CONVOLVULACEAE. Showy, easily grown, mostly annual tropical twiners. Treat like morning glory. Now generally classed in Mina & Ipomoea.
—Quamoclit pennata White. (b,h) QUAM-4W. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 9/09, 1/2 Oz: $7.50
'WHITE CYPRESS VINE'. The rare white-flowered form. White, starry, trumpet-shaped 1 1/2" flowers. Germinates in 1 - 5 weeks warm.
—Quamoclit X Sloteri. (e,h) QUAM-12. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 9/09, 40/g, 10 grams: $6.00, 25 grams: $10.00
'CARDINAL CLIMBER'. Intense cardinal-red 2" long flowers with white throats. Hardy annual with divided leaves. Hybrid between Quamoclit coccinea & Q. pennata. Striking. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
RAFINESQUIA (ra-fin-ES-kee-a)
COMPOSITAE. Two easily .grown annuals from California & the Southwest. Good in dry areas.
—Rafinesquia californica. (b,h) RAFI-4. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/09, Gram: $6.00
Tall sprays of creamy white inch-wide flowers with golden yellow centers, and reddish stripes on the petal-backs. Tall annual to 1 - 6 feet, with divided foliage. California woods and hills. A lovely plant, unknown in cultivation. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
RATIBIDA (ra-TEE-bee-da)
COMPOSITAE. 'PRAIRIE CONEFLOWER' Hardy perennial North American wildflowers grown for their large, striking, showy yellow to purple flowers. Sow in March & April for possible bloom the first year. Space 1 - 2 feet. Easy from seed in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Ratibida columnifera Red-Yellow. (a!,h) RATI-6RY. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 76% Tested: 9/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
'MEXICAN HAT'. Bright flowers with drooping petals vary from red edged and tipped yellow, to pure yellow. Column-like center. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, with narrow divided foliage, giving a good show in summer. Great Plains, Canada to México. Germinates in about a week, The leaves & flower-heads were used as a tea by Dakota Indians.
—Ratibida columnifera Yellow. (a!,h) RATI-6Y. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 88% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
Bright yellow flowers with drooping petals and a column-like center. Hardy perennial to 3 feet. Great Plains. Good prairie wildflower. The leaves and flowers are used as tea. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
RHODIOLA (ro-dee-O-la)
CRASSULACEAE. Succulent perennials much like Sedum. Easily grown in well-drained soils. Hardy.
—Rhodiola rosea. (b,v) RHDI-21. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 68% GA-3 Tested: 7/09, 1/4 gram: $25.00, Gram: $54.00 ONE GRAM UNITS OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS AND QUARTER-GRAMS ARE AVAILABLE
'ROSE-ROOT'. Dense clusters of yellow flowers in May and June. Very hardy perennial to 10", with crowded succulent grey-green leaves, often tinged red at the base. Northern regions. The leaves have been eaten in salads, steamed, or pickled. The rose-scented root is a valuable medicine, being adaptogenic like ginseng, increasing strength, endurance, learning, memory, is cardioprotective, anti-carcinogenic, and is used for a wide variety of conditions. For a good overview, see Herbalgram No. 56, 2002. Prechill 4 weeks or give GA-3 to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
RHODOCHITON (rho-do-KY-ton)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. A single species. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Rhodochition atrosanguineum. (10,h) RHOC-4. Packet: $3.00
'PURPLE BELL VINE'. Graceful, vigorous & fast-growing vine to 10 feet, with spectacular pendant, fuchsia, five-pointed, bell-shaped calyces, each with deep purple tubular 2" flowers within. Heart-shaped leaves. México. Flowers the first year from seed. Sow early in spring to flower June to frost, or grow as a perennial in the greenhouse. Absolutely choice!
RHODODENDRON (ro-do-DEN-dron)
ERICACEAE. A large genus of shrubs and small trees. Includes Azalea. Highly ornamental, they are some of the most beautiful shrubs in cultivation. Best planted in sheltered places, protected from dry wind and hot sun. Does not like clay or limestone soil; best in well-drained, slightly acidic leaf mold with peat and sandy loam. Sow in early spring on the surface of sand and peat. Place pots in a plastic bag or cover with glass. Germinates in about 6 - 8 weeks at 55ºF. Remove glass when cotyledons are well developed. Prick off into a good potting mix and harden off. The secret to growing good plants is to keep them growing rapidly the first year or two. They should be 1 - 3" tall in 6 months. Never let them dry out and protect from direct sun. Some of the Himalayan species are hardy to Boston.
—Rhododendron macrophyllum. (b,g) RHOD-240. Packet: $2.50
'CALIFORNIA ROSEBAY', 'COAST RHODODENDRON'. Rose-purple bell-shaped 2 1/2" flowers with dark spots, in May & June. Evergreen shrub to 4 - 12 feet, with aromatic 8" leaves. Coastal forests, B.C. to California. State flower of Washington. "It is a shrub so beautiful, we marvel it is not generally cultivated in gardens."—Parsons. Germinates in 2 - 16 weeks.
RHODOTYPOS (ro-do-TEE-pos)
ROSACEAE. A single species.
NEW—Rhodotypos scandens. (25) RHOT-4. Packet: $2.50
'JETBEAD'. White, four-petaled 2" flowers in spring, followed by shiny black seeds in fall. Hardy shrub to 3 - 6 feet or more, with pointed 3" leaves. Japan, China. Zone 5. Give repeated warm/cold cycles and hold pot several years.
RIBES (RI-beez)
GROSSULARIACEAE. Temperate region shrubs grown for their edible fruits or beautiful bloom. Good wildlife food and habitat. Sow in fall or give 3 - 4 months cold treatment, with several cycles of warm & cold may help. Seed long lived, giving high germination for 13 - 17 years of room-temperature storage.
NEW—Ribes cereum. (100) RIBE-8. Packet: $2.50
'WAX CURRANT'. Small white flowers followed by shiny bright red berries. Shrub to 4 feet, with small rounded downy leaves. W. N. America. Zone 5. Berries eaten fresh or dried, and young leaves and flowers eaten. Use GA-3 250ppm, hold pots.
—Ribes sanguineum. (b,h) RIBE-51. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
'RED FLOWERED CURRANT'. Red flowers in clusters followed by bluish black edible fruits. To 12 feet. B.C. to Calif. Give 3 - 4 months cold to germinate in 60 days.
RICINUS (RISS-i-nus)
EUPHORBIACEAE. A single species.
Ricinus communis Varieties:
'CASTOR BEAN', 'PALMA CHRISTI'. Tropical tree to 30 - 40 feet, grown as an annual to 3 - 15 feet in cold winter areas for the bold foliage. Huge palm-like lobed leaves to 1 - 3 feet wide, and 1 - 2 foot long clusters of flowers followed by attractive spiny pods. Good for a quick screen or tropical effect in the border. Any soil but doesn't like wet feet. Thrives in full sun, heat and moisture. In Zones 8 - 10 it is perennial and becomes tree-like.
The poisonous seeds (warn children) are the source of the purgative 'Castor Oil', also used for illumination, soapmaking, lubrication, etc. Much used by the ancient Egyptians, and mentioned by Herodotus. Many medicinal uses. Silkworms can be fed on the leaves. Stems used in papermaking. Ecuadorian Indians string the seeds and burn them like candles. Scalded leaves once used externally as a galactagogue. Foliage sometimes causes rash.
Soak seed overnight & plant in pots to sprout in about 1 - 12 weeks at warm temperatures. Plant out in May. Seed half life about 13 years. A trick which often increases and speeds germination is to break off the "snout" (caruncle) of the seed before planting. Lightly sanding the tip where the "snout" was helps even more on dormant lots. Seed half life about 13 years.
KEEP SEEDS AWAY FROM CHILDREN.
—Ricinus communis Carmencita Red. (5,h) RIC-1C. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 7/09, 25 grams: $15.00, 100 grams: $40.00
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Brilliant red flower buds and seedpods, dark purple-brown leaves. Early blooming, to 5 feet. "An eye-catcher of exotic beauty."—E. Benary. The seedlings often start out green, and turn red later.
"I am still amazed by the Ricinus Carmencitas I grew from your seeds. What a spectacular plant! The leaves are a wonderful, luminous purple in full sun, and the impossibly bright, carmine red seed pods seem to glow from within. In addition, I had 100% germination and the plants thrived with only minimal care."—A. Denman, California, 7/97.
—Ricinus communis Carmencita Pink. (5,h) RIC-1CP. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 7/09, 25 grams: $15.00
Brilliant pink seed heads and dark green foliage on red stems. To 5 feet, early flowering. Nice!
—Ricinus communis New Zealand Purple. (e,h) RIC-1NZ. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 84% Tested: 8/09, 25 grams: $12.00, 100 grams: $40.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
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'NEW ZEALAND PURPLE CASTOR BEAN'. A showy variety with large deep purple leaves and stems. To 8 feet. Choice! Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Ricinus communis sanguineus. (10,h) RIC-1S. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
100 grams: $15.00 OUT OF STOCK
'RED BIG-LEAF CASTOR BEAN'. Large blood-red leaves and bronze stems to 10 feet. Large seed.
—Ricinus communis zanzibariensis. (10,h) RIC-1Z. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 81% Tested: 11/09, 100 grams: $15.00 (NEW BULK PRICE)
'ZANZIBAR BIG-LEAF CASTOR BEAN'. The largest leaves of all, bright green with white veins, up to 3 feet across. No red. Huge plant to 15 feet or more.
ROBINIA (ro-BIN-ee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'LOCUST'. Ornamental deciduous trees and shrubs of North America, grown for their showy white, pink or purple flowers and graceful pinnate foliage. They stand heat, drought and poor soil, and are excellent for erosion control and reclamation. Nitrogen fixing. Good street trees. Nick and soak, to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks or so.
—Robinia Pseudoacacia. (b,h) ROBI-16. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 70% Tested: 8/09, Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $9.00
'BLACK LOCUST', 'FALSE ACACIA'. Fragrant white pea-like flowers in dense clusters to 4 - 8" long in May & June. Open-crowned tree to 80 feet, with graceful pinnate leaves. E. & Central U.S. A valuable and useful tree, producing hard, durable wood, and an excellent fuelwood crop. Produces up to 100 cubic meters per hectare at 10 - 20 years old, and can be coppiced. Good erosion control & soil builder, fixing 600 lbs N/acre in 20 year old stands. Good wildlife browse and bee forage, producing an exceptionally fine honey. The leaves crushed in water have been used to kill flies. The seeds are said to have been boiled for food by the Indians, but are toxic raw. One of our finest native trees. Yet another native species being falsely labeled an alien invader and being killed in the eastern US.
RODGERSIA (RO-jer-see-a)
SAXIFRAGACEAE. Asian woodland perennials preferring light shade to full sun, shelter from wind, & moist, rich deep soil. Related to Astilbe. Easily germinates at about 50° to 70°F.
—Rodgersia aesculifolia. (b,v) RODG-4. Packet: $3.00
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Large horse-chestnut-like 7-parted leaves to 1 1/2 feet across, on fuzzy red stems to 2 - 3 feet tall. Hardy perennial to 3 - 6 feet, with off-pink flowers in large clusters. Central China. "The flower cluster almost reminds me of a starfish. They take a few years to really get established, but what I grow them for isn't so much the flowers, but for the architectural effect of the foliage."—Bertrand. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks.
ROSA (RO-za)
ROSACEAE. Ornamental North Hemisphere shrubs and climbers, widely grown for their attractive flowers. Most are easily grown, the seed best sown in fall for spring germination, with stragglers over several seasons. Try roughing the seed on concrete and soaking a day or two until they sink, then plant in a gallon pot covered with loose, sandy soil. Screen pots to protect from mice and birds, and watch for powdery mildew. Prechill 2 - 3 months if planted out of season.
—Rosa canina. (b,g) ROSE-26. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $9.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'BRIER ROSE', 'WILD ROSE'. White to pinkish single 2" wide flowers in June, followed by red or orange edible hips. Arching shrub to 3 - 10 feet. Eurasia. Hardy to Zone 4. Good understock for grafting. The flowers have a "delicate but refreshing fragrance."—Grieve. The hips were much eaten in Europe, cooked with meats, made into tarts & cookies, jams, jellies & preserves, and were fermented into wine in Russia. The leaves have been used as a fragrant tea. Hips were used medicinally. Best sown in early fall, or give 60 days warm, then cold.
—Rosa chinensis Angel Rose. (d,h) ROSE-35. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF STOCK
Gram: $7.50, 10 grams: $30.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK
Also called 'Fairy Rose', a true miniature to only 10 - 18" tall, with delicate, miniature 1 1/2" flowers in a good range of rose, pink, and white, with a high percentage of doubles. Germinates in 3 - 10 weeks warm, and blooms in 3 - 6 months. Choice!
—Rosa Eglanteria. (b,v) ROSE-50. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00, 1/4 lb $27.00
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'EGLANTINE', 'SWEET BRIAR'. Single bright pink fragrant 2" flowers in June & July. The dark green foliage is deliciously aromatic, with a scent of spicy apples. Hardy shrub to 5 - 8 feet. Europe, W. Asia. "A handsome hardy rose of compact habit..."—Bailey. "Famed for its fragrance of both flower and foliage."—Hilliers. The hips are eaten and made into jelly. The petals are mixed with honey in the Middle Eastern confection called 'gulangabin'.
—Rosa pimpinellifolia. (=spinossissima) (b,v) ROSE-141. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $8.00, 1/4 lb: $16.00
'SCOTCH ROSE', 'PIMPERNEL ROSE'. Creamy white to pale pink or yellow 1 1/2 - 2" flowers are borne in profusion in May and June, followed by shining purple-black 1/2" hips. Rounded spiny shrub to 3 feet, forming a dense mound. Eurasia. Stands seaside conditions and will grow in dunes. The hips are eaten and made into jellies, "being unusually sweet and pleasant-tasting."—Facciola. They can be used for dye, giving a peach or beautiful violet shade. The leaves have been used as tea.
—Rosa rugosa Pink. (b,v) ROSE-131P. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.50
'HEDGEROW ROSE'. Nice large pink single 4" flowers. Shrub to 6 feet, with shining leaves. China, Japan. The plum-sized hips are eaten in Japan. The petals are used as tea in China, thought to soothe the liver. Sow in fall or give 3 - 4 months cold.
ROSCOEA (ros-KO-ee-a)
ZINGIBERACEAE. Thick-rooted perennials from China & the Himalayas. Good in the greenhouse or outdoors in mild climates. Best in peaty loam in part shade, and rest during dormancy.
—Roscoea auriculata. (d,h) ROSC-6. Packet: $3.00
Brilliant purple 1 1/2" flowers in July to September. Perennial to 16", with broad, lance-shaped leaves. Nepal and Sikkim. Zone 6. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
RUBIA (ROO-bee-a)
RUBIACEAE. Widespread herbs with small flowers and whorled leaves. Interesting plants.
—Rubia tinctorum. (e,g) RUBI-23. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF STOCK
'MADDER'. Yellow starry flowers followed by red berries that turn black. Hardy perennial to 4 feet, with narrow 4" whorled leaves. S. Europe. Zone 6. The roots are the source of a brick-red dye. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm.
RUDBECKIA (rud-BECK-ee-a)
COMPOSITAE. Showy annuals & perennials thriving in sun or part shade, giving an abundance of bloom in summer & autumn. Easy in almost any soil. Some are good for cutting. Most germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Rudbeckia hirta Marmelade. (a,h) RUD-6M. Packet: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
10 grams: $9.00 OUT OF STOCK
Golden orange 4" flowers with deep black eye. Hardy annual to 2 feet or so. A nice variety of the classic 'black-eyed-susan'. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Rudbeckia hirta Rustic Dwarf Mix. (a,h) RUD-6R. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 60% Tested: 10/09, 10 grams: $7.50 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Large flowers up to 6" across, in rich shades of yellow, bronze, gold and chestnut, with dark centers. Showy hardy annual to 2 feet. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Rudbeckia subtomentosa. (200) RUD-20. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $20.00
'SWEET CONEFLOWER'. Yellow 3" flowers with purple-brown centers. Hardy perennial to 3 - 4 feet. Wisconsin to Louisiana. Beautiful bloom from August to September. Good in wettish, not swampy ground. Give seed 8 weeks cold to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks warm, or give GA-3 to germinate in 2 - 8 weeks.
"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern."—Lord Acton, 1881.
RUTA (ROO-ta)
RUTACEAE. Aromatic herbs & shrublets grown for scent, flavoring & medicine. Easy in well-drained moist soil. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks, and the seed is viable about 2 years.
—Ruta graveolens. (b,h) RUTA-4. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 9/09, 5 grams: $7.50
'RUE', 'HERB-OF-GRACE'. Yellow four-petaled flowers in summer. Hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with finely divided blue-green foliage. South Europe. The powerful, pungent aroma is said to repel pests. Used sparingly in cooking, and is highly valued medicinally. May cause rash in sensitive people.