CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 'PINK'. A large genus of mostly hardy perennial herbs prized for their rich, showy, often fragrant flowers. Favorites among old-fashioned flowers, they are easily grown, mostly tufted or mat-forming evergreens. Excellent in the border, pots, rock garden, and glasshouse. Some are good for cutting. They like warm, rich, well-drained soil. The species often self-sow. The annuals should be sown as early as possible, but the perennials may be sown anytime up to August for a good show of bloom the following season. Full sun or part shade. Shear after bloom, and never cover the tops with mulch; snow is the best protection. Likes lime, use limestone freely, but not very high-magnesia lime. Sow shallowly, the annuals sprout in 5 - 10 days, the perennials up to 3 weeks or so. Seed viable up to 5 - 10 years or more. All are Zone 3 unless noted otherwise.
Alpine Dianthus seed like a brief chill, just a few days is enough to produce the best healthy seedlings.
—Dianthus amurensis. (50) DIAN-9. Packet: $2.50
'AMUR PINK'. Unusual lavender-blue fringed flowers borne over a long season. Hardy perennial to 10". Narrow leaves. Amur region of Siberia. Zone 3. Give good drainage. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Dianthus arenarius 'Little Maiden'. (75) DIAN-13N. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $10.00
Dwarf form to only 6" tall, with pure white fragrant deeply fringed inch-wide flowers in summer. Hardy perennial forming compact mounds of blue-green foliage. Zone 3. Choice! Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Dianthus barbatus nigrescens 'Sooty'. (50) DIAN-17S. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $10.00
The darkest of all, with fragrant deep maroon, nearly black petals and scarlet throats, in dense clusters in summer. Upper foliage marked purple. Hardy perennial to 14". Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Dianthus carthusianorum. (100) DIAN-28. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $8.00
10 grams: $12.00
'CLUSTERHEAD PINK'. Magenta flowers in clusters of up to 50 blooms, on upright stems to 2 - 3 1/2 feet. Hardy, wind-resistant perennial with narrow, grass-like leaves. Europe. Zone 3. Blooms continuously from June to frost. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm.
—Dianthus deltoides 'Maiden Pink'. (500) DIAN-45. Packet: $2.50
'MAIDEN PINK'. Clear pink 3/4" fragrant flowers with toothed petals and 8" stems. Mat-forming hardy perennial with light green turf-like foliage. Eurasia. Zone 3. "One of the prettiest border pinks."—Bailey.
—Dianthus Knappii. (50) DIAN-72. Packet: $2.50
Rich sulfur-yellow flowers in clusters above the downy, grey-green foliage. Hardy perennial to 16". W. Yugoslavia. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Dianthus plumarius 'Spring Beauty'. (100) DIAN-99B. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.00
'COTTAGE PINKS'. Large, double, spicily fragrant flowers in varied shades. Old fashioned hardy perennial to about 18", forming mats of blue-green grass-like foliage. Blooms June to October. Austria to Siberia. "Charming, almost legendary plant, cultivated for hundreds of years."—Sunset.
—Dianthus superbus. (1000) DIAN-125. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $7.50
1/4 Pound: $16.00
Stunning lilac to rosy purplish 1 1/2 - 2" wide highly fragrant flowers, the petals deeply fringed, in lax clusters to 1 - 3 feet tall. Hardy perennial. N. Eurasia. Wonderful and extremely hardy. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Dianthus superbus 'Rainbow Loveliness'. (300) DIAN-125R. Packet: $2.50
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Rare mixture with deeply fringed petals in shades of pink, white, and lavender with a green eye. Long lasting cut flowers. Developed by the famous carnation specialists, the Allwood brothers. Taller than superbus and blooms continuously till heavy frost. (D. superbus var. speciosus X D. Sweet Wivelsfield)
DICENTRA (di-SEN-tra)
FUMARIACEAE. Hardy perennials valued for their attractive much-cut foliage and oddly-shaped flowers in shades of red yellow and white. Easily grown in shady parts of the border or wild-garden. Seed needs 6 weeks or more cold treatment to germinate in 30 days or so.
NEW—Dicentra formosa. (50) DICE-12. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'PACIFIC BLEEDING HEART'. Rosy purple to pink 3/4" heart-shaped flowers in graceful 9 - 30 flowered racemes. Hardy perennial to 6 - 24", with attractive ferny foliage. Moist areas, B.C. to central California. Good in part shade, blooms late spring or summer, often reblooming later. Zone 3. Variable dormancy, try 4 - 10 weeks warm followed by 12 weeks prechill, or sow in fall. GA-3 may help.
"Things are not always what they seem."—Phaedrus.
DICTAMNUS (dik-TAM-nus)
RUTACEAE. 'DITTANY', 'BURNING BUSH', 'GAS PLANT'. An old garden favorite, grown for its showy flowers and the strongly lemon-scented foliage. Good cut flower. Makes bold upright clumps to 2 - 3 feet, with glossy foliage. Best in rich soil and full sun or part shade. Drought resistant. Dislikes transplanting. Sow in fall or give 3 months cold treatment for high germination. Plant 1" deep, as seed 'floats'. "Established plants will bloom in their third year from seed. By the fifth year they are heavy bloomers... Will live over 100 years, and is geared for tough conditions. It is rabbit and deer proof. Cut flowers last 2 weeks."—P. Pinnow. May cause rash in sensitive people.
The name comes from the peculiar property of giving a flash of light if a match is held under the flower cluster, near the stem, on hot, still summer evenings. Very long lived—"Instances are known in which it has outlived father, son and grandson in the same spot."—L. H. Bailey.
—Dictamnus albus var. rubra. (25) DICT-1R. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Ounce: $12.00
1/4 Pound: $25.00
Pound: $90.00
'PINK BURNING BUSH'. Pink inch-wide flowers. A fine variety. Eurasia. Zone 3.
DIGITALIS (di-ji-TA-lis)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Showy old-fashioned Eurasian biennials and perennials, grown for their attractive spikes of bell-like flowers. Attracts hummingbirds. Easily grown, self-sowing. Cut main spikes after flowering to prolong bloom. All are Zone 3 unless noted otherwise. All germinate 2 - 3 weeks warm unless noted otherwise.
—Digitalis ferruginea. (=Digitalis aurea) (100) DIG-5. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK - CROP FAILURE
5 grams: $20.00 OUT OF STOCK - CROP FAILURE
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'RUSTY FOXGLOVE'. Rusty-red, downy flowers in long dense spikes. A striking hardy biennial or perennial to 3 - 6 feet. S. Europe. Zone 3. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Digitalis ferruginea 'Gigantea Gelber Herold'. (100) DIG-5GH. Packet: $2.50
Exceptionally large pure yellow flowers from June to August. Hardy biennial or perennial to 5 feet. Zone 7. A very nice form. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Digitalis lanata. (400) DIG-10. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'GRECIAN FOXGLOVE'. Creamy yellow to greyish inch-long flowers in dense racemes in July and August. Hardy perennial or biennial to 3 feet. Greece and the Danube. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Digitalis X mertonensis. (100) DIG-16. Packet: $3.00
Gram: $7.50
Very large crushed-strawberry colored 2" flowers in May and June. Showy hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with glossy dark green leaves. Europe. Zone 3. A stable hybrid from D. grandiflora X purpurea.
—Digitalis obscura. (100) DIG-18. Packet: $2.50
'WILLOW-LEAVED FOXGLOVE'. Yellow, red-veined or orange-red flowers. Slightly woody perennial to 2 feet, with narrow, willow-like foliage. Spain. Zone 4. Dry, well-drained areas. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Digitalis purpurea 'Apricot Beauty'. (1000) DIG-1AB. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
5 grams: $20.00
Unique apricot-pink-orange flowers in long spikes. To 4 feet. Good for cutting. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Digitalis purpurea 'Foxy'. (1000) DIG-1F. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
The first annual foxglove developed, a Silver Medal winner in the 1966 A. A. trials. Blooms in just 5 months from seed, with large, spotted, red, rose, white or yellow flowers in dense spikes. Start early for June bloom at 18" tall, reaching 3 feet.
—Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice'. (500) DIG-1P. Packet: $2.50
Creamy white flowers with deep burgundy throats in June to August. Hardy biennial to 4 feet. Zone 5.
—Digitalis purpurea 'The Shirley'. (1000) DIG-1S. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $9.00
One of the finest, a giant variety to 5 feet, sometimes towering to 9 feet, with long, dense spikes of richly spotted and blotched flowers in rich shades. Developed by Rev. Wilkes, the Shirley poppy man.
—Digitalis purpurea 'Snow Thimble'. (1000) DIG-1ST. Packet: $2.50
A stunning foxglove with spikes of large pure white, unspotted flowers, May to July. To 3 feet. Good for cutting.
—Digitalis purpurea Wild Type. (1000) DIG-1. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $25.00
'COMMON FOXGLOVE'. Purple, mottled 3" tubular flowers in one-sided spikes to 2 feet long. Spectacular hardy biennial to 4 - 7 feet, with a large basal rosette of downy, foot-long leaves the first year. Europe, naturalized in North America. Zone 4. Good in moist shady places. Used medicinally as a cardiac tonic and stimulant. Bees like it. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Digitalis trojana. (200) DIG-36. Packet: $2.50
'HELEN of TROY'. Yellow to amber-brown flowers with white lip and brown and gold-netted throat. Dark green narrow leaves. Biennial to 3 feet. Turkey. Zone 6. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
"Sometimes, there are no answers."—J.L.H.
DIOSPYROS (dee-os-PEE-ros)
EBENACEAE. A large and wide-ranging genus of trees and shrubs, grown for ornament, fruit, timber.
—Diospyros Lotus. (25) DIOS-48. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
1/4 Pound: $20.00
'DATE PLUM'. Small round cherry-sized yellow fruits turn blue-black when ripe. Eaten fresh, dried, or bletted like medlars. When dried they taste a bit like dates. Handsome deciduous tree to 25 - 40 feet, with 5" leaves. Asia. Zone 5. Germinates in 1 - 3 months with no prechill needed.
DIPLOTAXIS (dip-lo-TAX-is)
CRUCIFERAE. Eurasian annuals and perennials.
—Diplotaxis tenuifolia. (=muralis) (500) DIPL-24. Packet: $2.50 EU ORGANIC
Gram: $7.50
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'WILD ARUGULA', 'SYLVETTA'. Yellow flowers on a hardy perennial to 12", with aromatic leaves. Mediterranean. Zone 5. Young leaves and flowers eaten raw in salads, or cooked in dishes for for flavoring. Heat-resistant, a good arugula substitute in warm climates. Organic.
DODECATHEON (do-DEK-a-THEE-on)
PRIMULACEAE. 'SHOOTING STARS'. Beautiful N. American and Siberian perennials with attractive flowers. Grown in well drained soil in the wild or rock garden. Name means 'twelve gods'. It is said that the 30 species may all be a single, variable species. Most germinate readily after 6 - 8 weeks cold treatment, some without cold. Seed half-life 6 years.
—Dodecatheon Hendersonii. (25) DODE-12. Packet: $2.50
'SAILOR'S-CAP', 'MOSQUITO-BILLS'. White to magenta 3/4" flowers in clusters on slender stems to 18", March to May, above a rosette of oval leaves. BC to California. Zone 6. Prechill seed.
—Dodecatheon Meadia 'Deluxe Mix'. (100) DODE-17D. Packet: $2.50
'SHOOTING STARS'. Beautiful small nodding flowers in clusters, in shades of white, pink, red, and lilac, May to June, on stems to 16". Hardy perennial woodland plant. N. America. Zone 3. Prechill seed 8 weeks.
DOLICHOS (DOLL-i-kos)
LEGUMINOSAE. Fast growing tropical annual and perennial twiners with attractive Wisteria-like flowers and pods. Blooms freely from July to October. Grown for food, forage, ornament, and analytical work. Likes warm, rich, moist soil. In the greenhouse, they can be flowered three to an 8" pot. Soak seed till swollen, hot water may help. Sow indoors in pots in March to germinate in about 1 - 3 weeks. Plant out in warm weather. Seed viable 4 - 10 years.
—Dolichos Lablab 'Red Leaved'. (20) DOLC-4RL. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
1/4 pound: $20.00
Pound: $50.00
Striking variety with red leaves. Unusual! Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
'HYACINTH BEAN'. Showy large purple Wisteria-like 3/4" flowers in upright 6" spikes, followed by 2 1/2 - 5" pods filled with dark seeds. Large broad leaves. Tender perennial to 10 - 20 feet, grown as an annual in the U.S. Eagerly grazed by cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, excellent green manure and erosion control. Adapted to 8 - 100" precipitation, many soil types, and is nitrogen fixing. The ripe seeds contain 20 - 28% protein, and are boiled for food (the water discarded), or sprouted like mung. Young green seeds eaten cooked, and immature pods are an excellent table vegetable. Young leaves cooked like spinach, and the flowers are eaten raw, steamed, or added to soups. The large, starchy root is said to be edible. Soak, nick unswollen, to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Dolichos Lablab 'Ruby Moon'. (20) DOLC-4RU. Packet: $4.00
25 grams: $17.00
100 grams: $50.00
An improved red-leaved form, with dark green and red leaves, purple flowers, and glossy purple pods.
DRACAENA (dra-SAY-na or dra-KAY-na)
AGAVACEAE. Tropical, mostly African Yucca-like trees and shrubs. Good in California.
—Dracaena Draco. (10) DRAC-16. Packet: $2.50
100 seed: $7.50
1000 seed: $50.00
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'DRAGON -TREE', 'DRAGON'S-BLOOD TREE'. Narrow sword-like 2 foot grey-green leaves in large round heads. Slow-growing tree to 70 feet, with a broad crown and clusters of flowers followed by red berries. Thick trunk. Canary Islands. Zone 10. Reaches great age. Endangered in habitat, but cultivated and naturalized elsewhere—preservation through dissemination. Germinates in 1 - 3 months.
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, and flowers well in 6" pots. Seed half-life 3 years.
—Dracocephalum Moldavica. (100) DRPH-14. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'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.
NEW—Dracocephalum renattii. (25) DRPH-21. Packet: $2.50
Creamy white inch-long flowers flushed red at the base, in woolly spikes. Low perennial to 10", with 1" leaves. Morocco. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks or so.
DURANTA
VERBENACEAE. Warm region ornamental shrubs and trees.
—Duranta repens. (25) DURA-3. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $7.50
50 grams: $50.00
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'SKY FLOWER', 'GOLDEN-DEWDROP'. Lilac-blue 1/2" flowers in 6" clusters, followed by yellow 1/2" fruits. Small tree to 18 feet, with drooping branches. Florida to Brazil. Zone 9. Attracts butterflies, fast growing, likes moisture. Germinates in 4 - 8 weeks or so.
DYSPHANIA: See Chenopodium ambrosioides