LOBELIACEAE. Over 350 species ranging through most of the world and varying from annuals, perennials, aquatics, succulents and trees to caudiciforms above the treeline in African mountains in which gorillas make their nests. Many are excellent garden plants with showy flowers in mostly reds and blues. Many of the perennials prefer cool moist spots. Most easy from seed, surface sow, light helps. Some kinds need GA-3, prechill, or smoke.
—Lobelia cardinalis. (a,h) LOB-6. Packet: $2.50
'CARDINAL FLOWER'. Bright, intense cardinal-red 1 - 2" long flowers in long spikes in summer. Hardy perennial to 2 - 4 feet, with glossy, narrow 4" leaves, often purple-bronze. E. N. America and a couple of disjunct spots in the Southwest. Zone 3. Best in wet soil and bogs. Makes nice colonies, and if flower spikes are picked, it will bloom till fall. Medicinal. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks with GA-3.
—Lobelia Erinus Crystal Palace. (a!,h) LOB-10CP. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50, 25 grams: $28.00
Deep cobalt-blue flowers. Bronzy foliage, to 4". Annual.
—Lobelia Erinus Lilac Fountains. (b,h) LOB-10L. Packet: $2.50
1/2 gram: $7.50
Unique lilac shade, trailing, free-blooming annual, good in hanging baskets. Germinates in a week.
—Lobelia fulgens Queen Victoria. (b,h) LOB-12V. Packet: $2.50
Deep scarlet 1 1/2" flowers. Bronze leaves. Perennial to 17 - 48". Zone 7. A striking variety. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks or so, and needs light or GA-3.
—Lobelia inflata: See Reserved Access page.
—Lobelia sessilifolia. (50) LOB-28. Packet: $2.50
1/4 gram: $7.50, Gram: $15.00
Dense spikes of violet flowers in summer. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with narrow leaves. Japan and Siberia. Zone 4. Best in moist soil. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks, needs light, surface sow. GA-3 improves the percentage.
—Lobelia siphilitica. (a,v) LOB-29. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00
'GREAT BLUE LOBELIA', 'HIGH-BELIA'. Clear blue or white inch-long flowers in long leafy spikes over a long period, July to September. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet. E. U.S. Zone 3. Prefers moist soils and by the streamside. An excellent wildflower. Used by the Indians against syphilis. Germinates in 1 - 7 weeks. GA-3 may help.
LOLIUM (LOL-ee-um)
GRAMINEAE. Important Eurasian grasses grown for ornament, forage, lawns, and medicine.
NEW—Lolium temulentum. (100) LOLI-23. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50, 10 grams: $10.00
Click for photo »
'DARNEL'. Annual grass to 2 - 3 feet, with typical 'rye-grass' spikes. Europe. Grown for medicine and historical interest in folklore and Bible gardens. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
LONICERA (lo-NISS-er-a)
CAPRIFOLIACEAE. Popular climbers and shrubs, mostly hardy, valued for their often showy fragrant flowers. Most soils are fine. A prechill usually helps germination. Easily grown old favorites.
NEW—Lonicera ciliosa. (30) LONI-18. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $13.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'WESTERN TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE'. Orange-yellow 1 1/2" long trumpets in clusters in June and July, followed by orange-red berries. Shrubby twiner to 20 feet, with 4" leaves. W. U.S. Zone 5 or 6. Stems used for weaving by Indians.
NEW—Lonicera fragrantissima. (250) LONI-28. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Photos and info: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/d970/lonicera-fragrantissima.aspx
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/lofr.html
http://www.paghat.com/winterhoneysuckle.html
'SWEET BREATH OF SPRING', 'WINTER HONEYSUCKLE', 'YU XIANG REN DONG'. Fragrant creamy-white 1/2" flowers (in winter in mild climates), followed by red berries. Shrub to 8 feet, with 3" leaves. China. Zone 4 or 5.
LOTUS (LO-tus)
NOTE: This is not the water lotus. See Nelumbo for water lotus.
LEGUMINOSAE. 'DEER VETCH'. Floriferous perennials or shrubs, often trailing, with yellow, white, rose or purple flowers. Grown for ornament and some species for the edible pods. Almost any soil. Easy from seed which may benefit from light scarification. Germinates in 3 days to 4 weeks. Seed half-life varies from 7 - 20 years, and some have germinated when over 100 years old.
NEW—Lotus tetragonolobus. (25) LOTU-80. Packet: $2.50
(= Tetragonolobus purpureus)
Photos and info: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55101/
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lotus+tetragonolobus
'ASPARAGUS PEA', 'WINGED PEA'. Deep red flowers followed by edible four-winged pods. Bushy annual to 1 foot. S. Europe. Full sun. The young pods are eaten raw or cooked, having an asparagus-like flavor. Ripe seeds also eaten. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
LUFFA (LUFF-a or LOO-fa)
CUCURBITACEAE. 'DISH-CLOTH GOURD', 'VEGETABLE SPONGE', 'LOOFAH'. Tropical tendril-climbing vines with showy yellow or white flowers and peculiar gourd-like fruits. The young fruits are eaten in some countries, and the fibrous interior of mature fruits is the popular scrub-brush for the bath. They are grown like cucumbers or melons but like more heat and do well in the greenhouse. Fast growing to 10 - 15 feet. Seeds germinate in 1 - 4 weeks. Start indoors in March, and set out in May in a hot sunny spot.
—Luffa aegyptiaca (=cylindrica). (e,h) LUFF-3. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00
'COMMON LOOFAH'. The common dishcloth gourd, this is an easily grown climber. Attractive yellow 2 - 3" flowers followed by 1 - 2 foot long, smooth, cucumber-like gourds. Tropics. The young fruits are edible, popular in China, Burma and India, and they are pickled in Arab countries. Edible when young; becoming bitter and toxic when ripe. Matures to a brown color, and they can be peeled, the seeds removed, and the fibrous interior washed and bleached for use as a scrubber. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
LUNARIA (loo-NAR-ee-a)
CRUCIFERAE. Old fashioned annuals and perennials grown for their attractive, sweet-scented flowers and the large, flat, silvery pods used in dried arrangements. Easily grown, standing poor soil, part shade, and drought. Reseeds well. Sow early in spring or fall in mild climates.
Lunaria annua Varieties: (=biennis)
'MONEY PLANT', 'SATIN FLOWER'. Well-known for the sprays of slivery moon-like 2" pods. Showy purple, red or white 1/2" wide, sweet-scented flowers in large clusters in spring and early summer. Good cut flowers. To 2 - 3 feet, with large, heart-shaped leaves. Easily grown and self-sows. An old-fashioned favorite for poor shady soils. The unripe seeds and the roots are said to have a hot, mustard-like flavor, and have been eaten in salads. Zone 5. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks. Seed viable 4 years or more.
—Lunaria annua Violet. (c,h) LUNA-1L. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Bright purple-violet flowers and large pods.
—Lunaria annua White. (c,g) LUNA-1W. Packet: $2.50
WHITE FLOWERED MONEY PLANT'.
—Lunaria annua Variegated White. (25) LUNA-1VA. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $16.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
The unusual white-flowered variegated form, with white frosting around the leaf edges. Variegation shows in 2 - 4 months, during the first season. Hardy biennial to 2 1/2 - 4 feet. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Lunaria rediviva: See Reserved Access page.
LUPINUS (LOO-pin-us)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy herbs and shrubs grown for their spikes of bright flowers, as soil-builders, erosion control, forage, food and wildlife habitat. Some 200 species with a center of diversity in W. N. America. Best in well-drained or even sandy poor soil. Most germinate readily after nicking and soaking.
—Lupinus arboreus. LUP-7. Packet: $2.50
'TREE LUPINE'. Bright yellow flowers in long spikes, April to September. Tender shrub to 4 - 10 feet, with somewhat silvery foliage. California coasts. Zone 8. Good dune stabilizer. Nick seed, germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Yet another California native being exterminated here by anti-invader hysterics.
—Lupinus argenteus. (d,h) LUP-9. Packet: $2.50
1/2 Oz $10.00
'SILVER LUPIN'. Blue, lilac, to white flowers in dense spikes. Hardy perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with stems covered with silvery hairs. Alberta to the SW. Zone 3. Stands drought and cold. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Lupinus polyphyllus. (d,h) LUP-46. Packet: $2.50
Violet to blue to reddish or white 1/2" flowers in dense spikes to 2 feet long. Stout hardy perennial to 8" to 5 feet tall, with 5" leaves. California to B.C. Zone 3. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Lupinus texensis. (b,h) LUP-76. Packet $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
'TEXAS BLUEBONNET'. Blue flowers with dark wings and white standards, in dense pyramidal 4 - 5" spikes. Charming bright hardy annual to 1 foot. Texas. Nick or hot water to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Lupinus villosus. LUP-69. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $5.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'LADY LUPINE'. Purple flowers in dense spikes. Attractive foliage with mullein-like fuzz. Unusual undivided 6" leaves on long stalks. Perennial to 3 feet, old plants sprawl to form a 5 foot mat. SE U.S. Zone 8. Nick and soak seed to germinate in 2 - 7 weeks.
LYCHNIS (LIK-nis)
CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 'CAMPION'. Hardy, old-fashioned annuals, biennials and perennials, valued in the border and wild-garden for their brilliant display of flowers. N. Hemisphere, some arctic. Closely related to Agrostemma and Silene. Easily grown in full sun and tolerant of adverse soils. Annuals may be sown in March or April where they are to grow, to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks. Biennials and perennials can be sown early under glass for bloom the first season, or as late as 8 weeks before frost in fall, to germinate in about 1 - 4 weeks. Seed viable 3 - 4 years or more. "These are beautiful plants for the border or wild garden, and during summer they smother themselves with a profusion of incredibly vivid flowers..."—C. O. Booth.
—Lychnis X Arkwrightii Vesuvius. (b,h) LYCH-4V. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $12.00
Brilliant orange-scarlet 1 1/2" wide flowers in heads of 5 - 10 blooms, June and July. Hardy perennial to 1 1/2 feet, with dark purplish foliage. Zone 5. Choice. Germinates in 1 week.
—Lychnis chalcedonica. (a!,h) LYCH-7. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $7.50, Oz: $20.00
'MALTESE CROSS', 'SCARLET LIGHTNING'. Brilliant scarlet inch-wide flowers in dense clusters of 10 - 50 blooms, in June and July. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with dark green foliage. Siberia. Zone 4. "One of the best of all old-fashioned flowers."—Bailey.
—Lychnis Coronaria (=Agrostemmma Coronaria) (a,h) LYCH-10. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $7.50
Click for photo »
'ROSE CAMPION', 'MULLEIN PINK', 'DUSTY MILLER'. Large rose-crimson 1 1/2" wide flowers borne singly on stems held above the densely white-woolly foliage. Hardy biennial or short-lived perennial to 1 1/2 - 3 feet, forming dense tufts. Eurasia. Zone 4. "The glowing flowers and white foliage make it a conspicuous plant."—L. H. Bailey. Good in masses.
—Lychnis Coronaria alba. (b,h) LYCH-10W. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $20.00
'WHITE CAMPION'. Pure white 1 1/2" flowers held above densely white-woolly foliage. Hardy biennial or short-lived perennial to 30". Eurasia.
—Lychnis Flos-cuculi. (a!,h) LYCH-14. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00
'CUCKOO-FLOWER', 'RAGGED ROBIN'. Clear pink inch-wide flowers with deeply cut petals, blooming early (February in California). Slender hardy perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with narrow leaves. Eurasia. Zone 3. "An old-time and deserving favorite, blooming profusely and for most of the season."—Bailey.
—Lychnis Viscaria splendens. (a!,h) LYCH-30S. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'GERMAN CATCHFLY'. Rose-pink flowers in clusters of 3 - 6 blooms. Hardy tufted perennial to 1 - 3 feet, with narrow leaves. Europe to Siberia. Zone 3. "A most profuse bloomer in sunny areas."—Bailey
LYCIUM (LISH-ee-um, LI-see-um, or LYE-see-um)
SOLANACEAE. 'MATRIMONY VINE', 'BOXTHORN'. Ornamental shrubs, often clambering, or with graceful, arching branches. Valued for their funnel-shaped flowers and bright scarlet berries. Good for hedges, wildlife habitat, erosion control, food and medicine. Some of the 100 or so species are hardy in the North, and the pendant types are especially attractive cascaded down a wall. Good by the seaside and for fixing sandy banks. Easily grown.
—Lycium chinense. (b,h) LYCI-12. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $14.00
'CHINESE WOLFBERRY', 'KUKO', 'KO-CHI'. Purple half-inch flowers June to September, followed by attractive scarlet 1/2 - 1" long berries, August to October. Graceful arching shrub to 12 feet, with bright green 1 1/2 - 3" oval leaves. E. Asia. Hardy in the North, Zone 5, and "It is a splendid sight in autumn gardens, when its slender branches are laden with scarlet berries."—Yashiroda. These branches are much valued in Japanese flower-arranging. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks. The young leaves are eaten in salads or boiled with rice as flavoring, and are also drunk as tea. The berries are eaten and a medicinal wine is made from them. Leaves, root and fruit are all highly valued in Chinese medicine, as "prolonging life, improving the complexion and brightening the eye."—Pen Ts'ao.
—Lycium exsertum. (a!,h) LYCI-22. Packet: $2.50
'WOLFBERRY'. Profuse small lavender flowers followed by abundant bright red edible berries. Spiny shrub to 3 - 6 feet. Low deserts, Arizona and México. Very drought resistant. The berries were eaten in great quantities by the Indians, fresh, cooked, or dried like raisins. Good wildlife shrub. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.