CRUCIFERAE. Showy herbaceous plants grown for their umbel-like flower clusters. Good for bedding, borders, window boxes, etc., doing well in ordinary soil. Good for cutting. Do not over-fertilize, especially avoid excess nitrogen. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks, and the annuals bloom in a short time.
—Iberis gibraltarica. (b,h) IBER-5. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 10/07, 5 grams: $8.00, 10 grams: $12.00
'GIBRALTAR CANDYTUFT'. Produces a profusion of lilac or violet-rose flowers in early summer. Hardy evergreen perennial to 12". Spain, Morocco. Good in the rock garden. "Considered by some the most striking and showy of the perennial kinds." —L.H. Bailey. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
IBICELLA (i-bi-SELL-a)
MARTYNIACEAE. Two species of Unicorn-plant-like annuals, grown for the attractive foliage, flowers & peculiar pods. Easy in warm sunny spots. Germinates irregularly up to 8 weeks or so.
NEW—Ibicella lutea. (d,v) IBIC-4. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
'YELLOW UNICORN PLANT'. Bright yellow, flared, trumpet-like inch-long flowers, deeper yellow or orange inside, sometimes spotted red, in dense clusters held above the leaves. Hardy spreading annual to 1 foot tall, with round leaves 4 - 12" across. Peculiar 2" pods with long, curved 4" horns. S. America. The ripe pods are useful in dried arrangements, an interesting change from the regular type (Proboscidea). The young pods have been eaten pickled. Germinates best if the black seedcoat is peeled off.
ILIAMNA (il-ee-AM-na)
MALVACEAE. North American perennials and sub-shrubs with mallow-like flowers.
—Iliamna rivularis. (b,g) ILIA-16. Packet: $2.00
Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $15.00
'MOUNTAIN HOLLYHOCK'. Pink hollyhock-like flowers with darker centers, in tall spikes in June to September. Hardy perennial to 4 feet, with large 4 - 8" lobed leaves. B.C. to Arizona. Zone 3. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 12 weeks.
IMPATIENS (im-PAY-shenz)
BALSAMINACEAE. A huge, widely-distributed genus of some 850 species, the garden kinds with showy flowers. Noted for the explosive pods, which eject the ripe seeds at a touch.
Impatiens Balsamina Varieties:
'GARDEN BALSAM'. The popular annual to 1 - 2 feet, grown for its showy single or double flowers in a wide variety of colors - white, pink, red, lilac or yellow, either solid or spotted. Good for bedding. Easy from seed sown in spring to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks. Space 18". Any sandy garden soil, in light shade in hot areas, and give plenty of water. Tropical Asia. Cultivated since 1596.
—Impatiens Tom Thumb (Double Bush) Mixed. (b,h) IMPA-2TX. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 93% Tested: 9/07, 131/g, 25 grams: $7.00
Compact plants to 16". Good color range.
INDIGOFERA (in-di-GO-fer-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Pretty ornamental plants for the border, shrubbery and greenhouse. Some 700 species of perennials and shrubs with often showy spikes of flowers. Easy from seed; start early in the North. Some may have hard-shelled seed.
—Indigofera australis. (b,h) INDI-2. Packet: $2.00
'AUSTRAL INDIGO'. Flowers range from red to pink, magenta, lilac, purple, and even blue. Variable shub to 2 - 8 feet, with bluish-green feathery foliage. Australia. Nice in pots in California or the cool greenhouse. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Indigofera Gerardiana. (c,h) INDI-10. Packet: $2.00
Rosy purple 1/2" long flowers in racemes, abundantly produced from May to July. Attractive graceful shrub to 6 feet, with elegant pinnate foliage. Himalayas. Zone 7. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Indigofera tinctoria. (d,g) INDI-23. Packet: $2.50
'TRUE INDIGO'. Reddish yellow flowers in racemes, pinnate leaves. Shrub to 2 - 6 feet, with silvery branches. Tropics. Indigo dye is produced by fermenting the herbage in water for 12 - 16 hours, straining the liquid, and agitating it for 2 - 3 hours, and the indigo settles out as a bluish mud. It is a permanent blue dye. Used by the early Egyptians. Considered sacred by many African tribes, the dye being a gift from the sky deities. Yields about 500 pounds indigo paste per acre. Cut 2 - 4 times the first year. Many medicinal uses. Soak seed, nick unswollen ones, germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
INULA (IN-yu-la)
COMPOSITAE. Showy Eastern Hemisphere perennials with daisy-like flowers and large basal leaves. Mostly hardy and easily grown. Best in full sun and does well in most soils.
—Inula Helenium. (b,h) INUL-9. Packet: $2.00 ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Oz: $10.00
'ELECAMPANE'. Large yellow 4" wide flowers on a robust hardy perennial to 6 feet, with leaves up to 2 feet long. Europe. A valuable medicinal herb; rich in inulin. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Inula magnifica. (c,h) INUL-15. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/07, 5 grams: $8.00, 10 grams: $12.00
Spectacular 6" yellow orange flowers on foot-long stalks. Hardy perennial to 4 feet. Caucasus. A fine plant. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks, improved by a prechill.
IPOMOEA (i-po-MEE-a)
CONVOLVULACEAE. 'MORNING GLORY'. Showy vines, trailers, shrubs and trees, valued for their beautiful flowers. Most are quickly and easily grown, liking full sun and good soil & water, but many thrive under adverse conditions. often blooming quicker and more abundantly under poor conditions. Many of the tender perennials are grown as annuals, but the tubers may be over-wintered like Dahlias. Soak seed a few hours and any that do not swell should be lightly nicked. Germinates in 5 - 14 days, some up to 40 days. Seed long lived, some 50 years.
—Ipomoea alba: see Calonyction aculeatum.
—Ipomoea hederacea. (e,h) IPOM-32. Packet: $2.00
'IVY-LEAF MORNING GLORY'. Blue to pale purple 1 1/2 - 2" flowers, solitary or clustered. Showy hardy annual to 3 - 13 feet, with three-lobed leaves. Tropical America. An old fashioned garden flower, formerly much grown, with many varieties.
—Ipomoea leptophylla. (10,h) IPOM-48. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 60% Tested: 10/07, 1/4 Oz $18.00
'BUSH or TUMBLEWEED MORNING GLORY', 'MAN-OF-THE-EARTH'. Wine colored 3" flowers. Hardy perennial with bushy, upright stems to 4 feet. Narrow 5" leaves. Plains states. The enormous tuberous root, reaching the size and shape of a man's body, has been roasted and eaten as a famine food by plains Indians. Usually football sized, with tap root reaching water or bedrock. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Ipomoea lobata: See Mina Lobata
—Ipomoea magnusiana. (c,h) IPOM-50. Packet: $2.50
Dainty white 3/4" trumpets with a rosy-purple stigma. Vigorous vine with fuzzy stem and leaves. Rarely-seen South African species. Nick seed.
—Ipomoea Muelleri. (e,h) IPOM-52. Packet: $2.50
Violet 1 1/2" bell-shaped flowers in a slender twiner to 7 feet, with heart shaped leaves. An odd species from Central and tropical Australia. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Ipomoea Nil Wine and Roses. (d,h) IPOM-56WR. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 70% Tested: 12/07, Oz: $8.00 (about 600 seed), 1/4 lb: $20.00
Violet flowers with a white throat. Hardy annual vine to 10 feet, with heart-shaped leaves. Profuse bloomer from France. Nick & soak seed to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Ipomoea noctiflora: see Calonyction aculeatum.
—Ipomoea purpurea Grandpa Ott's. (d,h) IPOM-64GO. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 9/07, Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
Beautiful deep purple flowers with a red star in the throat. Hardy annual to 15 feet, with heart-shaped leaves. This is the famous plant that triggered the creation of the Seed Saver's Exchange, when given to Kent Whealy by his wife Diane's grandfather, Baptist John Ott. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Ipomoea purpurea Kniola's Purple-Black. (c,h) IPOM-64B. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 12/07, 5 grams: $6.00
Stunning deep velvety purple-black 2 inch wide flowers, with a rosy throat and a white eye. Unique. Absolutely the deepest, darkest morning glory we have ever seen, they actually appear black when they first open in the morning light. Discovered by Mr. Kniola on an abandoned Indiana farm. Pronounced ka-NO-la. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. "The most beautiful Ipomoea I ever saw." —M.L., Israel. Our seed is the true strain, grown for us by Mr. Kniola.
—Ipomoea Quamoclit: see Quamoclit pennata.
—Ipomoea species Cameo Elegance. (10,h) IPOM-SCE. Packet: $2.00
Elegant variegated three-lobed foliage. Vivid rosy red flowers with white throats. Annual vine to 6 feet.
—Ipomoea species China. (10,h) IPOM-SC. Packet: $2.50
Purple flowers on a fuzzy annual with palmate leaves. China. Nick seed to germinate in a week.
—Ipomoea species Transvaal. (10,h) IPOM-ST. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 10/07, Gram: $5.00, 5 grams: $20.00, 10 grams: $30.00
An unidentified vining species from Transvaal, South Africa, with lavender 1 1/2" blooms and digitately divided leaves. The most peculiar aspect is the bright orange fuzzy seeds. Nick & soak, to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
Ipomoea tricolor Varieties: (= I. violacea)
Showy twining vines to 10 - 20 feet or more, with heart-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped flowers to 5 - 6" across. México. Tender perennial grown as an annual. Easily grown in any garden, but prefers a light, rich, sandy soil and a sheltered sunny spot. Pot-bound plants give a good display. Excellent pot plant in the greenhouse or sunny window. Soak seed, nick hard ones (about half), germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
"One of the most beautiful of annual climbers." —L.H. Bailey.
—Ipomoea tricolor Flying Saucers. (c,h) IPOM-1FS. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 9/07, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00, Pound: $30.00
White flowers with narrow blue stripes. An unusual old variety, almost lost. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Note: The past few years we have been receiving this from the grower, the seed has been a light-seeded variety. This season, the seed received as Flying Saucers (from the same grower) is the typical dark-seeded form. On checking our records, historical data, and our archived seed samples from the 1970s and 80s, we find that originally Flying Saucers was dark-seeded, and the only light-seeded type we had was Blue Star. We haven't grown this out, and would like to hear from anyone who grew out last season's light-seeded lot, and from anyone who grows out this year's dark seeded lot. We will trial them both ourselves, but if anyone has photos of last season's flowers, we would like to hear from you.
We now have a report from a grower who has grown this variety both in the 1970s from the light-seeded form, and in the 1990s from the dark-seeded form. He states that the flowers are the same, but the dark-seeded form has rosy tints in the stem.
—Ipomoea tricolor Heavenly Blue. (b,h) IPOM-1H. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 79% Tested: 12/07
Oz: $5.00
1/4 lb: $9.00
Pound: $18.00
Five pounds: $75.00
Ten pounds: $140.00
'Clark's Earliest Heavenly Blue'. Pure sky blue shading to golden yellow in the throat. An old favorite, popular in rural areas for planting along roadside fences. Five pounds will plant a mile—a stupendous sight. A blend of Scarlet O'Hara, Pearly Gates and Heavenly Blue makes a patriotic red, white & blue display, a rural American tradition.
IRIS (EYE-ris)
IRIDACEAE. Popular showy perennials from rhizomes or bulb-like roots, and with interestingly-formed flowers in a wide array of colors and markings. Most are easily grown from seed, though some kinds take a while to germinate. They are very satisfying to start from seed - the sight of the tiny plants always makes me smile, as they are very appealing.
NEW—Iris aphylla. (e,h) IRIS-8. Packet: $2.50 Click for photo »
Deep violet 3 - 4" flowers with a blue beard, on 12 - 16" stems in spring. Sword-like, curved, glaucous green leaves which wither in fall. E. Europe to W. Russia. Rare. Floriferous and easy to grow. Blooms in May, with a distinct scent of grape soda. Give seed 3 - 4 months cold, plant in pots, and seedlings will appear after first frosts in fall. Some germination occurs in 1 month warm.
—Iris chrysographes. (10,v) IRIS-42. Packet: $3.00
'GOLDVEIN' or 'BLACK IRIS'. Deep velvety purple violet flowers, almost black, with variable gold veining. Hardy rhizomatous perennial to 1 1/2 feet, with 1/2" wide leaves. China. Choice! Give seed 6 - 12 weeks cold to germinate in 1 - 3 months.
—Iris ensata Purple Blue. (10,h) IRIS-68. Packet: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
'JAPANESE WATER IRIS'. Deep purple-blue flowers with white and yellow centers. For pondside. Give 8 weeks cold to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Iris flavissima. (10,h) IRIS-72. Packet: $3.00 Click for photo »
Nice bright yellow 1 1/2" flowers with orange beards, on low 6" stems in May. Sword-shaped 4" leaves. Hungary to NE Asia. "A charming, small, fine-textured jewel of a plant." —Jelitto & Schacht. Germinates in 2 weeks and up, with stragglers.
—Iris Pseudacorus. (d,h) IRIS-180. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $20.00
CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO MONTANA.
'YELLOW FLAG' , 'WATER FLAG'. Bright yellow 4" flowers with brown or purple veins on the falls, May to July. Hardy perennial to 3 - 7 feet, forming fine large clumps. W. Eurasia. Best at water's edge, but fine in moist soil. Naturalizes well. Possibly the original 'fler-de-lis'. Roots and seeds medicinal, and the flowers yield a yellow dye. Germinates in 1 - 4 months, best if soaked and peeled.
—Iris sibirica Mixed. (b,h) IRIS-191X. Packet: $2.00
1/2 Oz: $8.00 (about 1200 seed), Oz: $12.00
A nice mix of blue, purple, white and red. Germinates in 1 - 4 months warm, prechill may help.
"All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy." —Paracelsus (1493 - 1541)
JABOROSA (ha-bor-O-sa)
SOLANACEAE. South American perennial herbs with bell-shaped or tubular flowers & basal leaves. Some contain medicinally-interesting withanolides.
—Jaborosa sativa. (=Trechonaetes sativa) (d,h) JABO-22. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
Very unusual hardy herbaceous evergreen scrambler with clustered small flowers followed by flat green 3/4" berries. Odd wavy-edged leaves. South America. Said to smell like "dog-doo", & the flowers may be pollinated by slugs and snails. Weird! For the truly adventurous. A 'must-have' item! Use GA-3 to give high germination in 2 - 4 weeks.
JACARANDA (ja-ka-RAN-da or ha-ka-RAN-da)
BIGNONIACEAE. Showy warm-region trees grown for their abundant tubular flowers & usually ferny foliage. Good street and yard trees in California & the South. Good greenhouse or houseplants in the North. Best in well-drained soil & full sun. Seed germinates in 1 - 5 weeks at warm temperatures.
—Jacaranda mimosifolia. (d,h) JACA-16. Packet: $2.00
Click for photo »
'JACARANDA'. Beautiful deep violet blue 2" foxglove-shaped fragrant flowers in 8" clusters of 40 - 90 blooms, abundantly produced sometimes twice a year, carpeting the ground beneath. Spreading, open-headed tree to 50 feet, with deep green, feathery bipinnate mimosa-like leaves. Brazil, Argentina. Both the fresh foliage and the flat round dried pods are valued in arranging. Good for tropical foliage effect in borders in the North, or as a tub plant for a sunny indoor corner. The wood is fragrant and called 'Green Ebony', and has been used in dyeing. "Ranks among the best flowering trees or shrubs for sub-tropical regions." —L. H. Bailey.
JASIONE (ja-see-O-nee)
CAMPANULACEAE. Eurasian annuals and perennials with blue flowers in dense heads. Best in full sun.
NEW—Jasione laevis Blue Light. (b,h) JASI-15B. Packet: $2.00
'SHEPHERD'S SCABIOUS'. Vivid clear blue flowers in 1 - 2" wide heads, on long stalks above a dense tuft of narrow 4" leaves. Hardy perennial to 8 - 20". S. Europe. Zone 5. Blooms freely in July and August. Good for cutting. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
JOVIBARBA (jo-vi-BARB-a)
CRASSULACEAE. Hardy perennial rosette-forming succulents much like Sempervivum, with small bell-shaped flowers.
—Jovibarba Heuffelii ssp. Heuffelii. (c,f) JOVI-12. Packet: $3.00 Click for photo »
Purple-green 6" wide rosettes of succulent leaves. Pale yellow-white 1/2" flowers in dense clusters on 4 - 8" stems in summer. Very hardy perennial succulent from a thick caudex, dividing with age. Macedonia to Transylvania. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
JUNIPERUS (ju-NIP-er-us)
CUPRESSACEAE. 'JUNIPER' Valuable attractive evergreens with scale-like or needle-like leaves, ranging from tall trees to trailing shrubs. Tough, drought resistant and adaptable to a wide range of climates from the arctic to the sub-tropics. The low kinds are good ground cover on banks and in the rock garden. Good hedge & windbreak material. They produce valuable close-grained aromatic wood, some yield aromatic oil for medicine and flavoring and some have edible fruits. Untreated seed may germinate the second or third year. Most kinds benefit from 30 - 120 days cold treatment, followed by germination in 20 - 60 days or more. Cool temperatures best; avoid warmth. Plant in sandy soil and hold pots over several years. Seed long-lived; lots have given 51% when 21 years old, and 17% at 45 years old. They require patience but are very rewarding and satisfying to grow from seed.
—Juniperus pachyphloea. (c,v) JUNI-24. Packet: $2.00
'ALLIGATOR JUNIPER', 'SWEET-FRUITED JUNIPER'. To 10 - 60 feet, with blue-green foliage and checkered bark. Texas, México. The brown 1/2" berries are sweet and edible. Hardy in the South. Germinates in 30 - 40 days without cold treatment, but percentage is improved by 30 - 60 days cold.
—Juniperus virginiana. (b,g) JUNI-48. Packet: $2.00
'EASTERN RED CEDAR', 'PENCIL CEDAR'. Tree to 30 - 100 feet, with needle-like foliage and 1/4" blue-black berries. Maine to Florida. The fragrant, insect-repellent wood is used for cedar chests & pencils, the volatile oil for scenting soaps & in perfumery. Give 30 - 120 days cold treatment to germinate in 20 - 70 days.
KALLSTROEMIA (kal-STREE-mee-a)
ZYGOPHYLLACEAE. Trailing annuals and perennials of warm regions of the Americas. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Kallstroemia grandiflora. (b,l) KALL-10. Packet: $2.00
'ARIZONA POPPY'. Yellow-orange poppy-like flowers up to 2 1/2" across. Spreading plant to 2 - 3 feet tall, with pinnate leaves. SW deserts. Striking in bloom.
KENNEDIA (KE-ne-DEE-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy Australian vines & shrubs. Good in the greenhouse, California & the South. Nick and soak seed to germinate in 2 - 5 weeks. Smoke treatment may help germination.
—Kennedia nigricans. (d,h) KENN-18. Packet: $2.00
'TIGER-SNAKE VINE'. Dark purple-black flowers blotched green on the standard. Robust evergreen twiner with broad trifoliate 1eaves and flattened pods. Australia. Unusual & attractive.
KNIPHOFIA (nip-HOH-fee-a)
LILIACEAE. 'TORCH LILY', 'RED-HOT-POKER'. Showy perennials from thick roots. Red and yellow tubular flowers in dense spikes. Some of the most striking fall flowering plants. Clumps of grass-like leaves. Hardy to Zone 6; in severe climates, dig roots. Likes well-drained sunny spots. Easy from seed, germinates in 2 - 3 weeks. Started early indoors they may bloom the first season.
NEW—Kniphofia linearifolia. (d,f) KNIP-15. Packet: $2.00
Dense spikes of tubular, nodding, orange 1 1/2" flowers. Robust evergreen perennial to 4 feet, with narrow, deep green leaves. S. Africa. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Kniphofia Uvaria Royal Castle O. P. Hybrids. (b,h) KNIP-24R. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 86% Tested: 9/07, 379/g, 10 grams: $6.00, 25 grams: $9.00
Flowers in red, orange and yellow shades in dense 10" spikes. To 2 - 5 feet. South Africa. This is a fine European strain. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
KOELREUTERIA (kel-ROO-ter-EE-a)
SAPINDACEAE. 'GOLDEN RAIN TREE'. Ornamental trees of China & Japan, valued for their yellow summer bloom and decorative, colorful, clustered pods. They are good lawn and street trees for full sun. Easy from seed which needs nicking, and will germinate in 2 - 4 weeks, or sow un-nicked seed in fall. Seed half-life about 10 years.
—Koelreuteria paniculata. (c,h) KOEL-6. Packet: $1.50 Click for photo »
Germination: 40% + dormant Tested: 12/07, Oz: $6.00
'GOLDEN RAIN TREE'. Yellow 1/2" flowers in 1 1/2 foot long panicles in July and August, followed by curious inflated 2" pods resembling little lanterns, which change from green to red to brown. China, Japan. Hardy to Zone 5 or 6. Ideal from Kansas to Massachusetts, standing drought and heat well. The roasted fruit and leaves are said to have been eaten by the Chinese. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.