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 & blues. Many of the perennials prefer cool moist spots. Easy from seed sown on the surface. Seed viable 2 - 5 years. Smoke treatment may help germination.
—Lobelia cardinalis. (a,l-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. 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 Crimson Fountain. ( a!,h) LOB-10CF. Packet: $2.00
Rich ruby red flowers with light eye. Trailing annual, ideal for hanging baskets. Germinates in a week.
—Lobelia Erinus Crystal Palace. (a!,h) LOB-10CP. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 89% Tested: 9/07, 5 grams: $5.00 (about 156,000 seed)
Deep cobalt-blue flowers. Bronzy foliage, to 4". Annual.
—Lobelia Erinus Lilac Fountains. (b,h) LOB-10L. Packet: $2.00
1/2 gram: $6.00
Unique lilac shade, trailing, free-blooming annual, good in hanging baskets. Germinates in a week.
—Lobelia Erinus White Lady. (b,h) LOB-10W. Packet: $2.00
1/2 gram: $6.00
Compact type, more mounding than trailing, with abundant pure white flowers. Annual. Germinates in 1 week.
—Lobelia Erinus pendula Sapphire. (a!,h) LOB-10S. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 70% Tested: 12/07, Gram: $6.00
Large blue flowers with white throats. Annual. Nice.
—Lobelia fulgens Queen Victoria. (b,h) LOB-12V. Packet: $2.50
Deep scarlet 1 1/2" flowers. Bronze leaves. Perennial to 17 - 48". A striking variety. Germinates in 3 weeks.
—Lobelia inflata. (a!,l-h) LOB-17. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00
'INDIAN TOBACCO'. Light blue 1/4" flowers followed by inflated pods. Annual to 1 - 3 feet, with oval, 3 1/2" leaves. E. U.S. This medicinal herb was very popular with the Indians. The herb should be collected in August to September, and dried carefully. Sow seed on a thin layer of wood ashes or use GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
—Lobelia siphilitica. (a,l-h) LOB-29. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 12/07, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $14.50, 10 grams: $25.00
'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. 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.
—Lobelia siphilitica alba. (b,g) LOB-29A. Packet: $2.50
The lovely white-flowered form. Germinates in 2 weeks.
—Lobelia tenuior Blue Wings. (a!,h) LOB-34B. Packet: $2.00
Abundant gentian-blue inch-wide flowers. Annual to 10", with narrow leaves. W. Australia. Blooms in 3 months from seed, and often covers itself with bloom. Prechill seed or use GA-3.
LOTUS (LOW-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.
—Lotus corniculatus. (a!,h) LOTU-4. Packet: $1.00
Germination: 72% Tested: 10/07, 1/4 lb: $6.00
'BIRD'S FOOT TREFOIL', 'BABY'S SLIPPER'S', 'BACON & EGGS'. Bright yellow flowers often streaked with red, in clusters of 5 - 10 in summer & fall. Hardy perennial forming dense mats of dark green leaves, sometimes rising to 2 feet. Eurasia. Good in the rock garden, for cascading down walls, or can be mowed as a lawn substitute.
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: $2.00
Oz: $5.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'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 & 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 rediviva: See Reserved Access page.
LUPINUS (LOO-pin-us)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy herbs & shrubs grown for their spikes of bright flowers, as soil-builders, erosion control, forage, food & 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 argenteus. (d,g) LUP-9. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 1/08, 1/2 Oz $7.00
'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. Stands drought and cold. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Lupinus polyphyllus. (d,h) LUP-46. Packet: $2.00
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. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Lupinus texensis. (b,h) LUP-76. Packet $1.50
Germination: 54% Tested: 10/07, Oz: $5.00
'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 seed to germinate in 2 - 4 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 & 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 alpina (=Viscaria alpina) (a,h) LYCH-2. Packet: $2.00
'ARCTIC or ALPINE CAMPION'. Pink to rosy purple flowers in clusters. Tufted hardy perennial to 12", with narrow leaves. Arctic and subarctic Eurasia and N. America. "An attractive alpine." —Bailey. "Used as a copper indicator in Norway and nickel indicator in Finland." —Mabberly.
—Lychnis X Arkwrightii Vesuvius. (b,h) LYCH-4V. Packet: $2.00
Brilliant orange-scarlet 1 1/2" wide flowers in heads of 5 - 10 blooms, June & July. Hardy perennial to 1 1/2 feet, with dark purplish foliage. Choice. Germinates in 1 week.
—Lychnis chalcedonica. (a!,h) LYCH-7. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 86% Tested: 10/07, 1/4 Oz: $5.00, Oz: $12.00
'MALTESE CROSS', 'SCARLET LIGHTNING'. Brilliant scarlet inch-wide flowers in dense clusters of 10 - 50 blooms, in June & July. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with dark green foliage. Siberia. "One of the best of all old-fashioned flowers." —Bailey.
—Lychnis chalcedonica Carnea. (b,h) LYCH-7C. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 82% Tested: 1/08, Gram: $6.00, 5 Grams: $15.00 (about 2090 seeds per gram)
'PINK MALTESE CROSS'. Salmon pink to white inch-wide flowers in large round clusters, June to August. Hardy perennial to 4 feet, with dark green foliage. Siberia. Zone 4. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Lychnis Coronaria (=Agrostemmma Coronaria) (a,h) LYCH-10. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/07, 5 grams: $6.00, 25 grams: $20.00
'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. "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: $2.00
Germination: 74% Tested: 10/07, 5 grams: $6.00, 10 grams: $9.00
'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: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 1/08, Gram: $5.00, 5 Grams: $10.00
'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. "An old-time and deserving favorite, blooming profusely and for most of the season." —Bailey.
—Lychnis Viscaria splendens. (a!,h) LYCH-30S. Packet: $2.00 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. "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: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
Germination: 88% Tested: 7/07, 1/2 Oz: $6.00 (about 15,700 seed), Oz: $10.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK
'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, 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 & brightening the eye." —Pen Ts'ao.
NEW—Lycium exsertum. (a!,h) LYCI-22. Packet: $2.00
'WOLFBERRY'. Profuse small lavender flowers followed by abundant bright red edible berries. Spiny shrub to 3 - 6 feet. Low deserts, Arizona & 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.
LYCOPERSICON (li-ko-PER-si-con)
SOLANACEAE. South American herbs with edible berries. Includes the familiar tomato. Easy.
—Lycopersicon hirsutum. (c,g) LYCO-11. Packet: $2.00
Wild relative of the tomato, with small green downy fruits turning brown at maturity. Forms a large scrambling bush to 6 feet wide, with many yellow flowers. Chile. Fruits edible, the pulp a good tomatillo substitute in sauces. Fresh seed needs GA-3, year-old seed germinates in 1 - 7 weeks warm.
LYCOPUS (li-KO-pus)
LABIATAE. Rhizomatous hardy perennials with whorled, bell-shaped flowers. Good in wild gardens.
NEW—Lycopus europaeus. (b,f) LYCP-8. Packet: $2.00
'GYPSYWOR T'. Small white flowers with purple dots, in dense whorls. Hardy perennial to 1 - 3 feet, with deeply cut 4" leaves. Eurasia. Zone 5. Used medicinally as a sedative, and the roots were used to dye the skin dark. Interesting.
LYSILOMA (lee-si-LOW-ma)
LEGUMINOSAE. Tropical and subtropical American Mimosa-like trees, rarely seen in cultivation.
—Lysiloma Thornberi. (e,h) LYSIL-23. Packet: $2.00
Seed has been treated with Sevin, then washed.
'DESERT FERN'. White puff-like 1/2" flowers in May & June. Shrub or small tree to 3 - 10 feet, with a spreading crown of dense, feathery bipinnate 6" leaves. Endemic to a small area of S. Arizona. Stands some frost, and good in warm deserts or the greenhouse. Soak seed, nick hard ones, germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.