DATURA
—inoxia Belle Blanche. (25) DATU-9B. Packet: $2.50
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Large, pure white, upright 6 - 8" trumpets, very fragrant at night. Half hardy perennial forming a 3 foot mound of grey-green foliage. Said to be perennial with protection in Zone 6. "Stunning Plant that I must always have in my garden."—N.A., Wisc. Often called a D. Metel variety, but the characters of the flowers, leaves, pods, and seeds are of D. inoxia.
Datura Metel Varieties:
'HINDU DATURA', 'KALA-DHATURA'. Large 4 - 8" double yellow and double purple trumpets. Fast growing handsome annual to 3 - 6 feet, with large, dark green leaves and round knobby or spiny pods. India. Best in deep, well manured soil, heat & full sun. Easy from seed, needs warmth to sprout, 20 to 90 days. Start indoors for early bloom. Sometimes can be held over winter in the greenhouse. An important medicinal and religious plant in the Old World, sacred to Buddhists, Taoists & Hindus.
—Datura Metel Double Purple GA-3. (c,g) DATU-12DPG. Packet: $3.00 Click for photo »
Large dark purple red, fully double, sometimes triple or quadruple trumpets. "Beautiful pot plant."—G. Howard, 1992. Germinates in 2 - 5 weeks.
DIANTHUS
—Dianthus myrtinervius. (50) DIAN-84. Packet: $2.50
Bright pink-red to red-purple inch-wide flowers in May to July. Mat-forming hardy perennial with narrow leaves, to 3 - 6" tall. N. Greece. Zone 7.
DICENTRA (di-SEN-tra)
FUMARIACEAE. Hardy perennials valued for their attractive much-cut foliage and oddly-shaped flowers in shades of red yellow & white. Easily grown in shady parts of the border or wild-garden. Seed needs 6 weeks plus cold treatment to germinate in 30 days or so.
—Dicentra chrysantha. DICE-5. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Oz: $10.00
'GOLDEN EARDROPS'. Bright yellow 1/2" flowers with spreading paired petals, in clusters of up to 50, held above the fern-like, blue green foliage. Tender perennial to 5 feet. Dry hills of S. Calif.
—Dicentra scandens. (80) DICE-40. Packet: $3.00
'GOLDEN TEARS'. Golden-yellow 3/4" heart-shaped nodding flowers tipped deep red, in clusters in June to August, followed by red capsules. Climbing vine to 6 - 15 feet, with narrow leaves. Nepal to China. Zone 4. Give seed 12 weeks cold.
DIOSPYROS
—Diospyros rhombifolia. (10) DIOS-108. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $10.00
Photo of whole tree in fruit
Nice fruit photos
Photo of fruit
Photo of seeds
Nice drawing
'PRINCESS PERSIMMON', 'LAO YA SHI'. Small orange plum-shaped 1" fruits with attractive calyx, September and October. Deciduous small tree to 5 to 20 feet, with 3" leaves and' small cup-shaped flowers in April and May. Central China, Zone 6. The unripe fruit yields persimmon lacquer, used to waterproof fishnets and cloth. Very popular as bonsai material. Dioecious, so plant several for both sexes.
DISPORUM
—Disporum Hookeri. (30) DISP-11. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $10.00
'FAIRY BELLS', 'DROPS OF GOLD'. Creamy to greenish white 1/2" bells on a perennial to 1 - 2 1/2 feet, with attractive, veined 4" leaves. California and Oregon. An attractive plant for shady places, good in dry woodlands in mild climates. The berries were eaten by some NW tribes, and the plant was associated with snakes & ghosts. Germinates at cool temperatures.
DOROTHEANTHUS (do-ro-thee-AN-thus)
AIZOACEAE. Annual succulents grown for their showy white, red, yellow or pink flowers and curious, crystalline leaves. Excellent for bedding and borders, thriving in poor dry soil and full sun. Sow in March, barely cover seed. Germinates in about 1 - 2 weeks. Plant out in May. Flowers in 3 months.
—Dorotheanthus bellidiformis. (a!,h) DORT-2. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 10/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Showy inch-wide flowers in various shades of pink, red and white, in summer. Oval, glistening green leaves. South Africa. (=Mesembryanthemum criniflorum)
DRACOCEPHALUM (dray-ko-SEF-a-lum)
LABIATAE. Hardy herbs grown for their showy blue, purple or white flowers. Best in moist, partly shady places, but easy in the open border, where their compact grey-green bushes are covered with flowers in summer. Sow indoors as early as February, or outdoors in March or April, 1/8" deep, to germinate in 2 weeks. Plant out 6 - 12" apart. Blooms in 12 weeks, & flowers well in 6" pots. Seed half-life 3 years.
—Dracocephalum Moldavica. (c,g) DRPH-14. Packet: $2.50
'MOLDAVIAN DRAGON'S HEAD'. Bright violet blue inch-long flowers in long, dense, leafy spikes in July and August. Hardy annual to 2 feet, with aromatic, balm-scented, grey-green foliage. Eurasia. The flowers are much-loved by bees, and the open 'mouth' of the dragon is complete with fangs. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
EPIPHYLLUM (e-pi-FEE-lum)
CACTACEAE. Popular free-bloominig jungle epiphytes, doing well indoors and in pots. Best in partial shade & rich, well-drained soil.
—Epiphyllum anguliger. (30) EPIPH-4. Packet: $3.00
'FISHBONE CACTUS'. Sweetly fragrant white 6" flowers with reddish outer petals. Flattened 4" wide stems with alternating lobes. S. Mexico. Zone 9.
ERIGERON
—Erigeron speciosus grandiflorus. (a,h) ERIG-76. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $8.00
'OREGON FLEABANE'. Lavender-blue 1 1/2" flowers with yellow centers, in July & August. Hardy perennial to 2 1/2 feet, with narrow leaves. NW N. America. Valuable for cut-flowers; may bloom twice if cut back. Sow in February to April, or in fall, to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks warm, longer if cool.
ERYNGIUM
—Eryngium Leavenworthii. (15) ERYN-11. Packet: $2.50
'PURPLE SHEEN'. Blue-purple flowers in 2" heads with red-purple bracts, July to September. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with spiny blue-grey foliage. Kansas to Texas. Zone 5. Good cut flower.
ESCHSCHOLZIA
—Eschscholzia Carmine King. ESCH-1C. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $12.00, 1/4 lb: $36.00
Lovely carmine-rose flowers. Annual to 15".
—Eschscholzia Purple Gleam. ESCH-1P. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $12.00, 1/4 lb: $36.00
Unusual purple-violet flowers. Annual to 15".
EUPHORBIA pentagona: See Reserved Access page.
EVODIA See: TETRADIUM
FIBIGIA (fi-BI-jee-a)
CRUCIFERAE. Old World herbs and sub-shrubs with racemes of flowers followed by flattened pods which are valued for dried arrangements. Easily grown. Sow from March to June, to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks at cool to warm temperatures.
—Fibigia clypeata. FIBI-6. Packet: $2.50
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Excellent new hardy perennial for the dried floral market. Attractive plant to 16", with yellow flowers which are valued for cutting when fresh, and followed by clusters of attractive flat seedpods which are dried for market. Produces in about 4 months. S. Europe to the Near East. Prefers well-drained soil. The young leaves have been eaten as a cress.
GERANIUM
—Geranium pratense 'Dark Reiter'. (10) GERN-185R. Packet: $4.00 OUT OF STOCK
Deep lilac-blue inch-wide flowers in June to August. Compact hardy perennial to 10", with stunning deep reddish-purple divided foliage. Eurasia. Zone 4. Comes 98% true from seed. Scratch seed lightly to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Geranium pratense 'Painter's Palette'. (10) GERN-185P. Packet: $2.50
Large flowers in white, soft pink, light and dark blue, violet, and white with blue splashes, June to August. Hardy perennial to 20". Eurasia. Zone 4. Scratch seed lightly to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
GLEHNIA (GLE-nee-a)
UMBELLIFERAE. One or two species.
—Glehnia littoralis. (30) GLEH-6. Packet: $2.50
'BEACH - CARROT', 'HAMA - BOFU'. White flowers in several ball-shaped clusters together on whitish stems. Attractive reddish seed-balls. Stemless hardy perennial growing in coastal dunes of the north Pacific. In Japan the young leaves and stems are pickled and eaten, said to taste like angelica and tarragon.
GLYCYRRHIZA
—Glycyrrhiza uralensis. (30) GLYC-24. Packet: $3.00
'GAN CAO', 'CHINESE LICORICE'. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with white-violet flowers in spikes and feathery foliage. China. The source of Chinese licorice, used as a Qi tonic and adaptogen.