALARIA (sim-ba-LAR-ee-a)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Trailing European perennials with spurred Linaria-like flowers, grown as groundcover in moist part shade, or cascading down rock walls. Good in hanging baskets. Easy from seed.
—Cymbalaria muralis. (a,h) CYMB-3. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'KENILWORTH IVY', 'WANDERING SAILOR'. Lilac-blue 1/2" flowers with yellowish centers, held above the dainty, round, 5 - 7-lobed leaves. Slender trailing perennial. S. Europe, widely naturalized. Once pollinated, the flowers turn away from the light to ripen their seed in crevices. Eaten as salad greens in Europe, & is slightly pungent, like cress. Seed needs light, surface sow. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
CYMBOPOGON (sim-bo-POE-gon)
GRAMINEAE. Large, tufted, tropical Old World 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.
—Cymbopogon flexuosus. (c,h) CYMP-10. Packet: $2.50
'EAST INDIAN LEMON GRASS'. Large tropical perennial grass. Strongly aromatic, used dried as a tea, source of flavoring oil, and as a substitute for Thai lemongrass. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CYNOGLOSSUM (si-no-GLOSS-um)
BORAGINACEAE, Hardy herbaceous plants grown for their forget-me-not-like flowers. Sun or part shade. Easily grown & attractive, sow direct.
—Cynoglossum amabile. (a,h) CYNO-4. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
'CHINESE FORGET-ME-NOT'. Sky blue 1/4" flowers ranging into pink and white, in sprays to about 2 feet tall. Hardy biennial with downy 8" leaves in rosettes. E. Asia. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
CYPELLA (SEE-pel-a or KEE-pel-a)
IRIDACEAE. Long-blooming Iris-like plants from Mexico and South America. Best in light sandy soil. Grow like Gladiolus, lift bulbs in fall.
NEW—Cypella coelestis. (20) CYPL-8. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Blue 3" wide flowers with yellow spots, in late summer to frost. Narrow pleated leaves. Tender perennial to 2 - 3 feet. Brazil to Argentina. Seed germinates in 1 - 6 months warm.
"Roads betook themselves into the forest, like great serpents devouring as they went. And one day behold! the forest was gone."—L. H. Bailey.
CYPERUS (SI-per-us)
CYPERACEAE. 'GALINGALE', 'FLAT-SEDGE'. A huge genus of sedges, 600 or more species, ranging from the tropics to temperate regions. Many are highly ornamental, as pot plants grown indoors for their tropical effect, or outdoors in ponds, bog gardens, and moist places. Some species produce tubers, many are nut-like and edible, others are fragrant and used in perfumery, and in the Amazon Basin exist many species with highly valued medicinal tubers. One species produced the first paper, papyrus in ancient Egypt. Most are easy from seed, giving high germination within a month.
—Cyperus esculentus var. sativus. (c,h) CYPE-14. Packet of tubers: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
Tubers: 1/4 lb: $7.50, lb: $15.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK
'CHUFA', 'EARTH ALMOND', 'TIGER-NUTS'. Ornamental perennial to 8" - 3 feet. Worldwide. Sow tubers in spring in moist places, harvest in October or November. Cultivated for thousands of years for the sweet, nutritious, nutty tubers. They are eaten raw, ground with water for a drink, in porridge, toasted, dried, or roasted and ground as a coffee or chocolate substitute. They become sweeter and more agreeable when dried, They contain 12 - 20% sucrose, 25 - 30% starch, and 27 - 29% of a sweet oil which can be pressed and used in fine cooking. They are greatly esteemed in Europe, China and Africa, and have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 2400 BCE. The Zulu chew them to relieve indigestion and bad breath. Excellent in swampy waste areas for pig forage. This is a distinct cultivar, and does not become weedy at all, and as such is NOT regulated by weed laws. It is sterile, and does not produce seed, and also does not produce runners—the tubers are held right below the plant.