CACTACEAE. Tree-like to prostrate columnar cacti valued for their large, showy, night-blooming flowers. Fast growing and easy from seed, they take rich soil and plenty of water in the growing season, making them ideal cacti for beginners. Several of them will stand considerable frost, probably down to 10°F. Sow on the surface of a sandy, well-drained mix. Gibberellic acid may double germination.
—Trichocereus Bridgesii X peruvianus. TRCH-6P. Packet: $3.50
Seed from bridgesii X peruvianus crosses.
—Trichocereus Pachanoi X Bridgesii. TRCH-34B. Packet: $3.50
Seed from Pachanoi X bridgesii crosses.
—Trichocereus pallarensis X Pachanoi OST90641. (25) TRCH-36P. Packet: $3.50
T. pallarensis is a rare columnar cactus similar to Pachanoi, with somewhat longer spines. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks warm.
—Trichocereus peruvianus. (25) TRCH-42. Packet: $2.50
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'PERUVIAN TORCH'. Stout, often bluish-green columns to 6 - 15 feet and 6 - 8" thick, with 6 - 8 ribs and stout 1 1/2" spines. Large, showy, white, sweet-scented 10" flowers bloom at night. Peruvian Andes to 7000 feet or more. Easy and fast-growing, standing some frost. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks with GA-3.
TRICYRTIS (tri-SIR-tis)
LILIACEAE. About a dozen Asian half-hardy perennials valued for their beautiful flowers and attractive foliage. Good in pots, rock gardens and woodland. Hardy to Zone 5 - 7.
—Tricyrtis hirta var. alba. (100) TRIC-4A. Packet: $2.50
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'WHITE TOAD-LILY'. White, orchid-like inch-wide flowers flushed green, in late summer. Hardy perennial to 30", with downy leaves. Japan. Zone 4. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
TRILLIUM (TRIL-ee-um)
LILIACEAE. Well-known wild garden perennials for moist part shade. Sow in pots and hold for several years to overcome dormancy.
—Trillium ovatum. (25) TRIL-18. Packet: $2.50
'WESTERN WAKE-ROBIN'. Showy white 2" flowers fading to rose, musky-scented, in spring. Hardy perennial to 20", with 6" leaves. B.C. to California. Zone 5. Sow in a pot and hold for several seasons, or try warm/cold/warm, and GA-3. Experiments here are ongoing.
"Disobedience, the rarest and most courageous of virtues..."—George Bernard Shaw.
TRITELEIA (tri-te-LEE-a)
LILIACEAE. Western American bulbs with showy six-petaled flowers and grass-like leaves. Best in full sun and well-drained soil. Good in pots. Rest dry.
—Triteleia grandiflora. (15) TRIT-16. Packet: $3.00
Deep blue inch-long flowers in umbels of up to 20 blooms, on a stalk to 1 - 2 feet. Bulb with grass-like leaves. Western US. Zone 5. Said to be one of the tastiest North American bulbs, with a chestnut flavor raw, becoming sweet when cooked. Prechill 6 weeks. For more seeds and plants grown by plant-explorer Ben Kamm, including many Andean rarities, see his website at www.sacredsucculents.com
—Triteleia laxa Wild. (20) TRIT-26W. Packet: $3.50
'GRASS NUT', 'WALLY BASKET'. Lavender 1 - 2" funnel-shaped flowers in open clusters in early summer, above a clump of narrow, grass-like leaves. Half-hardy bulb to 2 feet. California grasslands and open woods. Zone 7. Rest dry in summer. The bulbs were an important food of California Indians, eaten raw or cooked, and the flowers may be added to salads. Sweet nutty flavor. Seed originally from what may be a relict Pomo 'garden'. Germinates in 3 - 16 weeks at cold temperatures. Blooms in 3 - 4 years from seed.
—Triteleia peduncularis. (50) TRIT-34. Packet: $2.50
'LONG-RAYED TRIPLET LILY'. White to lilac inch-long flowers in clusters. Bulb to 2 1/2 feet. West coast ranges. Zone 7.
TROPAEOLUM (tro-pay-O-lum)
TROPAEOLACEAE. 'NASTURTIUM'. Hardy and half-hardy annual and perennial South American herbs. Their brilliant flowers, abundant foliage, and easy culture have made them garden favorites. Good for covering walls or fences, or as prolific, quick-growing ground cover. In mild climates, they may grow and bloom almost year round, making a striking display. Excellent, long-lasting cut flowers. Easily grown, thriving in any warm, sunny place. In rich, moist soil they tend to produce mostly foliage and few flowers, so a poor, dry soil is preferred. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks warm. Seed viable 5 years.
Tropaeolum majus Varieties:
'GARDEN NASTURTIUM'. The common hardy annual, with sweetly fragrant flowers in a range of vivid colors. Also called 'Indian Cress', as the flowers and leaves have a spicy taste and are added to salads. The flower buds and unripe, tender seeds are pickled in vinegar and used as a piquant seasoning, like capers. The leaves and flowers make a delicious, fragrant tea. Stuff the large blooms with nut butter, cheese, etc, for a tasty and visually stunning addition to summer meals. Blooms in 2 - 3 months, and makes long-lasting cut flowers. Easily grown in any well-drained sunny spot, poor soil encouraging bloom. Most seed germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, with stragglers up to 5 weeks.
—Tropaeolum majus nanum 'Alaska Mix'. (25) TROP-5A. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $9.00, 1/4 Pound: $20.00
Variegated foliage, conspicuously marked with creamy white. Bright single flowers in a good range of reds, oranges and yellows. Non-trailing.
—Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India'. (50) TROP-5E. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 Pound: $10.00, Pound: $20.00
Single deep crimson-scarlet flowers on compact plants with dark bluish green foliage. Hardy annual to 9". A traditional favorite, over 100 years old.
—Tropaeolum majus 'Purple Emperor'. (25) TROP-5PE. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50, 100 grams: $20.00
Burgundy-purple flowers fading to lilac. Nice!
—Tropaeolum peregrinum. (25) TROP-7. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $9.00
'CANARY BIRD FLOWER'. Delicate, bright canary-yellow flowers, with curiously fringed upper petals, and narrow lower petals. Five-lobed, light green leaves. Graceful hardy annual vine. A lovely, fast-growing screen, fence cover, etc. Produces a vivid display of the feathery yellow flowers in summer. Reaches 10 - 15 feet. Best in moist soil and light shade. Zone 9. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
TULIPA (TOO-li-pa)
LILIACEAE. Popular hardy spring-blooming bulbs ranging from the Mediterranean to Japan. The wild species tulips will stand poor rocky soil and adverse conditions better than the garden types, and they will bloom for many years without disturbance. May bloom in 3 years from seed. Germination usually occurs at cold (40°F) temperatures.
—Tulipa Sprengeri. (25) TULP-46. Packet: $3.00
Brilliant scarlet-red 2" long flowers with pointed petals. Very late flowering, May and June. Hardy bulb to 12 - 18", with narrow 10" leaves. NW Turkey. Zone 4. Self-sows, and adaptable to sun or part shade. Said to be extinct in the wild—a good candidate for naturalizing! Germinates in 6 - 24 weeks at cold temperatures.
—Tulipa tarda. (25) TULP-50. Packet: $3.50
Starry yellow 2" fragrant flowers with white-tipped petals. Hardy bulb to 6" tall, with narrow leaves. Central Asia. Zone 4. Prechill seed.
TUNICA (TOO-ni-ka)
CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 'TUNIC FLOWER'. Hardy herbaceous annuals and perennials with wiry stems, narrow leaves, and tiny Dianthus-like flowers in clusters. Good for edging in the border or the rock garden. Easy from seed which usually germinates in 4 - 13 days at warm temperatures, and gives high germination for at least 10 years. Some species may require cold, and take up to 2 months to sprout.
—Tunica Saxifraga. (=Petrorhagia Saxifraga) (100) TUNI-22. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $20.00
'COAT FLOWER'. Pale pink 1/4" flowers with notched petals, borne profusely on a tufted spreading perennial to 8 - 10", with narrow grass-like 1/2" leaves. Southern Europe. Zone 4. A fine little plant, easy from seed, and hardy. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
TURBINA: See Rivea corymbosa.