IRIDACEAE. Southern hemisphere perennials related to Sisyrhinchium, with iris-like leaves and white flowers. Good in moist areas in mild climates.
NEW—Libertia ixioides. (d,g) LIBE-20. Packet: $3.00
'NEW ZEALAND IRIS', 'TUKAUKI'. Small white flowers in clusters, May to September. Grassy, iris-like leaves with a light band. Semi-hardy perennial to 20". New Zealand. Zone 7. Makes nice colonies. Germinates irregularly over a long period. Surface sow for light, move to cool or cold after a few months for more sprouts.
LIGULARIA (lig-u-LAR-ee-a)
COMPOSITAE. Showy Eurasian hardy perennials grown for their bold foliage and bright summer flowers. Easily grown in moist soil and full sun or part shade. Germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks.
—Ligularia dentata (=clivorum). (e,h) LIGU-7. Packet: $2.50
Showy orange gold daisy-like 2 - 5" wide flowers in clusters in August, held above the large, rhubarb-like, foot-wide leaves. Hardy perennial to 4 - 5 feet. China, Japan. Good ground cover for shade.
—Ligularia dentata Dark Beauty. (e,h) LIGU-7D. Packet: $3.00
Large dark leaved form. Vivid light orange 2 - 5" flowers in spikes, and dark, rhubarb-like leaves. Hardy perennial to 3 feet. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
NEW—Ligularia sibirica. (d,h) LIGU-22. Packet: $3.50
Abundant 1 - 2" clear yellow daisy-like flowers in tall spike-like clusters in June and July, on contrasting dark stems. Hardy perennial to 5 feet, with large basal 12" triangular-kidney-shaped leaves, often tinged purple. Eurasia. Zone 3.
LILIUM (LI-lee-um)
LILIACEAE. 'LILY'. Noble flowers, unequalled in their beauty, grace, and magnificence. Native to widely varying conditions, most are easily grown in a light or sandy soil, and only a few species have strict requirements. Most dislike lime, and like good drainage. They do best if mulched heavily in cold climates. Growing lilies from seed is a rewarding undertaking, and are easy if the correct germination method is followed. Most will bloom in 3 - 4 years. Seed viable 2 years; 5 years if kept very dry.
—Lilium amabile var. luteum. (d,h) LILY-2L. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 85% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $8.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
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Light yellow orange downward-facing 3" flowers with black spots, on stems to 3 1/2 feet. Korea. Hardy to at least Zone 4. The flower buds and bulbs are cooked and eaten in Korea. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Lilium concolor var. strictum. (d,h) LILY-24S. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, Gram: $15.00
'MORNING STAR LILY' Glossy vermilion red star-shaped 2" upright flowers in clusters of up to 10, in June and July. To 2 - 3 feet, with purplish stems. China. Does not reproduce vegetatively, so seed is the only method of increase. Germinates in 3 - 12 weeks at cool temperatures. Bulbs & young leaves have been eaten.
—Lilium Martagon Wild Form. (d,g) LILY-59W. Packet: $2.50
'WILD TURK'S CAP LILY'. Purple-red 1 1/2" flowers in long, purple-stemmed racemes to 2 1/2 feet. Eurasia. The true wild form, grown from wild-collected seed in Europe. The bulbs were once eaten along the Volga. Sow April to June: root germinates in 3 - 8 weeks with leaf growth the next spring. Give seed GA-3 at 1000ppm and you will get 25 - 50% giving a leaf the first year. Blooms the 6th year.
—Lilium philippinense. (c,g) LILY-84. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 64% Tested: 9/09, Gram: $7.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Large fragrant 10" funnel-shaped flowers in July. To 3 feet. Philippines. Germinates readily in 3 - 6 weeks at warm temps, grows & blooms quickly.
—Lilium pumilum. (d,h) LILY-85. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Gram: $10.00 OUT OF STOCK
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'CORAL LILY'. Fragrant bright scarlet 2" flowers with reflexed petals, in racemes of up to 20, on stems to 1 1/2 feet. Siberia & E. China. Germinates in 2 - 5 weeks. Bulbs edible. "Another beautiful meadow lily, always first of our species to bloom."—Bertrand.
—Lilium regale, (d,h) LILY-95. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 7/09, 5 grams: $20.00, 10 grams: $36.00, 100 grams: $170.00
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'ROYAL or REGAL LILY'. Large fragrant trumpet shaped 6" white flowers with canary-yellow throat, and flushed lilac to purple outside. One to 7 per plant, in July to August. To 2 - 6 feet tall. W. China. Germinates in 2 - 11 weeks without pretreatment. "Have had them bloom in 18 months from seed started in late December."—Bertrand. "Deliciously fragrant... One of the most beautiful of all known lilies, the exquisite blending of tints and colors forming a charming contrast with the rich, deep green foliage. Highly recommended... hardy, strong growing and permanent as far North as Boston."—J. H. Tilton.
—Lilium Asiatic Lily OP Hybrids. (d,h) LILY-AH. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 60% Tested: 8/09, 5 grams: $20.00, 10 grams: $30.00
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A fine range from orange, yellow to cream, with many bicolors, hand selected from plants with high bud counts, prominent brush-marks, and upright to outward-facing blooms, with a few pendant types. Many of the parents were named cultivars. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm, a few up to 4 months.
NEW—Lilium Finest Trumpet & Aurelian O.P. Hybrids Mixed. (25) LILY-TA. Packet: $2.50 Click for photo »
Germination: 80% Tested: 6/09, Gram: $7.50, 10 grams: $38.00
Saved from a large collection grown from the best work of lily hybridizers Kroell and Griesbach. Open sunburst Aurelians to 6 - 8" across and Trumpets to 8" long, all in pastel shades of white, peach, melon, lemon and lime, with scents ranging from sweet and subtle, to strong and overpowering. Good landscaping lilies as they bloom in late summer after the Asiatics stop. Most are 4 - 6 feet tall, but some are dwarf to 2 feet. Germinates readily in 2 - 8 weeks. "A can't-miss steal."—Bertrand.
LIMNANTHES (lim-NAN-theez)
LIMNANTHACEAE. Small, delicate Western North American annuals from moist areas. Easily grown and showy.
—Limnanthes Douglasii. (b,h) LIMN-1. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $10.00
'MEADOWFOAM'. Showy, fragrant, inch-wide flowers with yellow centers. Hardy annual to 12", with finely divided, lacy, yellow-green foliage. California to Oregon. Good bee plant, blooming quickly from seed, and covering the ground with masses of its sweetly-scented flowers. "This is a beautiful little plant and one of the most free-flowering annuals in cultivation."—Booth. Germinates in a week.
LIMONIUM (li-MO-nee-um)
PLUMBAGINACEAE. Perennials with showy sprays of flowers held over basal leaves. Worldwide, and many are seaside plants standing salty soil. Tough, adaptable plants. Excellent for dried flowers.
Limonium sinuatum Varieties: 'Statice'
A popular and well known perennial or biennial, best grown as a hardy annual. To 2 - 3 feet. They form low rosettes of pinnately divided lyrate 8" leaves, the angular, winged flower stem rising from the center. They are excellent for cut flowers & may be dried for everlastings. Best in full sun in deep sandy loam. Sow indoors for early crop, or outdoors in April. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks. Space 1 1/2 - 2 feet apart. Introduced into cultivation in 1629.
We offer clean (rubbed) seed only of these varieties. You will appreciate their superiority in ease of sowing and quickness and evenness of germination.
—Limonium sinuatum Apricot Rose. (c,h) LIMO-32A. Packet: $2.50
Chamois rose flowers. To 2 feet.
—Limonium sinuatum Midnight Blue. (c,h) LIMO-32M. Packet: $2.50
Dark blue flowers. To 3 feet.
—Limonium sinuatum Pacific Mixed. (c,h) LIMO-32X. Packet: $2.50
An excellent formula blend.
LINARIA (li-NAR-ee-a)
SCROPHULARICEAE. Easily grown annuals and perennials with snapdragon-like flowers in many colors. Good for cutting. Full sun to part shade, making the best display planted in masses.
—Linaria maroccana Northern Lights. (a!!,h) LINA-22N. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
A fine mixture of bright 1/2" flowers in more red shades than 'Fairy Bouquet', and also taller, reaching 2 feet tall. Good for cutting. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Linaria purpurea Canon J. Went. (a,h) LINA-30C. Packet: $2.50
Clear rose-pink 1/3" flowers in long spikes in July to October. Hardy perennial to 2 1/2 feet, with narrow leaves. S. Europe. The flowers last well in water. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Linaria reticulata Flamenco. (a!,h) LINA-36F. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $7.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Brilliant deep red and yellow bicolored spurred flowers in late spring to summer. Hardy annual to 1 foot or so, with narrow grassy leaves. N. Africa, Portugal. Very free flowering when sown direct. Germinates in a week. "I love these. I haven't been able to save enough seed... They are like little jewels here and there among the bigger plants."—Sharon Flower, Maine, 5/2005.
—Linaria vulgaris. (a!,f) LINA-48. Packet: $2.50 CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO MONTANA
'BRIDEWEED', 'BUTTER & EGGS'. Large yellow 1 1/4" flowers with an orange beard and long spurs. Hardy perennial to 1 - 3 feet, with long, very narrow leaves. Eurasia, N. America. Good in dry sandy soil. The flowers yield a yellow dye. The herb, boiled in milk, was used as a fly poison, attracting and killing them. Medicinal, acting on the liver. Germinates in 1 - 24 weeks.
"The junk way to more junk."—W. Burroughs.
LINUM (LI-num or LYE-num)
LINACEAE. Annuals, perennials, and shrubs, with attractive five-petaled flowers in various colors. Easily grown in full sun, the perennials often blooming the first season. Most soils, good to naturalize. All germinate in 1 - 3 weeks unless noted.
—Linum flavum. (b,h) LINM-14. Packet: $2.50
'GOLDEN FLAX'. Large bright clear yellow inch wide flowers borne profusely in summer. Hardy perennial to 1 foot. Europe. Germinates in 1 - 8 weeks.
NEW—Lilium grandiflorum 'Charmer Mix'. (50) LINM-16C. Packet: $2.50
Inch-wide cup-shaped flowers in a brilliant mix of red, rosy, salmon, and white, each with a large dark eye. Easily grown hardy annual to 18", blooming over a long period. Nice! Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Linum grandiflorum rubrum. (a,h) LINM-16. Packet $2.00
Germination: 96% Tested: 9/09, Oz: $6.00
'SCARLET FLAX'. Brilliant scarlet inch-wide flowers with a silky sheen, blooming all summer till frost. Hardy annual to 14", with narrow leaves. N. Africa. Easily grown, producing a nice effect in masses. Self sows but not weedy. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Linum perenne (=sibirica). (a,h) LINM-26. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 11/09, 10 grams: $8.00
'PERENNIAL FLAX'. Profuse pale blue inch-wide flowers in gracefully arching clusters from May to August. Hardy perennial to 2 feet. Europe. Zone 4. A beautiful, self-sowing border plant.
NEW—Linum perenne var. album. (a,h) LINM-26A. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $8.00
'WHITE PERENNIAL FLAX'. The beautiful white-flowered form.
—Linum usitatissimum. (a!,h) LINM-39. Packet: $1.00 OUT OF STOCK
Germination: 84% Tested: 9/08, lb: $4.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK
'COMMON FLAX', 'LINSEED'. Beautiful slender annual with brilliant sky-blue 1/2" flowers on graceful stems, June to August, followed by attractive round pods. To 2 - 5 feet. Eurasia. Easily grown and especially good sown thickly in masses in any unused area. An ancient plant, long grown for fiber and oil. Linen cloth has been found in Egyptian tombs, and it is mentioned in the bible, by Homer, Pliny and others. The seeds are expressed to produce linseed oil, were roasted and eaten by Africans, and are added to breads, etc. to this day. Used medicinally in many ways. Separate fiber and oil types exist.
LIPPIA (LIP-ee-a)
VERBENACEAE. Tropical African and American herbs, shrubs, and trees, with small tubular flowers in spikes. Some are popular aromatic herbs.
—Lippia dulcis. (=Phyla scaberrima) (b,g) LIPP-32. Packet: $3.00
'YERBA DULCE', 'AZTEC SWEET HERB', 'OROZUZ'. Tiny white flowers in daisy-like 1/2" heads. Small shrub to 1 - 2 feet, with 2" leaves. México. The leaves are intensely sweet when chewed, and are used as seasoning or tea. Roots licorice-flavored. "Much easier to grow than Stevia as it tolerates heat."—Baber. Germinates in 2 - 12 weeks.
LIQUIDAMBAR (lik-wid-AM-bar)
HAMAMELIDACEAE. 'SWEET GUM'. Highly ornamental deciduous trees of N. America and Asia. Valued for their brilliant autumn coloring, timber and aromatic gum. Easy from seed.
—Liquidambar formosana. (b,g) LIQU-1. Packet: $2.50
'CHINESE LIQUIDAMBAR', 'FORMOSAN GUM'. Attractive 3-lobed 6" leaves are red-tinted in spring and again in fall, downy underneath. Tall tree to 120 feet, with greyish bark. China. Zone 7. Beautiful fall color. Resin and seed-balls used in Chinese medicine. Silkworms that feed on it produce superior silk. Spirits are believed to inhabit the top of the tree. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Liquidambar Styraciflua. (c,h) LIQU-2. Packet: $2.50
'SWEET GUM'. Large, star-shaped 5 - 7 lobed 7" leaves turn brilliant crimson in fall. Tall tree to 50 - 150 feet. Inch wide spiky fruit balls. Connecticut to Nicaragua. Valued street and shade tree. Germinates readily in 2 - 4 weeks, stragglers up to 10 weeks. The sweet aromatic gum is chewed and used medicinally. Produces a fine wood and the seeds are eaten by birds. "Unsurpassed in the brilliancy of autumnal colors..."—Sargent.
LITHOPS (LITH-ops)
AIZOACEAE. 'LIVING STONES'. Weird stemless African succulents with small round bodies resembling stones. Large showy flowers appear from a slit in the body. Grow in well-drained infertile sandy soil, keep dry in winter. Full sun. Surface sow.
—Lithops Bromfeldii. (e,g) LITP-8. Packet: $2.50
Grey and brown marbled bodies to 1 1/4" wide, forming clumps. Bright yellow 1 1/2" flowers. S. Africa. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Choice & striking. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks or so.
—Lithops Dorothea. (e,h) LITP-16. Packet: $2.50
Dark beige inch-wide bodies with translucent grey-green windows with red dots and lines. Large yellow 1 3/4" flowers. S. Africa. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks or so.
—Lithops Lesliei var. albinica. (e,h) LITP-52A. Packet: $2.50
Dark green bodies with yellow-green patterning. Large white 1 1/4" flowers in September. S. Africa. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks.
—Lithops otzeniana. (e,g) LITP-68. Packet: $2.50
Dark greenish-olive inch-wide bodies with lighter markings around the edges. Large yellow 1 - 2" flowers with white centers. S. Africa. Forms clumps 6" across. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks or so.