Seeds, Bulbs, and Things

Showy shrub with dense clusters of deep scarlet flowers, blooming in upright racemes.

Pineapple guava from Mexico with large flavorful, golden yellow fruit.

Propellerbaum, Whirly Whirly Tree Burl, Stinkwood, Helicopter Tree, Shitwood. This plant will make a showy bonsai with maple-like leaves. Swallen caudex is actually a lower stem. An interesting one-seeded winged fruit that spins as it falls through the air. It grows in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun.

Kaffir Plum. This is an attractive African tree attracting birds and butterflies into the garden. Fruit are edible.

Indian Ginger, Kahili Ginger. Very vigorous, producing thick stems which support the large yellow flowers with orange stamens, very fragrant.

This splendid plant comes from India, possibly the tallest of the Hedychium Gingers. Growing to 12 ft. or more, it bears long, robust shoots clad with large and bold, ornamental leaves and produces long, eighteen inch spikes of what has been described as ghost-white flowers. Beloved of butterflies and humming birds, these are fragrant and a happy construction of narrow, curled petals and long stamens.

Parsley Tree. This small to medium-sized, deciduous tree or straggly shrub is suitable for a small maintenance-free garden.

African Cranberry Hibiscus. This fast growing bush is covered with beautiful dark red flowers several times a year. Leaves are edible, acid, rich of vitamin C, good for salads. Very similar to Hibiscus furcellatus.

Hibiscus mutabilis - Kristi's Cotton Candy. Confederate Rose, Cotton Rose, Common Rose Mallow. The flowers open pure white and change color over a three-day period until they are deep pink and then as they die assume a dark "blue-pink" hue. The most notable characteristic of this flowering shrub is that flowers of three distinct colors appear on the bush simultaneously as the blooms color cycle independent of one another. This shrub thrives on regular watering but this is optional as it is very drought tolerant.

Jamaica Tea flower (Karkade, Roselle) - "Agua de Flor de Jamaica", also called agua de Jamaica and rosa de Jamaica, is popular in Jamaica, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America and the Caribbean. It is one of beverages made from fresh juices or extracts. It is served chilled, and in Jamaica this drink is a tradition on Christmas, served with fruit cake or potato pudding.
In Panama both the flowers and the drink are called saril (a derivative of the Jamaican word sorrel).
In the United States, hibiscus tea was popularized as "Red Zinger". Flowers are used to make a cold or hot tea sweetened with sugar. There has been some Medical studies which indicate that it lowers high blood pressure and also has diuretic effects. The flavor is on the tart side similar to a cranberry juice. In Mexico, it is also used for granites, ice pops and sangria.

Morning Glory of intense violet-blue. It is a good climber for walls, trellis work or if allowed to scramble through other plants or trees.
It may be grown in a warm sheltered spot outdoors, or inside a conservatory. The flowers up to 3" across, close in the afternoon and are attractive to bees and butterflies.
This heirloom morning glory originated in Bavaria (Germany). Grandpa Ott is one of the original Bavarian varieties that started Seed Savers Exchange. It was given to Kent and Diane (Ott) Whealy in 1972 by her grandfather, Baptist John Ott, who lived on a 40-acre farm near St. Lucas, Iowa.

Jacarandas are grown widely in warm parts of the world and in greenhouses for their showy blue or violet flowers and attractive, oppositely paired, compound leaves.
See Article about this plant.

Physic Nut, Purging Nut. This pretty landscape bush is also used to produce the non-edible Jatropha oil, for making candles and soap, and as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel.

Flapjacks. Also known as paddle plant, flapjacks, desert cabbage, this is a species of Kalanchoe native to South Africa. This Kalanchoe has large paddle-shaped leaves which redden beautifully from the margins in direct sunlight. Leaves can grow to be 6 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. It will form a lovely clump over time. A succulent plant forms a basal rosette of large, rounded, fleshy, stalkless leaves, which are grayish-green with red margins, covered with a white powdery bloom. Unique rounded, silvery-green leaves have a dramatic red blush from the leaf edges flushing throughout most of the leaf.

Red Hot Poker is the local nickname for these bold, handsome plants. The thick, almost succulent leaf blades are evergreen, and of interest even when the cylindrical flower spikes are absent. Heat and drought tolerant. Kniphofia grow well in rich soil located in an open sunny position or partial shade. Most species require plenty of water during the growing season if they are to thrive and flower well.

Red Hot Poker is the local nickname for these bold, handsome plants. The thick, almost succulent leaf blades are evergreen, and of interest even when the cylindrical flower spikes are absent. Heat and drought tolerant. Kniphofia grow well in rich soil located in an open sunny position or partial shade. Most species require plenty of water during the growing season if they are to thrive and flower well.

Red Hot Poker is the local nickname for these bold, handsome plants. The thick, almost succulent leaf blades are evergreen, and of interest even when the cylindrical flower spikes are absent. Heat and drought tolerant. Kniphofia grow well in rich soil located in an open sunny position or partial shade. Most species require plenty of water during the growing season if they are to thrive and flower well.

Red Hot Poker is the local nickname for these bold, handsome plants. The thick, almost succulent leaf blades are evergreen, and of interest even when the cylindrical flower spikes are absent. Heat and drought tolerant. Kniphofia grow well in rich soil located in an open sunny position or partial shade. Most species require plenty of water during the growing season if they are to thrive and flower well.

Nodding Pincushion. Leucospermum belongs to the protea family and is indigenous to South Africa. The inflorescences consist of a large number of small flowers. It is the stiff protruding styles of the flowers which are the source of the common name "pincushion" for this genus. Only a few large, hard, nut-like seeds are produced by each inflorescence. In their natural environment the seeds are collected by ants, stored in the soil, and germinate only after a fire has killed the mature plants and returned the nutrients back to the soil.
Barely cover the seeds with a mixture of coarse sand and soil mix. Keep warm and damp with bright light. Avoid high humidity. Needs fresh air circulation. Slow germinating.

Bell Bean Tree, Maroon Bell-bean. Small tree with smooth or rough grey bark and odd-pinnate 2-4 pairs opposite leaf up to 18" long. Begins to bloom when 3-5 FT tall.

Metrosideros angustifolia as well as Cape endemic. evergreen shrub or small tree with deep-green sheets and white to cream-colored paintbrush-shaped blossoms with numerous remarkable dust threads.

Nonu/Nono, Noni - a world-famous medicinal fruit. Germination rate around 90%. Fresh seeds right from the fruit!
See VIDEO: Doctor Noni.

Horseradish tree, Ben Oil Tree. Possibly one of the most useful trees in the world, it produces long green pods that have been compared to a cross between peanuts and asparagus. The roots are used as a substitute for horseradish and the edible leaves make a highly nutritious vegetable. The roots have also been used in many folk remedies.
Cover seeds with 3/4" well-drained soil mix, keep warm, water when soil is nearly dry. Bright light.

Chandelier vine. Mucuna holtonii is a very interesting rare species of Jade vine, pollinated by bats when a triangular flower petal reflects precise sound wave signals to guide the bats to the nectar. Bats are able to detect if the flowers have nectar using echolocation. After an initial bat visit during which nectar is removed, the petals are arranged in a different manner!
It is a beautiful and robust woody vine native to Central America, and the northern part of South America. The 'chandelier' cluster of two-inch-long, whitish-green flowers hang on very long peduncles.
The seeds are very large, round, and flat and have a high concentration of L-dopa (a toxic amino acid). They are extremely buoyant and well adapted for ocean dispersal, traveling from continent to continent. The thick hard coating gives them many years of viability.

Corkbush. Very free flowering and distinctly garden worthy, this rare-in-the-trade, South African native makes an excellent shrub or small tree, 6'-10' tall. Outstanding sprays of purple/lilac, pea-like flowers cover the shrub from early Spring through Summer, attracting butterflies. Great plant for bonsai!
Mundulea sericea is easily cultivated from seed. Soak the seeds overnight in hot water and plant them the next day in a mixture of riversand (vercumilite and or perlite will also do) and potting mix (60:40 ratio). Germination takes place from about 1 week and continues until about 3 months later.