SCROPHULARIACEAE. Showy herbs with spikes of purple red or white tubular flowers and finely divided leaves. Easy from seed, may take 6 - 7 weeks to germinate at cool temperatures. Some may be root parasitic. Some are medicinal. Prefers moist soil & part shade.
—Pedicularis crenulata. (a!,g) PEDI-8. Packet: $2.00
'PURPLE LOUSEWORT'. Curved purple hooded 3/4" flowers in dense 1 - 5" spikes. Hardy white-downy perennial to 8 - 16", with scalloped-edged 4" leaves. Colorado to California.
—Pedicularis groenlandica. (b,g) PEDI-16. Packet: $2.00
'ELEPHANT HEADS'. Red, pink & white fragrant 3/4" flowers in spikes, each with a curved beak. They bear an uncanny resemblance to an elephant's head, ears & trunk. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with feathery divided 6" leaves. Moist mountain meadows, northern and western North America. Use GA-3 or give 8 weeks cold to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
PELARGONIUM (pe-lar-GO-nee-um)
GERANIACEAE. Widely distributed herbs and succulents grown for their showy flowers or scented leaves. Excellent for bedding or house plants. Easily grown in well-drained soil, in full sun outdoors, or in cool part of the greenhouse. Keep on the dry side in winter. Blooms best when pot bound, and many are good in hanging baskets. Germinates best with a light nicking, in 1 - 8 weeks. Seed viable about 3 years.
NEW—Pelargonium Scented Mixed. (c,g) PELA-SX. Packet: $2.00
'SCENTED GERANIUM'. Mostly Rose (P. graveolens) and Peppermint Lace, with some Oakleaf (P. quercifolia).
PELTOBOYKINIA (pel-to-boy-KIN-ee-a)
SAXIFRAGACEAE. Two Japanese perennials.
—Peltoboykinia tellimoides. (a,l) PELTB-4. Packet: $2.50
Striking basal rosettes of 6 - 12" wide 7 - 9-lobed rounded leaves. Clusters of yellowish 1/2" flowers on stalks to 3 feet. Mountains of Japan. Valued as a decorative groundcover for moist semi-shade, and at the water's edge. Needs cold and light, or GA-3 to germinate.
PENSTEMON (PEN-ste-mon or pen-STE-mon)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. 'BEARD-TONGUE'. Popular perennials and shrublets grown for their showy spring and summer tubular blooms. Many are Western U.S. natives and are good, drought-resistant landscaping material. Best in well-drained soil and full sun. Don't over-water. Excellent in rockeries or pots. Many easy from seed. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks and up, most of the perennials within 2 months, some species up to 4 months. Sow early, January to April depending on time needed, as cool temperatures are best. Seed long lived, with half-life of 4 - 8 years. Many fine ornamentals in this genus.
Many of the more difficult species are best germinated with 250ppm GA-3, then 8 weeks cold (up to 12 - 16 weeks cold for real tough ones). More than 250ppm will give too much etiolation (stretching). They often germinate at cold temperatures.
—Penstemon Digitalis Red Husker. (b,h) PENS-52R. Packet: $3.00
An improved selection from Husker's Red, with showy white flowers with a pink tinge, June to August, and bold brownish-red foliage. Hardy perennial to 3 feet. "I'd given up on Red Husker in our area, as the plants of all other selections that I'd tried were spindly, with flowers that weren't worth the trouble of having the plant, and most plants couldn't survive our climate." —H.M., Maryland. Best germination with GA-3 plus 8 weeks cold plus sowing on the surface.
—Penstemon Eatonii. (b,h) PENS-57. Packet: $2.00
'FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON'. Large scarlet 1 1/4" tubular flowers. Perennial to 3 feet, with narrow 4" leaves. SW deserts. Does well in hot desert regions. Germinates best at cold temperatures (40°F) in about 2 - 8 weeks, but often germinates at warm temperatures.
—Penstemon fruticosus var. Scouleri. (a,h) PENS-62S. Packet: $2.00
'SCOULER'S SHRUB PENSTEMON'. Lilac 2" flowers held above a low shrub to 1 1/2 feet. Narrow 2" leaves. N. Washington and B.C. Nice species.
—Penstemon hirsutus v. pygmaea. (b,g) PENS-85P. Packet: $3.00 Click for photo »
Violet-blue 3/4" flowers in large clusters. Hardy perennial to 4" high and 15" across. Rocky Mountains. Zone 3. Germinates in about 2 - 8 weeks. "This is a dandy... does well in gardens across the country... covered with violet-blue 'dragons'." —Bertrand.
NEW—Penstemon Newberryi. (a.g) PENS-107. Packet: $2.00
'MOUNTAIN PRIDE'. Abundant rose-red 1 1/4" flowers in summer. Hardy, mat-forming perennial to 1 foot tall and 2 - 3 feet wide, with inch-long leaves. California and Nevada. Zone 6 or 7. Germinates best at cool temperatures, or use GA-3.
—Penstemon Palmeri. (a,h) PENS-121. Packet: $2.00
Tall spikes of white to lavender 1 1/4" flowers, 3/4" wide. Robust perennial to 2 - 5 feet, with whitish blue 6" leaves. Utah to Arizona. Needs hot, dry sunny spots and well-drained gravelly soil. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Penstemon pruinosus. (a!,h) PENS-127. Packet: $2.00
'CHELAN PENSTEMON'. Deep indigo to blue-purple 1/2" tubular flowers in whorled spikes in May to July. Hardy perennial to 1 - 2 feet, with long-petioled, spoon-shaped basal leaves. B.C. to Washington.
NEW—Penstemon Rydbergii. (a!,l) PENS-140. Packet: $2.00
Small deep indigo blue 3/4" flowers. Hardy perennial to 8 - 18". Colorado Rockies to 14,500 feet. Germination variable, sometimes coming up in 1 - 20 weeks warm, other times needing a prechill.
—Penstemon strictus. (b,h) PENS-152. Packet: $2.00
'ROCKY MOUNTAIN PENSTEMON'. Purple to deep blue inch-long flowers in dense spikes in summer. Hardy perennial to 1 - 3 feet. Rocky Mountains. Drought resistant, thriving in gravelly soil. Good hummingbird plant and erosion control. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
—Penstemon virens. (b,g) PENS-198. Packet: $2.00
'MAT PENSTEMON'. Deep blue inch-long tubular flowers in dense 6 - 8" spikes in summer. Hardy perennial forming 4" tall mats of glossy deep green 3" leaves. Colorado. Give GA-3 plus 6 weeks cold.
"One need only act, without fear of punishment and without hope of reward; act from the center of one's soul." —U. K. LeGuin.
PETALOSTEMON (pe-tal-o-STEE-mon)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'PRAIRIE-CLOVER'. North American perennial herbs or sub-shrubs with spikes of white, pink or violet flowers, with long slender-clawed petals. Very attractive bushy plants with finely cut pinnate foliage, giving a constant succession of showy bloom. Good in the border, rock garden or wild garden. Should be grown more.
—Petalostemon purpureum. (b,h) PETA-19. Packet: $2.00
'PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER', 'THIMBLEWEED'. Rose-purple flowers in dense 2" spikes. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with very narrow leaves. Dry prairies of the Plains States. The leaves were used as tea, roots chewed by Indians. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
PETUNIA (pe-TOON-ya)
SOLANACEAE. The most popular annual bedding plant in the world. Showy & night-fragrant, they bloom all summer & into autumn, and winter bloom in 6" pots can be had from seed sown in July or cuttings taken before frost. Best in full sun and light, well-drained soil. Best sown on the surface, indoors, 10 - 12 weeks before last frost. Germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks at 60°F. Seed half-life 4 - 6 years. The smallest seedlings often produce the best colors. Space 12 - 18" apart. "There is hardly any other flower that will give as much bloom, with as little care, as will the Petunia." —Harry E. Saier.
Petunia hybrida Open Pollinated Varieties:
If you are as sick as I am of the modern, over-hybridized F-1 Petunias, try these old-fashioned varieties. They still look like flowers, instead of 'mutant blobs of color' as one gardener described the F-1s. Much easier than the hybrids, tolerating more adversity, strong growing and free flowering, and decent-sized packets, too. "The high-bred types require more care in the growing." —L. H. Bailey, 1917.
The old open pollinated petunias are rapidly vanishing from the trade.
—Petunia Kentucky Old Fashioned. (a,h) PET-5KX. Packet: $2.50
From Thelma Holland of Kentucky. "I have had these for about 15 years. They were given to me by a man in his 90's who got them from his mother, who lived to be 104 years old. He said his mother had these for as long as he could remember. I never replant the seeds myself. They just fall and come back next spring, then I transplant them wherever I want them. They grow 2 - 3 feet tall and when they finish blooming, I cut them off about 4 - 5" above the soil, and in 3 - 4 weeks they are blooming again. They bloom from early spring until the first hard frost in the fall. The flowers aren't as large as the newer types of petunias, but I like these much better..." Many types of bloom, rose-pink, fuchsia, burgundy, purple, dark purple, deep royal purple, light and dark lavender, and a very few whites and reds. Each color usually makes three types: solid, with white star, and with white edge, the whites with variously colored stars or edges. She lists over thirty types that appear. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Petunia integrifolia (=violacea) (b,h) PET-22. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 80% Tested: 10/07, 1/2 Oz: $6.00, Oz: $9.00
'WILD PETUNIA'. Rosy-purple inch-wide flowers with dark throats. Annual to 8" high & spreading to 18" across. Argentina. Germinates in 1 week and blooms in 90 days. The original petunia, parent with P. axillaris, of modern petunias. This is where it all started! Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
PHACELIA (fa-SEE-lee-a)
HYDROPHYLLACEAE. Showy Western Hemisphere annuals and perennials with pinnately-divided leaves and curved spikes of flowers. Best in full sun, giving a profusion of bloom. May cause rash in some.
—Phacelia campanularia. (a!,h) PHAC-2. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 86% Tested: 12/07, Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
'DESERT or 'CALIFORNIA BLUEBELLS'. Brilliant royal blue, bell-shaped, inch-wide flowers, produced abundantly 2 months from seed. Hardy annual to 6 - 9", good for carpeting or edging. Stems and leaf-edges are red, and are fragrant when bruised. California deserts. Best in poor, dry, sandy soil. Makes a nice pot plant. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
PHALARIS (fa-LAR-is or FAL-ar-is)
GRAMINEAE. Ornamental annual and perennial grasses; about 15 species of the North Hemisphere. Robust, hardy plants, grown for birdseed, forage, erosion control, wildlife food, and ornament.
—Phalaris aquatica (=tuberosa). (b,h) PHAL-3. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
'HARDING GRASS'. Half-hardy perennial bunch grass to 4 - 6 feet, with dense 2 - 6" spikes. Mediterranean; naturalized in California & Australia. Excellent erosion control, good wildlife food & cover, highly ornamental and stands considerable hard frost & dry hillsides. Fire resistant. Germinates in - 3 weeks.
—Phalaris arundinacea. (a!,h) PHAL-4. Packet: $1.25
Germination: 87% Tested: 8/07, 1/4 lb: $8.00, lb: $15.00, 5 lb: $60.00
'REED CANARY GRASS', 'BRIDES' LACES'. Tall perennial to 2 - 6 feet, with 8" spikes. North America and Eurasia. A valuable ornamental for wet swampy ground, and along the edges of ponds and streams. One of our finest native grasses, which is being exterminated in many areas by anti-exotics fanatics who falsely claim it is an 'alien species'! Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
PHILODENDRON (FEE-lo-DEN-dron)
ARACEAE. Popular tropical American aroids, most vines or shrubs. Grown in the greenhouse or as long-lived house plants. Probably 500 species. Easy.
NEW—Philodendron Selloum. (d,h) PHILO-76. Packet: $2.00
Huge, deeply-divided 3 foot dark green leaves on an upright shrub to 6 feet. S. Brazil. Juvenile leaves arrowhead-shaped, not divided. Stands some frost, probably down to 20°F, Zone 9. "The hardiest big-leafed Philodendron used outdoors." —Sunset. Easy from seed which germinates in 4 - 8 weeks.
PHLOMIS (FLOW-mis)
LABIATAE. Vigorous perennials with whorled, yellow, purple or white flowers and often woolly foliage. The tall kinds are good in the back border and wild garden. Most stand drought and poor soil, full sun and dry slopes suit them well. Easy, old-fashioned garden plants. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
—Phlomis cashmeriana. (c,g) PHLO-8. Packet: $2.50
Lavender inch-long flowers in whorls in summer. Woolly hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with 7" leaves. Himalayas. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Phlomis Russeliana. (d,g) PHLO-21. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $12.00
Yellow, curved 1 1/2" flowers in stacked whorls, May to September. Hardy perennial to 3 - 4 feet, with attractive 8" pointed leaves. Turkey. The basal rosettes make an attractive spreading groundcover. Dried seedstalks nice in arrangements. Bee plant. Sun or part shade, stands drought. Give seed GA-3 to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Phlomis tuberosa. (d,g) PHLO-84. Packet: $4.00 Click for photo »
Violet 3/4" flowers in whorls in foot-long spikes, June to August. Hardy perennial to 3 - 6 feet, with large 10" leaves. Central Eurasia. Hardy to Zone 5 at least. The tuberous roots are eaten by the Kalmyks of central Asia. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
PHOENIX (FEE-nix)
PALMAE. About 17 species of palms ranging from tall trees to dwarf trunkless plants. Good tub plants in the North, or outdoors in California and the South. Seeds germinate in one to several months at very warm temperatures and are long lived.
—Phoenix canariensis. (e,g) PHOE-2. Packet: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
1/4 lb: $8.00 OUT OF STOCK
Click for photo »
'CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM'. Massive palm to 50 feet, with fronds 20 feet long. Clustered yellow 3/4" fruits on female trees. Canary Islands. Fruits small & dry but eaten in times of want; also produces sweet sap. "...the noblest of all phoenixes, and one of the most majestic palms in cultivation. Its rate of growth is astonishing... the gem of the genus." —W. H. Talpin. Naturalized in California and elsewhere, a fine example of horticulture helping a rare endemic reach new habitat.
—Phoenix Roebelinii. (d,h) PHOE-13. Packet: $2.00
100 seed: $6.00, 500 seed: $22.00
'PYGMY DATE PALM'. Tiny palm to about 6 feet, with small, 1 - 4 foot shining dark green fronds and tiny black fruit. Slow growing elegant pot plant, best in part to full shade or indoors. Laos. Germinates in about 8 - 12 weeks very warm.
PHORMIUM (FOR-mee-um)
AGAVACEAE. Bold New Zealand perennials for mild climates. Fast and easily grown and probably root-hardy to 0°F. Stands almost any soil, heat, salt spray, drought etc. Makes nice specimen plants.
NEW—Phormium tenax variegatum. (d,f) PHOR-4V. Packet: $2.00
5 grams: $9.00
'VARIEGATED NEW ZEALAND FLAX'. Bold clumps of sword-shaped leaves up to 9 feet long and 5" wide, striped with creamy yellow and white. Dull red tubular 1 - 2" flowers in large branching spikes to 15 feet tall. New Zealand. Leaves long used by the Maoris for the tough fiber. The flowers are filled with a remarkable quantity of sweet nectar which can be sucked with a straw.
PHYSALIS (FI-sal-is)
SOLANACEAE. Widespread annual and perennial herbs grown for their flowers and ornamental or edible fruits, enclosed in a papery husk. Easily grown in a warm, sunny spot. Start indoors early.
—Physalis Alkekengi (=Franchetii). (b,h) PHYS-5. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% GA-3 Tested 2/08, 695 per gram, 10 grams: $6.00
'CHINESE LANTERN PLANT', 'WINTER CHERRY', 'STRAWBERRY TOMATO', 'ALKEKENGI' (Arabic name). Brilliant orange to blood red inflated 2" calyces surrounding the red berries. Excellent in dried arrangements. Half hardy bushy perennial to 3 feet. Often grown as an annual. Asia. The berries are said to have a sweet acid flavor and have been eaten raw or cooked, & as a diuretic. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Physalis coztomalt. (b,h) PHYS-7. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
Shrubby perennial species with attractive small fruits surrounded by long pointed husks. Unusual. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm.
—Physalis peruviana (=edulis) (c,h) PHYS-64. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 98% Tested: 11/07, 1180 per gram, 5 grams: $10.00
'GOLDENBERRY', 'POHA', 'TOPO TOPO', 'CAPE GOOSEBERRY'. Bright yellow marble-sized berries enclosed in a husk. Yellow bell-shaped flowers. Bushy tender perennial to 6 feet. Andes. The ripe fruit are delicious eaten raw in salads or made into jams or preserves, sauces, or dried like raisins. Easily grown, yielding 3 - 30 tons per hectare. Long season, best in poor soil and warm areas. Seed is viable 4 - 5 years and germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
PHYSOSTEGIA (fi-so-STEE-jee-a)
LABIATAE. 'FALSE DRAGONHEAD'. Ornamental hardy American perennials with spikes of showy flowers. Easily grown in sun or part shade & moist soil. Beautiful in the border or wild garden. Excellent for cut flowers, which remain in whatever position they are bent, hence the name 'Obedient Plant'. Sow from January to May, germinates in 1 - 4 weeks at warm temperatures, with some stragglers.
—Physostegia virginiana Rose Crown. (d,h) PHOS-4R. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $9.00
'ROSE OBEDIENT PLANT'. Large, rose, inch-long snapdragon-like flowers in dense 10" spikes in summer. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with narrow leaves. E. U.S. Easily grown hardy florist material.
—Physostegia virginiana Snow Crown. (c,h) PHOS-4W. Packet: $2.50
'OBEDIENT PLANT'. Large, white, inch-long snapdragon-like flowers in dense 10" spikes in summer. Hardy perennial to 2 feet, with narrow leaves. E. U.S. Easily grown and very hardy. The attractive spikes of flowers are good for florist production.
PHYTOLACCA (fi-to-LA-ka)
PHYTOLACCACEAE. About 25 species ranging from herbs to trees. Grown for ornament, food & medicine. Easily grown in most soils. Seed long-lived (40 years or more), and may germinate readily; some need cold treatment. An interesting and often bizarre genus, one species was alleged to generate a strong electric charge. The young shoots of several are eaten, though mature leaves and roots are poisonous. Previous recommendations of boiling in 2 waters were overcautious- P. americana has been grown as a commercial vegetable near Philadelphia for 200 years. As one fellow wrote- "Anyone who says you should boil poke should be required to boil their asparagus!" Sieve-tubes with P-type plastids.
—Phytolacca acinosa. (d,v) PHYO-2. Packet: $2.50
'HIMALAYAN POKEBERRY'. Long racemes of white flowers followed by long columns of shining black berries. Hardy perennial to 3 - 5 feet, with large leaves up to 10" long which provide autumn color. Himalayas to 9,000 feet, through China and Japan. The young leaves, cooked well in several changes of water are eaten in India. The root is used medicinally, and in ancient China were used by sorcerers. May be synonymous with P. esculenta.
—Phytolacca americana. (b,g) PHYO-4. Packet: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
'POKE', 'SKOKE', 'POCAN', 'CANCER-ROOT'. Small white or purplish flowers in 6" spikes followed by attractive purple berries. Hardy perennial to 12 feet, with bold foliage and purplish stems. E. N. America. The young shoots to 6" tall are esteemed as a succulent vegetable. Root poisonous but a valuable medicine. Berries eaten by birds but toxic to people. Kills the snails that carry bilharzia. Give seed 3 months cold treatment to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. Year-old seed gives better germination. I had excellent results self-treating for Lyme disease with Phytolacca americana root—this publication is to place this information in the public domain in order to prevent possible future patenting.
—Phytolacca americana Silberstein. (c,g) PHYO-4S. Packet: $2.00 Click for photo »
'VARIEGATED POKE'. Leaves have moderate heavy white borders and/or flecking. Variable from seed, some plants with stable variegation, others put out some green shoots. Interesting. Give seed 8 - 12 weeks pre-chill to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks. Very nice!
—Phytolacca chilensis. (c,h) PHYO-8. Packet: $2.00
'CHILEAN POKE', 'CARMIN'. Long spikes of purple berries on a hardy annual to 7 feet. Chile. "Quite different. Non-invasive." —Gatard. Germinates readily in 6 - 8 weeks warm.
—Phytolacca insularis: See Reserved Access page.