BIGNONIACEAE. Peruvian & Chilean tendril climbers valued for their showy bloom, and odd seed pods. Best on a warm, south-facing wall. Sow early indoors, germinates in about 2 weeks. May be sown in fall and held over in the greenhouse till spring. Perennial in warm climates, grown as an annual in the North.
NEW—Eccremocarpus scaber Orange. (c,g) ECCR-12. Packet: $2.50
'CHILEAN GLORY FLOWER'. Showy tubular orange inch-long flowers in 6" racemes. Tender climber to 12 feet, with bipinnate leaves. Chile.
Long-lasting cut flowers. Hardy in the South. Sow on the surface, needs light, germinates in 2 weeks.
NEW—Eccremocarpus scaber Tresco Mix. (250) ECCR-12T. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 5/09, Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $20.00
'CHILEAN GLORY'. Clustered inch-long tubular flowers in shades ranging from yellow to rose and orange-scarlet. Free-blooming climber to 10 feet. Chile. Needs light to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.
ECHINACEA (e-ki-NAY-see-a)
COMPOSITAE. 'CONE FLOWER'. Bold herbaceous N. American perennials with large, showy, daisy-like flowers and thick, medicinal roots. They are some of our finest natives, giving 2 months or more of late summer bloom, good for cutting. Easy in the border or wild garden, doing well in rich, sandy loam warm sunny spots. Lime lovers.
—Echinacea angustifolia. (b,h) ECHI-1. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 68% Tested: 8/09, 1/4 Oz: $7.50, Oz: $16.00
'BLACK SAMPSON CONEFLOWER'. Orchid or violet 2" wide flowers. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with 8" leaves. Plains states. The root is a valuable medicine, and was used by the Sioux against septicemia, rabies, snakebites, etc., and widely in modern times against infection. It is said to stimulate the immune response, production of white blood cells, increase lymphatic filtration, etc. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, some lots need 6 - 8 weeks cold.
—Echinacea pallida. (b,h) ECHI-19. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 84% Tested: 10/09, Oz: $9.00, 1/4 lb: $27.00
'PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWER'. Striking wildflower. Showy large flowers with narrow drooping 1 1/2 - 3 1/2" long petals flushed rosy purple, and large dark purple-brown centers. Hardy perennial to 3 - 5 feet tall. Illinois to Texas. A long-lived plant, it will make a great display year after year. Highly valued by the Indians as a medicinal plant, its roots are prized by herbalists. Like E. purpurea and angustifolia, it was used as a universal panacea. It stimulates the immune system and production of white blood cells (T-cells), increases lymphatic filtration, possesses tumor-inhibiting properties, is effective against bacterial and viral infections, helps wound healing, is anti-allergy, etc. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks, some lots need 6 - 8 weeks cold.
—Echinacea purpurea. (b,h) ECHI-27. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 94% Tested: 10/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
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(With
Allium jajlae)'PURPLE CONEFLOWER'. Large, handsome, reddish purple 4" wide flowers with darker centers, on a hardy perennial to 2 - 5 feet. E. U.S. An excellent long-lived perennial. Valued as a universal panacea by the Plains and Eastern Indians, the root was used for a wide variety of ailments. They are still quite popular, being especially valued in Europe, where they are frequently employed as a non-specific immune system stimulant effective against bacterial & viral infections. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
ECHINOCACTUS (ee-kye-no-KAK-tus)
CACTACEAE. Ribbed barrel cacti from SW U.S. and México. Easily grown if kept on the dry side in winter. Water freely in summer once established. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks, best with GA-3. Makes nice specimens in a few years. Popular favorites.
—Echinocactus ingens. (d,g) ECHT-12. Packet: $2.50
'MEXICAN GIANT BARREL', 'BLUE BARREL'. Huge round barrels to 4 feet thick, with thin, narrow bluish-green ribs and stout spines. Canary yellow inch-long flowers. México. Pulp is eaten. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks, and GA-3 helps.
ECHINOCEREUS (ee-KI-no-SEER-e-us)
CACTACEAE. 'HEDGEHOG CACTUS'. Showy· flowered cacti with low growing clusters of stems, Easily grown in full sun and many are cold-resistant.
Good pot plants. Keep dry in winter.
—Echinocactus enneacanthus. (d,g) ECHC-28. Packet: $2.50
'STRAWBERRY CACTUS'. Clusters of foot-tall ribbed columns armed with slender 2" spines. Bright showy purple-red 2 - 3" wide flowers followed by round inch-long edible fruits. Southwest. The fruits are eaten fresh or preserved, and taste like strawberries. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
NEW —Echinocereus Hardy Species Mix. (100) ECHC-HX. Packet: $2.50
'HARDY CACTUS'. Fully winter-hardy to Zone 7, and some stand to Zone 5. Includes E. dasyacanthus, fasiculatus, reichenbachii, several triglochidiatus varieties, & other species. Give good drainage.
ECHINOPS (e-KY-nops)
COMPOSITAE. 'GLOBE THISTLE'. Handsome hardy Old World biennials & perennials grown for their large showy globular blue, violet or white heads, which are valued florist material, and also make good dried flowers. Striking plants, best in colonized clumps, their metallic heads making a bold effect. Attractive to bees. Good in dry, light, well-drained soil. Easy from seed sown January on, up to 2 months before fall frosts. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks, or up to 2 months. Seed viable 2 years or more.
—Echinops Ritro. (b,h) ECHN-7. Packet: $2.50
Large, globular violet 2 - 3" heads. Vigorous thistle-like hardy perennial to 5 feet. South Europe. Valued for cut-flower and dried flower production. Blooms all summer, producing a wealth of material.
—Echinops sphaerocephalus. (e,h) ECHN-22. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 72% Tested: 8/09, 10 grams: $12.00
'GREAT GLOBE THISTLE'. Large blue 2" globular flowerheads. Tall hardy perennial to 5 - 8 feet, with pinnately divided leaves and cobwebby stems. Europe to Siberia. A bold, striking perennial. Germinates in a week or two.
—Echinops sphaerocephalus Arctic Glow. (e,h) ECHN-22AG. Packet: $3.00
Large white balls of flowers on red stems, from June to August. Thistle-like hardy perennial to 32". The red stems are a striking contrast to the white flowers and green leaves, making an excellent cut flower. Choice! Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
ECHIUM (EK-ee-um)
BORAGINACEAE. Showy Mediterranean annuals & perennials, some spectacular giants. Easily grown in sunny, dry, poor, well-drained soil in warm areas and near the seacoast. They all attract bees, and one is lizard pollinated! Most germinate in 3 - 4 weeks.
—Echium fastuosum. (c,h) ECHM-4. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $7.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
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'PRIDE OF MADIERA'. Dramatic spikes of dark blue-purple 1/2" flowers with red stamens, in May & June. Shrub to 6 feet, with grey-green narrow leaves. Canary Islands. Hardy to about 5 - 10°F. Good in coastal California or the cool greenhouse.
NEW —Echium russicum. (50) ECHM-10. Packet: $2.50
Deep red 1/2" flowers with long-exserted stamens, in dense foot-long racemes. Bushy hardy biennial or short-lived perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with narrow, pointed, 4" silvery-fuzzy leaves. Europe & W. Asia. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks or so.
—Echium vulgare. (b,f-g) ECHM-12. Packet: $2.50 CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO MONTANA
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'VIPER'S BUGLOSS', 'BLUE-WEED'. Showy biennial with numerous flowers in curved spikes. The flowers open bright rose, then turn brilliant blue. June & July. Hardy biennial to 2 - 3 feet. Eurasia. An excellent bee-plant. Was used medicinally against poisons and venom, hence the name. "...really brings butterflies and bees to my garden."—T. Vogelsang. Germinates in 1 - 24 weeks.
—Echium Wildpretii. (c,h) ECHM-14. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 88% Tested: 8/09, 5 grams: $9.00, 10 grams: $15.00, 25 grams: $25.00, 100 grams: $80.00
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'TOWER OF JEWELS'. Rosy red flowers with long-exserted stamens, in huge tapered conical clusters up to a foot thick and 10 feet tall, creating a striking effect. Biennial with narrow downy leaves. Canary Islands. In cold climates hold over winter in a tub in the greenhouse, and plant out the second spring. A real traffic-stopper here in California. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks warm. Hybridizes with E. pininana, the giant blue-flowered species, so expect some variation from seed.
ELAEAGNUS (ee-lee-AG-nus)
ELAEAGNACEAE. Hardy North Hemisphere shrubs and trees valued for their foliage and edible and ornamental fruits. Good for wildlife plantings, and valuable habitat and food for wild birds.
—Elaeagnus umbellata (=crispa). (b,g) ELAE-15. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 52% Tested: 9/09, Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.50
'AUTUMN OLEASTER', 'AKI-GUMI'. Small fragrant flowers followed by bright red, juicy, edible 1/3" fruits in fall. Deciduous shrub or tree to 10 - 30 feet, with bright green, silvery-backed 2 - 4" leaves. Japan to the Himalayas. Zone 3. Bears in 6 years and produces abundant fruit, eaten fresh or dried, and made into preserves and pies. Germinates in 2 - 14 weeks warm and a prechill may help.
ELSHOLTZIA (el-SHOLT-zee-a)
LABIATAE. Eurasian & African plants, often aromatic. Easily grown late-blooming plants, valued for their dense spikes of flowers. Full sun.
—Elsholtzia Stauntonii. (b,h) ELSH-22. Packet: $3.00
Rosy purple flowers in dense 4 - 8" spikes in September and October. Aromatic shrubby perennial to 5 feet, with 5" leaves. N. China. Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
EMILIA (e-MEE-Iee-a)
COMPOSITAE. Easily grown tropical flowers.
NEW—Emilia sonchifolia 'Scarlet Magic'. (500) EMIL-76S. Packet: $2.50
'TASSEL-FLOWER', 'YIEH-HSIA-HUNG'. Brilliant orange-scarlet puff-like flowers in clusters from July to frost, held above a rosette of ferny leaves. Half-hardy annual to 2 feet. Tropical Africa. Easily grown in any garden soil, space 6". Good for cutting. Leaves eaten in the tropics. germinates in 1 week.
EMPETRUM (em-PET-rum)
EMPETRACEAE. Several species of low evergreen shrubs from cold regions. Good in the rock garden.
—Empetrum nigrum. (b,g) EMPE-8. Packet: $3.00
'MOSSBERRY', 'CROWBERRY'. Tiny pink to purplish 1/4" flowers, abundant in April to June, followed by glossy black-purple 1/4" edible berries. Low spreading heath-like shrub to 8 - 12", with tiny, needle-like 1/4" leaves, giving it a mossy look. N. America to Eurasia. Very hardy, Zone 3, often growing among rocks. Berries a favorite food, eaten in a variety of ways by northern peoples, from Eskimo to Icelander. Twigs brewed as tea. Germinates in 4 - 6 weeks warm with GA-3.
EPHEDRA (e-FED-ra)
EPHEDRACEAE. Nearly leafless shrubs with thin, broom-like branches. Most from warm, dry deserts. Gymnosperms with tiny cones. The only genus of the family. Germinates readily at 70°F. Belongs in every diversity-sampling collection.
NEW—Ephedra nevadensis. (d,h) EPHE-30. Packet: $2.50
'MORMON TEA', 'GREY JOINT-FIR'. Pale greyish or bluish-green needle-like branches. Low shrub to 6" to 3 feet tall. Deserts of Utah to California. Hardy to Zone 5 or 6. The Indians roasted, ground, and ate the seeds as mush. The twigs make a pleasant tea, popular with Indians & settlers. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
NEW—Ephedra viridis. (d,h) EPHE-46. Packet: $2.50
'GREEN MORMON TEA'. Vivid green needle-like branches on an upright shrub to 6 feet. Western U.S. Zone 6. Used medicinally by the Indians.
EPILOBIUM (e-pi-LOW-bee-um)
ONAGRACEAE. 'WILLOW HERB'. Showy hardy perennials with willow-like leaves and large spikes of deep pink, crimson, white or yellow flowers of striking beauty. At their best in moist places or at the waters edge, but are well adapted to the border, meadow and wild-garden. Easy from seed. Sow on the surface to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Epilobium angustifolium. (a,h) EPIL-4. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
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'GIANT WILLOWHERB', 'FIREWEED', 'ROSEBAY'. Large purple to rose 1 1/4" wide flowers in long showy spikes in July and August. Hardy perennial to 3 - 8 feet, with 6" willow-like leaves. N. Hemisphere. Good cut flower. The young shoots have been used as an asparagus. The leaves were formerly used as a tea substitute, but were said to be stupefying in excess. An ale was brewed from them in Kamchatka, with the addition of Fly Agarics. The pith of the stems was eaten by N. American Indians. The plant has many medicinal uses. "Our finest and most showy species."—Parsons.
ERAGROSTIS (er-a-GROS-tis)
GRAMINEAE. Widespread ornamental bunch-grasses. Easily grown in full sun. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Eragrostis trichodes. (100) ERAG-80. Packet: $2.50
'SAND LOVE GRASS' . Large bunch-grass with airy bronze-purple panicles to 4 feet. Central U.S.
EREMURUS (e-re-MOO-rus)
LILIACEAE. Spectacular hardy desert plants with tall flower stalks reaching 8 feet or more, often remaining in bloom' for more than a month, densely clothed for half their height with starry, white, pink or yellow blossoms. Dense rosettes of strap-like basal Thrives in rich, fibrous, well-drained soil. Hardy in the North if given a thick mulch, or covered with a rain-proof box in winter. Plenty of water when blooming, keep dry afterwards. Do not hoe around them, as they have shallow, octopus-like roots. Control weeds with thick paper when dormant. Sow seed in fall to germinate in February, seedlings die down in June & reappear in late autumn. After cold treatment, they germinate in 30 days, with some stragglers taking up to a year to come up.
NEW—Eremurus spectabilis. (d,v) EREM-38. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF STOCK
'DESERT CANDLE'. Pale yellow flowers with red-orange stamens, in large spikes to 3 feet tall, June and July. Hardy desert perennial with narrow grey-green, sword-shaped leaves. Central Asia. Zone 5. Young leaves and shoots eaten in Turkey. Germination may be prolonged.
ERIGERON (e-RI-ger-on)
COMPOSITAE. 'FLEABANE'. Hardy Aster-like plants with showy, fine-petaled flowers in early summer. They are easily grown in the border, rock- or wild-garden, and are good for naturalizing. If started early they will make a good show of bloom the first year. They stand some shade and are prized for cutting. Sow in late fall or early spring. Germinates in 11 - 30 days, some up to 100 days at cool temperatures.
—Erigeron Karvinskianus Profusion. (b,h) ERIG-44P. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
'SANTA BARBARA DAISY'. Small 1/2 - 3/4" white daisies tinged pink, borne abundantly all summer on a graceful trailing tender perennial to 8 - 12", with inch-long leaves. México to Venezuela. Good in hanging baskets, or trailing over a bank or wall. Drought tolerant. About Zone 7. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
ERODIUM (er-O-dee-um)
GERANIACEAE. Annuals and perennials with geranium-like flowers. Best in dry, rocky, sunny spots.
NEW—Erodium Manescavii. (e,g) EROD-28. Packet: $3.00
Large purple-red 1" flowers on 12" stems, June to September. Hardy perennial with rosettes of emerald-green, finely divided 12" leaves. Pyrenees. Prechill seed 4 - 6 weeks.
ERYNGIUM (e-RIN-jee-um)
UMBELLIFERAE. Attractive border & rock garden plants. Some 230 species, nearly worldwide. Somewhat thistle-like perennials valued for cut flowers & for drying. Best in full sun and light rich soil. Most germinate readily at cool temperatures, and some need cold.
NEW —Eryngium alpinum superbum. (d,h) ERYN-2. Packet: $2.50
Large dark blue thistle-like flowers in clusters in July and August, on a hardy perennial to 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 feet, with large, heart-shaped basal leaves. Mountains of Europe. Not prickly. Zone 5. Prechill seed.
—Eryngium giganteum. (d,h) ERYN-9. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $13.00
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'GIANT SEA-HOLLY'. Silvery green to pale blue 4" long flower-heads with striking ivory white boldly toothed bracts. July to August. Hardy perennial to 6 feet, with triangular to heart-shaped leaves. Caucasus. Good, stunning, long-lasting cut flowers, which also dry well. Monocarpic; cut flowers to extend bloom. Sow in late fall, space 2 feet apart. Prechill 6 - 8 weeks to germinate in 3 - 7 months.
—Eryngium maritimum. (e,f) ERYN-13. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF STOCK
'SEA HOLLY'. Silvery-grey 4" holly-like foliage and blue-green thistle-like 1" flowerheads from June to October. Hardy perennial to 16". Seacoasts of Europe. Good by the sea and in deep well-drained rocky or sandy soil. The young shoots have been eaten like asparagus, and the roots were candied and eaten as an aphrodisiac. Boiled they are said to taste like chestnuts, and be very restorative and nourishing for elderly people. Medicinal. Give 8 weeks cold to germinate in 3 - 4 weeks.
"The two most common things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity."—H. Ellison.
ERYTHRINA (er-ith-REE-na)
LEGUMINOSAE. Over 100 species of tropical trees & a few herbs. A complex group, displaying reticulate evolution. Most bird-pollinated, with interesting adaptations of the nectar nutrients to the needs of the bird species, and dry-season flowering providing a water source for birds and squirrels. Extrafloral nectaries may attract guard-ant species.
Cultivated for ornament and many uses. Shiny red or orange flowers and many have bright seeds used as beads & in games, mostly toxic, but some eaten. Easily grown in warm climates or in the greenhouse. Nick & soak seed, to germinate in 10 - 20 days or so at warm temperatures. The seeds may float long distances in the sea. Many contain poisonous curare-like alkaloids used in medicine.
—Erythrina Corallodendrum. (5,h) ERYT-4. Packet: $3.00
50 seed: $10.00, 100 seed: $16.00
'CORAL TREE', 'IMMORTEL'. Deep red 2" long flowers in 4 - 12" racemes, followed by 4" pods filled with bright scarlet seeds. Tree to 25 feet with trifoliate leaves, sometimes spiny. West Indies. Bark and seeds medicinal and poisonous.
—Erythrina falcata. (10,h) ERYT-8. Packet: $3.00
Deep red sickle-shaped flowers in drooping spikes at the branch-tips in late winter and early spring. Tree to 30 - 40 feet, with attractive foliage. South America. Zone 9. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Erythrina vespertilio. (5,h) ERYT-34. Packet: $3.00
'BAT-WING CORAL TREE'. The leaflets have two long outer lobes, resembling a flying bat. Small tree with red flowers. Nice! Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.