Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin), packet of 5 seeds [INTL NO]

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Family:  Laurel (Lauraceae)

Hardy to Zones 4 to 9

(Spicebush)  Perennial deciduous, dioecious bush to 12 feet. Native to Appalachia and a most elegant member of the very pretty plant family known as the Lauraceae. Spice bush prefers shade to sun and moist, rich soil. In fact, and this story is a bit of an indulgence on my part, the plant was considered by the early settlers to be an indicator of rich soil, and many homesteads were located due to the proximity of these bushes. The plant bears glossy green leaves and waxy, spicy-smelling red berries. Traditional use (TWM): cold remedy. Plant prefers rich, moist to mesic soil in the part shade.  Cold-stored seed. Sow with tip of seed pointing up in good, warm soil. Grow in pots for a year, then transplant the 12 to 18 inch seedling to the woodland or shade garden. Prefers rich soils, moisture. Plant 6 feet apart.

5 seeds/pkt., Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s

Wild Yam, American–Four-leaf Yam (Dioscorea quaternata) packet of 10 seeds, organic

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Family:  Yam (Dioscoraceae)

Hardy to Zones 6 to 9

(Fourleaf Yam) Native to Appalachia. Vining herbaceous perennial with thick stems and heavy, knuckled roots. In many cases this plant can be found in the deep forest, where it can make a sturdy, upright and self-supporting plant showing only a single whorl of four leaves.  One can also find Dioscorea quaternata living at the edge of the forest, where the increased availability of light encourages it to vine up into the overstory.  Traditional usage (TWM): antispasmodic for smooth tissues; stomach, bowel or menstrual cramps. This plant is highly adaptable to most shade gardens in the temperate US. Trellis.   Sow in fall for germination in the spring.  Best to sow the seed just under the surface of loamy potting soil (peat moss or coir rich potting soil is fine) and keep in outdoor shade house situation or in a cold greenhouse over the winter with germination in the spring.  Grow out for at least a year at close spacing, then individuate and plant in fall to 1 foot apart in forest or shade garden.

10 seeds per packet, certified organically grown

Elecampane, Official (Inula helenium) seeds, organic

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Family:  Aster (Asteraceae)

Hardy Zones 3 to 8

(Elf Dock) Herbaceous perennial. Native to southern and central Europe, the Balkan Peninsula and central Asia. Giant plant bearing handsome, yellow flowers. Harvest the octopus-like roots in the fall of the second year’s growth. Traditional usage (TWM): bronchial infection, pneumonia and debilitating, chronic cough. The plant is processed to yield a blue dye. Plant prefers part shade and evermoist soils, although full sun will be tolerated.   Sow seed in greenhouse in early spring or sow directly in garden in mid-spring. Light-dependent germinator (plant on surface or only very shallowly covered, so light can penetrate). Expect excellent germination in about 12 days. After second set of leaves appear, transplant seedlings out to the garden, even if you still expect a few frosts. Grows in full sun or partial shade. Plant 2 feet apart. This is pure seed, with pappus removed.

Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~250 seeds
5 g contains ~1,250 seeds
10 g contains ~2,500 seeds

Certified Organically Grown

Echinacea laevigata (Smooth Purple Coneflower) potted plant, Organic

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(Smooth Purple Coneflower) Herbaceous perennial native to the Southern Appalachias.  The plant is somewhat similar to E. purpurea in that it has a spreading root system, but the leaves remain low on the rosette, are very smooth and elongated, and the flowers are somewhat smaller and very late maturing.  E. laevigata is a federally listed endangered plant, with the total wild population probably less than 10,000 individuals.  These plants grown from domestic seed on our farm.

Mormon Tea, Green (Ephedra viridis) potted plant, organic

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Family:  Joint Fir (Ephedraceae)

Hardy to zone 6 to 12

Perennial, primitive shrub with jointed stems.  Native to the American Southwest. Plant prefers full sun and alkaline, dry to mesic soils.  Probably best to pot up to bigger pots and grow out for a year or two before transplanting to landscape.   Traditional usage: Mormon.  Used as a non-stimulating bronchial dilator for palliative treatment of the common cold or asthma.

Potted Plant, Certified Organically Grown