MALVACEAE. Annual & perennial herbs resembling miniature hollyhocks. Good in the border, and best in well-drained sandy loam & full sun.
NEW—Sidalcea campestris. (e,g) SIDL-6. Packet: $3.00
'MEADOW SIDALCEA'. White, 2 - 3" wide, five-petaled flowers in loose clusters. Attractive perennial to 3 - 5 feet, forming small colonies by rhizomes. Rare mallow endemic to the Willamette Valley, Oregon & adjacent Washington. Mostly eliminated by development. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Sidalcea hybrida Party Girl. (c,g) SIDL-11. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 72% Tested: 4/08, Gram: $5.00, 5 grams: $20.00
Bright pink flowers in slender spikes like miniature hollyhocks, July to September. Hardy perennial to 3 feet. Good for cutting. Germinates in 1 - 8 weeks.
SILENE (si-LEE-nee)
CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 'CAMPION'. Five hundred species of North Hemisphere annuals, biennials & perennials with showy flowers produced in profusion. Easily grown and valued in the border or rockery. Best in full sun and sandy soil, and even the annuals can be sown in fall for earlier bloom. Most kinds germinate in 8 - 23 days and flower quickly. They have extrafloral nectaries.
—Silene capensis. (c,f) SILE-6. Packet: $3.00
'XHOSA DREAM PLANT', KWAQUELA', 'MOLOKOLOKO'. 'White to pink five-petaled flowers. Perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with 1 - 3" leaves. South Africa. Moist sandy soil. The root is said to be used by the Xhosa to induce vivid dreams. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks.
—Silene dioica. (b,h) SILE-32. Packet: $2.00
'RED CAMPION'. Light purple-red flowers in clusters in summer. Hardy perennial or biennial to 3 feet, with rosettes of downy leaves. Europe. Germinates 1 - 6 weeks.
—Silene nutans. (b,h) SILE-70. Packet: $2.00
'NOTTINGHAM CATCHFLY'. White nodding, fork-petaled 3/4" flowers in clusters in June to August. They are fragrant in the evening. Hardy perennial to 1 1/2 - 2 feet, with 4" leaves. Eurasia. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Silene uniflora Robin Whitebreast. (b,g) SILE-110R. Packet: $2.50
Abundant white flowers nearly enclosed in balloon-like inflated calyces, in summer. Small hardy perennial to 8", forming 4" tall cushions of grey-green leaves. Europe. Zone 3. Germinates best with GA-3.
SILPHIUM (SIL-fee-um)
COMPOSITAE. Tall perennials grown for their large, sunflower-like blooms. Long lived and good in most soils, especially heavy ones. Full sun and easily grown. Stately plants for the back border or prairie and wild gardens.
—Silphium perfoliatum. (d,h) SILP-19. Packet: $2.00
'CUP PLANT'. Large yellow 3" wide daisies in clusters from July to September. Hardy perennial to 8 feet, with large, foot-long leaves forming a cup around the stem. S. Dakota to Mississippi. Zone 3. Good to naturalize in rich moist soil, sun or part shade. The thick rootstock is medicinal, considered to be a general restorative. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm, often improved by a prechill or GA-3.
SILYBUM (SI-lee-bum or si-LEE-bum)
COMPOSITAE. 'MILK THISTLE'. Striking plants. Sow in fall or spring where they are to grow and thin to 2 feet apart. Sprouts in 1 - 3 weeks. An interesting note: fresh seed will not germinate at warm temperatures, only sprouting at cool temperatures; but after 5 months dry storage (after-ripening) they will germinate well at warm temperatures.
—Silybum Marianum. (b,h) SILY-3 Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 9/07, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $16.00
OTC ORGANIC SEED
'ST. MARY'S MILKTHISTLE'. Bold and striking rosettes of large glossy, dark green, spiny leaves streaked and marbled with white, followed by 2" wide rose-purple, faintly scented flower-heads on 4 - 6 foot stalks, each head with dramatic reflexed spines. Mediterranean region. Old tradition holds that milk of the Virgin Mary fell upon the plant, causing the white marbling of the leaves. Flowers much visited by bees; later, birds love the seeds. California ranchers claim it loosens hard, compacted soil, and make their own 'clod-buster' from chopped plants soaked in 55 gallon drums of water. Formerly much used as food; the young leaves in salads or boiled, (I've never tried this myself, the spines scare me!) the peeled stalks, the roots like salsify, the young heads eaten like artichokes after cutting off the spines. Was thought to increase milk in nursing women. Since ancient times the seeds have been used as liver medicine, and recently their powerful liver-protective properties have found much use in modern medicine. Experiments have shown it capable of preventing death in dogs from fatal doses of Destroying-Angel mushroom toxins.
SISYRINCHIUM (si-si-RIN-kee-um)
IRIDACEAE. 'BLUE-EYED GRASS'. Small American grass-like perennials with blue or yellow flowers. They make nice colonies in open moist places. Easy in any soil. Good in pots.
—Sisyrinchium bellum. (b,h) SISY-5. Packet: $2.00
10 grams: $10.00
'BLUE-EYED GRASS', 'AZULEA'. Deep purple blue 3/4" flowers in late spring. Grass-like foliage. Half hardy perennial to 1 1/2 feet. A pretty plant of our California meadows. Made into a tea by Hispanic Californians against fever. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Sisyrinchium Douglasii. (d,v) SISY-7. Packet: $2.50 Click for photo »
'GRASS - WIDOW', 'PURPLE - EYED GRASS'. Nice dark purple nodding 3/4" flower in May and June. Hardy perennial to about 8 - 12", with grassy foliage. NW U.S. Give 3 - 4 months cold or sow and let pot overwinter for best germination.
"Besides love and sympathy, animals exhibit other qualities connected with social instincts, which in us would be called moral; and I agree with Agassiz that dogs possess something very like a conscience." —Charles Darwin.
SMYRNIUM (SMIR-nee-um)
UMBELLIFERAE. Hardy Old World biennial herbs with handsome divided foliage and yellow flowers.
—Smyrnium Olusatrum. (d,h) SMYR-18. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
1/2 Oz $6.00
'ALEXANDERS', 'BLACK LOVAGE'. Stout biennial or perennial to 4 feet, with large glossy bright green divided leaves. Yellow flowers in 4" umbels, followed by black 1/4" fruits. Mediterranean. An ancient vegetable, it is mentioned by Theophrastus (322 BCE), was cultivated by Charlemagne (800 CE), reached the height of its popularity around 1550 to 1650, and had almost disappeared by the late 1800s, being displaced by celery. The young shoots and stalks were blanched and eaten, and have a celery-like flavor, but more pungent, and were used to flavor soups and stews. The sliced root was eaten raw in salads. Unopened flower clusters eaten. Germinates best in summer, seed sown in August germinates in 2 weeks. Fresh seed needs cold treatment. Hardy to Zone 5. Seedlings thinned out can be eaten. A forgotten plant. Germination is greatly increased by rubbing the black husks off the seed to germinate in 3 - 6 weeks without cold treatment.
SOLANUM (so-LA-num)
SOLANACEAE. A huge genus of 1400 species, from annuals to trees. Includes important foods (potato, eggplant, etc.), medicines, industrial crops and many ornamentals. Generally easy from seed, germinates in 1 - 3 weeks. Sow hardy types where they are to stand, and tender types early indoors. They are wonderful plants, many very ornamental, but surprisingly little grown. Buy 'em or lose 'em!
NEW—Solanum X Burbankii. (b,g) SOLN-9. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% GA-3 Tested: 1/08, or
Germination: 84% light Tested: 2/08
Gram: $5.00, 10 grams: $20.00
'WONDERBERRY', 'MSOBA'. Deep blue 1/4" fruits with white bloom are sweet and edible, used for tarts, jams, etc. Compact annual to 2 feet. Caused a great controversy when introduced by Luther Burbank. Delicious and productive. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks - needs light or GA-3, surface sow.
—Solanum Dulcamara. (b,g) SOLN-12. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 52% Tested: 10/07, 5 grams: $6.00, 10 grams: $9.00
Click for photo »
'BITTERSWEET'. Violet five-petaled, yellow-stamened 1/2" flowers spotted green, followed by ornamental clusters of oval red berries. Woody climbing shrub to 15 feet. Eurasia, N. America. The dried stems were once widely used in medicine, and the roots and shoots used medicinally in China. Used for rheumatism, skin ailments & alterative. Germinates in 4 - 7 weeks warm, with stragglers.
—Solanum gilo Black Stem. (b,h) SOLN-24B. Packet: $2.00
A nice cultivar with black stems to 5 feet tall, and with white flowers and round red fruits resembling cherry tomatoes. "Nice and showy plant in the garden and in floral arranging." —Gatard.
'GILO' (Brazil), 'NGILO' (Uganda). Round to spindle-shaped 1 - 3" edible green fruits turn red at maturity. Tall shrub with downy leaves. Africa & Brazil. Another of the wonderful African eggplant complex, these are eaten raw or cooked, and are said to taste like carrots or green beans. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Solanum integrifolium. (b,h) SOLN-30. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
Germination: 78% Tested: 9/07, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $15.00, 10 grams: $25.00
'RUFFLED RED EGGPLANT', TOMATO-EGGPLANT', or 'HMONG EGGPLANT'. Orange-red 1 - 3" ribbed fruits valued fresh or dried in flower arranging. Spiny annual to 8 feet. Tropics. Used in SE Asian cooking. Sometimes called 'mini-pumpkins' in the flower-trade. Germinates readily in 2 - 3 weeks warm.
—Solanum lasiophylium. (b,v) SOLN-45. Packet: $2.00
'FLANNEL BUSH', 'KARUN KARUN'. Large purple 1 1/2" flowers followed by 1/2" yellow berries enclosed in an inflated calyx. Shrub to 1 - 3 feet, with densely downy 1 - 3" leaves, and new growth flushed purple. Australia. Zone 9.
—Solanum Pseudocapsicum Joker. (b,h) SOLN-64J. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 9/07, Gram: $5.00, 5 grams: $14.00
'JERUSALEM CHERRY'. Dwarf early selection with yellow 1/2" berries which turn orange & red, held above the glossy dark green foliage. White 1/2" flowers. Bushy shrub in Zone 9, grown as an annual in cold climates. Nice pot plant for winter decoration. Berries not edible. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Solanum Seaforthianum. (d,h) SOLN-72. $2.50 Packet: $2.00
'GLORIA', 'JAZMIN DE ITALIA'. Large star-shaped inch-wide lilac flowers in large pendulous clusters, followed by clustered orange-red half-inch fruits. Slender somewhat woody climber to 20 feet, with pinnate leaves. Brazil. Nice in the greenhouse. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks at warm temperatures.
SOLLYA (SOL-ee-a or SOL-ya)
PITTOSPORACEAE. 'BLUEBELL CREEPER'. Evergreen climbing shrubs from Australia. Good drought resistant cover for banks. Full sun or part shade, well drained soil. Outdoor plant in warm areas, or a good tub plant in the greenhouse in the North. Smoke treatment may help germination.
—Sollya heterophylla. (b,g) SOLL-11. Packet: $2.00
'AUSTRALIAN BLUEBELL CREEPER'. Brilliant blue 1/2" nodding bells produced most of the summer. Low twining shrub will climb to 6 feet. Narrow, rich green glossy leaves. West Australia. Germinates in 4 - 7 weeks.
SOPHORA (so-FOR-a or SOF-or-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Wide-ranging & showy ornamental mostly woody plants with clustered pea-like flowers and handsome pinnate foliage. Best in well-drained soil, and most stand drought well.
—Sophora Davidii (=viciifolia) (c,h) SOPH-7. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/07, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $16.00
Blue-violet to white 3/4" flowers in clusters of 6 - 12 in June & July, followed by slender 2" pods. Deciduous shrub to 6 - 8 feet, with elegant pinnate foliage. China. Hardy to Massachusetts (Zone 5). Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Sophora secundiflora. (10,h) SOPH-6. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 10/07, 1/4 lb: $16.00 (about 140 seed)
'MESCAL BEAN', 'TEXAS MOUNTAIN LAUREL', 'FRIJOLITO'. Beautiful fragrant violet-blue inch-long flowers in dense 3" clusters covering the plant in spring. Handsome evergreen shrub to 4 - 6 feet, rarely a tree to 40 feet, with shining dark green pinnate foliage. Silvery grey 1 - 8" pods with bright red seeds. Texas to New Mexico. Can stand a good freeze-Zone 8. Well-drained soil. The poisonous seeds are used as beads and ceremonially by Plains Indians, and are powdered for insecticide. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks or so.
SPATHODEA (spa-THO-dee-a)
BIGNONIACEAE. Spectacular tropical African trees valued for their showy flowers and handsome evergreen foliage. Needs rich well-drained soil and lots of room in the greenhouse to bloom.
—Spathodea campanulata. (d,h) SPAT-2. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
'FLAME TREE', 'AFRICAN TULIP TREE', 'KOKONINSU' (Ashanti name meaning 'red tears') Bright crimson 5" flowers with orange edges, in large clusters. Tree to 70 feet with pinnate, foot-long dark green leaves. Tropical Africa. The flowers are frequented by sunbirds. The calyces contain water which children squirt at each other. The light wood is used for drums in Nigeria. Called 'sorcerer's wand' in Senegal. The winged seeds are said to be edible, but the center part of the fruit is used to poison game. Medicinal. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks.
SPECULARIA (spek-you-LA-ree-a)
CAMPANULACEAE. Pretty Eurasian hardy annuals and perennials related to Campanula, grown in the flower and rock garden for their showy, five-petaled wheel-like blooms, which are produced in profusion in summer and fall. Best in well drained soil in sun or part shade. Sow in early spring, barely cover, to germinate in about 10 - 30 days. Blooms in 12 weeks. May be sown in September for early spring bloom.
—Specularia Speculum-Veneris. (a!,h) SPEC-3. Packet: $2.00
'VENUS' LOOKING GLASS'. Showy, bright violet-blue inch-wide flowers produced profusely from July to September. Hardy annual to 8 - 18" tall. Europe. Cultivated since 1596. Said to have been used in salads in Europe. Germinates in 1 - 9 weeks.
SPHAERALCEA (sfeer-AL-see-a)
MALVACEAE. Ornamental shrubs and herbs of arid regions of the Americas. Grown for their often showy flowers. Good outdoors in warm regions. Some are fairly hardy and others good in the greenhouse. Nicking the seed may help germination.
—Sphaeralcea ambigua. (a,g) SPHA-4. Packet: $2.00
5 grams: $6.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'DESERT GLOBEMALLOW'. Bright orange-red 1 - 2 1/2" flowers in clusters, with conspicuous yellow stamens. March to June. Perennial to 3 feet, with greyish three-lobed 1 - 2 1/2" leaves. Utah to southern California. Spectacular and drought resistant, hardy to at least Zone 6. Nick to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks warm.
—coccinea. (b,v) SPHA-8. Packet: $2.00
'SCARLET GLOBEMALLOW'. Scarlet 1 1/2" mallow-like flowers in short racemes. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with greyish, divided leaves. Manitoba to Arizona.
"So the universe would be a very great book, and we would be very small readers." —U. K. LeGuin.
STACHYS (STAY-kis or STA-kees)
LABIATAE. Widespread perennials and annuals adapted to varied conditions, from dry to wet. Tubular, often hooded flowers in whorls, and often aromatic foliage. Some are medicinal.
—Stachys officinalis (=Betonica). (b,v) STAC-14. Packet: $2.00
'WOOD BETONY'. Very rich purple 1/2" flowers in dense whorls and spikes. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with 3 - 6" leaves Europe, Middle East. Good ornamental, formerly much cultivated for medicinal use. Highly regarded for many ailments, and believed effective against 'devils and despair'. The tea is a fine beverage and was formerly valued against persistent headaches. "Sell your coat and buy Betony." —Old Italian proverb.
—Stachys sylvatica. (c,h) STAC-22. Packet: $2.00
'WHITE-SPOT BETONY', 'HEDGE WOUNDWORT'. Showy flowers an unusual shade of claret-red, with a white spot on the lip, 1" long, in long spikes. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, from thick, creeping roots. Eurasia. An important medicinal herb, the strongly-scented foliage was valued as a poultice for swollen lymph-nodes. Give GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
STANLEYA (STAN-lee-a)
CRUCIFERAE. Western North American annuals & perennials grown for their showy flowers. Drought resistant, good in the desert.
—Stanleya pinnata. (b,h) STAN-12. Packet: $2.00
'DESERT PLUME', 'PRINCE'S PLUME', 'INDIAN CABBAGE', 'KWI:'VI' (Hopi name meaning 'proud'). Deep golden yellow inch-wide flowers in dense 6 - 24" racemes in May to July. Hardy shrubby perennial to 2 - 5 feet, with 2 - 8" pinnately divided leaves. California to South Dakota. The young leaves and stems are eaten boiled, and the seeds parched and ground for mush. Eight weeks cold gives good germination in 1 - 2 weeks. Gives high germination in 1 week with GA-3.
STYLIDIUM (sti-LID-ee-um)
STYLIDIACEAE. Odd, mostly Australian plants, with styles that spring up when touched. Dainty, attrac tive, 4-petaled flowers. GA-3 or smoke helps germination.
NEW—Stylidium laricifolium. (b,v) STYD-48. Packet: $2.00
'GIANT TRIGGER PLANT'. Pink flowers in airy clusters in spring, held above a shrubby plant to 1 - 4 feet, with dense, soft, needle-like leaves. Coastal E. Australia.
SWAINSONA (swain-SON-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Handsome Australian herbs & sub-shrubs grown for their feathery pinnate foliage and spikes of pea-like flowers. Good greenhouse plants, or outdoors in warm regions. Easy in well-drained soil. Soak seed, nick unswollen, germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Swainsonia galegifolia. (c,h) SWAN-32. Packet: $2.00
'SWAINSON'S PEA', 'SMOOTH DARLING PEA'. Large cerise flowers in long sprays, followed by inflated 2" pods. Gracefully arching branches with ferny, pinnate foliage. Woody perennial to 4 feet, with somewhat herbaceous stems. E. Australia. Blooms freely in the cool greenhouse, and is hardy in San Francisco, blooming almost continuously. Soak seed, nick unswollen, germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. "An old-time garden plant... easy to manage." —F.T. Hubbard, 1917.
SYMPHYANDRA (sim-fy-AN-dra)
CAMPANULACEAE. Lovely and hardy Eurasian perennials and biennials with white or violet bell-shaped nodding flowers. Grow like Campanula. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at warm temperatures.
—Symphyandra Hofmannii. (b,h) SYMA-11. Packet: $2.00
Large white inch-wide 1 1/2" long nodding, bell-shaped flowers in leafy panicles. Charming hardy perennial to 2 feet, with large fleshy roots. Bosnia. Prefers a dry spot. Reseeds. Said to have maintained a succession of bloom from July to December. "Well worth cultivating." —F.T. Hubbard.
—Symphyandra zangezura. (a,h) SYMA-29. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 76% Tested: 12/07, Gram: $9.00
Abundant, nodding, bright violet-blue bells on slender stems, June to August. Hardy perennial or biennial to 10", with geranium-like leaves. Caucasus. Zone 6. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.