2008 list

Updated 13 March 2008

This list includes both true annuals and quick-to-bloom perennials that can be treated as annuals in colder climates.

All seed packets contain 50 seeds unless otherwise specified.

Achyrachaena mollis - Asteraceae, California, Oregon. Blow Wives. Subtle in flower, this annual produces prominent globes of shining silvery bracts that are held for quite a while when it is in seed. A grassland inhabitant. 100 seeds

Agastache hybrids – orange Lamiaceae, garden origin. Seed from A. 'Tangerine Dreams' , A. ‘Painted Lady’ and the nearby A. aurantiaca should produce fls. in orange shades, with possible surprises. Aromatic leaves, of course. Z8

Agastache hybrids – pink Lamiaceae, garden origin. Seed collected mostly from pink hybrids, and A. mexicana 'Toronjil Morado'. Should produce free flowering plants with bright pink to lavender fls. on tall stems with aromatic leaves. Z8

Agastache rugosa ‘Heronswood Mist’ - Lamiaceae, China, Japan, Korea. Dense spikes of dark blue purple flowers on compact plants with shiny, dark green licorice scented leaves. To 2’, smaller in scale than A. ‘Blue Fortune’. Z8 100 seeds

Agastache rupestris - Lamiaceae, Arizona, New Mexico. Tidy plant with a charming combination of narrow gray leaves and peach to orange flowers. The aroma of the leaves can be quite variable, from licorice to camphor-ish mint. Z8 Sold out 2008

Agastache wrightii - Lamiaceae, Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico. Richly aromatic greener than gray leaves in low clumps. Erect stems to 18"+ have very densely flowered spikes to 5" long with small bright lavender blue fls. just poking out. Z8?

Agoseris grandiflora - Asteraceae, California. Just a dandelion, but with truly grand fluffy seedheads over 2" wide. Lemon yellow flowers over deeply lobed leaves on a basal rosette. Perennial. Should be very tough. To 12" tall.

Alonsoa incisifolia - Scrophulariaceae, Peru, Chile. Neat subshrub carries long wands of vibrant orange fls. with dark centers on 18" stems. Blooms and reblooms. Fl. stems are very erect, plant grows to 2'+.

Calandrinia ciliata - Portulacaceae, California. Red maids. A familiar and very bright, easy to grow annual for open ground or containers. Vivid red violet flowers for a long while in spring. 100+ seeds

Calandrinia ciliata - white fl. Portulacaceae, California. A generous plantsman (and customer) shared seed of his white fl. form of red maids. Pure white fls and glossy dark green leaves. 100+ seeds

Caryopteris incana - Verbenaceae, China, Japan. This fine perennial carries its showy clusters of dark blue purple flowers for a long season in late summer and fall. Oval leaves are scalloped and softly hairy. Easy from seed. Z6

Centaurium muehlenbergii – Gentianaceae, California. Slender annual carries heads of silky clear pink flowers in spring. Beautiful in a mass, or a meadow. 200+ seed

Cerinthe major var. purpurascens - Boraginaceae. This amazing hardy annual is found in rocky places of Mediterranean Europe and North Africa. Wide bluish leaves on upright stems produce pendant flower clusters. Flowers are dark purple, and almost hidden by prominent steely blue purple bracts. Long bloom season. Reseeds readily. 30 seeds

Chorizanthe membranacea – Polygonaceae, California. Dry rocky slopes are the natural habitat for this annual pink spineflower. Thin stems and narrow blue gray leaves often are intertwined, round light pink fl. heads appear in abundance.

Clarkias are beautiful hardy annuals; they have been hybridized and bred for larger and more double flowers, but some of the species and varieties are the best. These species have been separated in the garden by space and time of bloom, so seed should be true to name. These plants will bloom for quite a long time if grown in containers or given supplemental water in the garden. Packets contain 100+ seeds.

Clarkia amoena ssp. whitneyi - Onagraceae, Humboldt, Mendocino Co.,Calif. Very large light lavender pink fls. have whitish areas at the bases of the petals. Probably the largest clarkia in size--to 3'--of plant and of flower--to 3"+across.

Clarkia purpurea ssp. purpurea- Onagraceae, Santa Cruz Co., California. This form of the species is very distinctive, with very dense heads of fair sized lavender flowers. Upright to 18".

Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera hybrid - Onagraceae, California. With the same vivid, shiny deep purplish red fls. as ssp. quadrivulnera, but with somewhat larger flowers held in dense clusters at the tips, as well as singly along the stems, this is thought to be a hybrid with ssp. purpurea. Very nice. Erect to 18"-2'.

Clarkia rubicunda ssp. blasdalei - Onagraceae, California. Large lavender pink flowers have red centers on this showy annual. Floriferous and very striking in containers or the garden. Good cut flower. Can grow to 2', and bloom for months..

Clarkia tenella - maroon fl. – Onagraceae, South America. Previously listed as “species”, a friend confirms that he saw this color form of the species tenella while traveling in Chile. Small, bright maroon flowers are abundant on very low and spreading plants. Beautiful when combined with small perennials or in containers. Long bloom.

Clarkia tenella - lavender blue - Onagraceae, South America. Gorgeous silky bluish lavender flowers with a white center and dark stigmas on this very pretty annual. A different color than most clarkias, and tends to bloom most of the summer.

Clarkia tenella [hybrid?] – pink to white fl. Received under this name from a keen plantsman, this seed strain stands tall to 30” and carries larger light pink to white flowers, often with rosy red centers for a long season in spring through summer.

Clarkia unguiculata - compact form - Onagraceae, California. From a colony found in Santa Cruz County, this very distinctive seed strain makes stocky columnar plants to 18". Bright mauve-red flowers and leaves are densely held.

Clarkia williamsonii - Onagraceae, California. Gaudy lavender pink flowers are good sized, with a broad white central zone, and wedge shaped patches of dark red violet on the petals. Best results with good drainage.

Collinsia heterophylla – Scrophulariaceae, California. Seed is from the Sierran form of this species which seems to be mostly dark purple, with light central patch and red lines in the usual places. Striking annual for part shade. Sold out 2008

Collinsia heterophylla x tinctoria - Scrophulariaceae, California. Received under this name, originally from a wild population, this intermediate seed strain produces exceptionally tall spires of flowers—medium lavender with painted lines.

Collinsia tinctoria - Scrophulariaceae, California. Annual, to 1' or a little more. Abundant flowers are palest lavender, with purple lines that seem almost painted on. Easy to grow.

Collomia grandiflora - Polemoniaceae, W. United States. Erect annual to 3' with shiny green leaves and very broad dense terminal heads of beige to salmon pink starry flowers. A very unusual color in flowers.

Dahlia coccinea hybrids – shades of orange - Asteraceae, Mexico. Masses of single, bright orange flowers in many shades are carried on bushy plants from late spring through fall. Well suited to borders and for cutting. These plants are showy for a very long time, and bloom within three months of sowing.

Dahlia coccinea hybrids – mixed colors - Asteraceae, Mexico. This seed mix includes a larger range of colors than the preceding offering. Parents had yellow, violet, gold, magenta and red flowers as well as the bright and soft oranges. Not at all like the well-bred hybrids, these plants need no staking and little care to prosper. Masses of flowers their first year from seed.

Dracocephalum moldavicum - Lamiaceae, Europe. Outstanding lemony scented annual with showy spikes of bright blue flowers. Easy to grow, stems reach about 18" to form bushy little upright clumps that burst into bloom in midsummer.

Eriogonum [roseum]- Polygonaceae, California. Tall thin grey stems to 2’ stay fairly erect and carry round clusters of pale pink flowers along their length. Easy.

Eriogonum vimineum– Polygonaceae, California to WA, Arizona. Wicker buckwheat. Perfect 18” domes with vivid rose pink round fls. held along wiry interlaced stems brighten the summer and early fall garden. Showy, annual.

Eschscholzia californica - cream fl. - Papaveraceae, California. This perennial form of California poppy has creamy to pale yellow flowers; it is smaller in stature than many robust orange cultivars, fitting into plantings easily. Z6 100 seeds

Eschscholzia californica - coastal form. Papaveraceae, California. This groundcover form of California poppy develops branching stout roots, and spreading low stems. Blooms all summer in my garden, flowers are golden yellow with orange centers. Foliage stays clean all season, plants retreat to leafy rosettes in winter. Perennial. Z9

Eschscholzia lobbii - Papaveraceae, California. Diminutive plants produce vibrant clear yellow round flowers in spring and summer. Great for containers or rock gardens. Annual.

Eschscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ – Papaveraceae, California. The always diminutive plants put on their spring show with bright soft creamy yellow flowers. Exceptional seed strain for the dry border or containers. Annual, of course.

Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia - Hydrophyllaceae, California. Divided mounding foliage has a wafting sweet-lemony smell; small white flowers are carried in loose clusters in spring and early summer. Annual, and worth it for the foliage scent alone. Sold out 2008

Gilia achilleifolia – bright blue fl. Polemoniaceae, California. More relaxed in leaf and flower than G. capitata, this population carries cheery bright blue heads of flowers in spring and early summer.

Gilia achilleifolia - white fl. Polemoniaceae, California. Rosettes of finely divided green leaves produce fl. stems to 8-10" with clear white flowers in clusters. Pretty.

Gilia capitata - Polemoniaceae, California. Charming annual is weedy in the nicest way, and produces fls. almost continuously from spring to fall, from repeated self sowings. Bright blue fl. heads are over an inch across. quarter tsp. seed

Gilia nevinii – Polemoniaceae, San Clemente, Santa Catalina, Guadalupe islands, California. Months of small but abundant starry blue flowers set among feathery leaves assure this charming annual of a place in the garden.

Guillenia flavescens - Brassicaceae, California. Erect thin spikes carry masses of bright, creamy yellow flowers in spring and early summer on this annual. Very showy when grown in a small colony. Stems to 18-24".

Guillenia lemmonii - Brassicaceae, California. Individual flowers are round and pinkish white, set along long, wand like gray stems. Fairly subtle on its own, but sparkling in combination with other flowers, or in a mass.

Helenium puberulum - Asteraceae, California. Charming perennial found at streamsides in California. Airy stems carry round balls of fertile flowers with a short skirt of petals below. The effect is of upright stems, very nodding in bud, and many round half-inch yellow balls. Very easy, can reseed. Z8 100 seeds

Heliophila coronopifolia - Brassicaceae, South Africa. Previously listed as H. longifolia, this showy annual makes many thin spikes with clear blue round flowers for a long season, spring and summer. Easy, rewarding and just pretty. 100 seeds The naming of the two subspecies below is tentative, and follows local floras. What is certain is the difference in fl. color.

Hemizonia congesta ssp. congesta - Asteraceae, California. Annual tarweed perfumes the summer air with its aromatic foliage, and carries pale cream to soft yellow daisy flowers for a long season. Blooms in August in summer dry pasture.

Hemizonia congesta ssp. luzulifolia - Asteraceae, California. Annual tarweed perfumes the hot summer air with its aromatic foliage, and carries pretty bright white daisy flowers in late summer and fall.

Hemizonia corymbosa - Asteraceae, California. Cheery 1" yellow daisies appear all summer on this well branched coastal annual to 18" with aromatic foliage and an easy constitution. Seed from a collection in Marina, California made many years ago, before asphalt and concrete claimed that rural neighborhood

Layia chrysanthemoides – Asteraceae, California. Smooth tidy tips. Somewhat succulent low leaves are glossy green; cheery spring flowers are good sized, abundant and yellow with white tips. Annual.

Layia gaillardioides – Asteraceae, California. Perfumed tarweed ends the spring season with bright yellow daisies held on slender stems with that wonderful tangy aroma. Easy in sun or part shade.

Layia glandulosa - creamy yellow fl. Asteraceae, western U.S. Palest yellow daisies in spring on branched slender stems create a great effect in spring. Aromatic leaves. Spring bloom is profuse.

Limnanthes douglasii ssp. rosea – Limnanthaceae, California. Charming variant of meadow foam puts out bright white fls. with pink veins that age to pale pink. Spring bloom, well adapted to wet soils—and containers. 30 seeds

Lotus crassifolius var. otayensis - Fabaceae, San Diego County, California. Arching stems carry gray green, softly furry leaves and rise to about 18". Clusters of red violet and white fls. appear in spring and summer. Perennial. Z9? 30 seeds

Lotus formosissimus - Fabaceae, California. Found in seasonally moist meadows, this low perennial can grow to 2' across, and covers itself with bright yellow and lavender pink pea flowers in spring, with scattered bloom in summer. Z8? 30 seeds

Lotus purshianus – Fabaceae, California, widespread western US. Seen in nature, this annual is straggly and unimpressive. Cultivation yields dense mats of light green hairy leaves, well dotted with pretty pink and cream pea flowers. 30 seeds

Lupinus albifrons var. collinus – Fabaceae, California. Silvery leaves on spreading stems make a low mat; spikes of bright blue purple fls. extend to 18”. Spring bloom on this perennial subshrub. 30 seeds

Lupinus hirsutissimus - Fabaceae, California. The common name of Stinging Lupine for this annual does not begin to illustrate the charm of this plant. Covered with stiff hairs, it bristles with enthusiasm. Red violet fls. in spring. 30 seeds

Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus - dark pink – Fabaceae, California. This form of chick lupine carries deep pinky mauve flowers over grayish green leaves. Unusual strong flower color for this variable species. 30 seeds

Lupinus nanus - Fabaceae, western U.S. Annual with soft lavender blue flowers grows to 15", and blooms with abandon. Sweet "moth ball" fl. fragrance is just another intriguing smell from the California chaparral. 50 seeds

Lupinus pilosus/ poss. L. palaestinus - Fabaceae, Middle East. Annual, with large, silky gray leaves and oversized rich blue purple fls. in spikes in spring and summer. Vivid flowers are quite fragrant. Giant seeds. 10 seeds

Lupinus truncatus - Fabaceae, California. Easy annual lupine combines bright green leaves and rich purple flowers on spikes to 10". Blooming can continue for months if plants receive moderate water. 30+ seeds

Madia elegans - Asteraceae, California. Annual. Young rosettes are soft-hairy; by midsummer they can elongate from 3-7' and short branches carrying many 1.5" miniature sunflowers explode with color. Seeds gathered from plants with pale yellow, solid bright yellow, and yellow and white patterned flowers.

Madia elegans ssp. vernalis - Asteraceae, California. Annual. The cheery spring blooming form of common madia makes masses of 1-2" bright yellow daisies on a rounded, well branched mound to 30". Lvs have the typical sweet tarweed aroma..

Malacothrix coulteri - Asteraceae, California. Green leaves produce curiously patterned black and white fl. buds on the annual Snake's-head. Buds open to very pretty white, chicory style daisies, sometimes with creamy yellow centers.

Mimulus pictus - Scrophulariaceae, California. The beauty of this small annual is in the intricate markings on its salverform flowers. The background color is white, but it is delicately patterned with clear brown lines. Best in containers.

Mirabilis longiflora - Nyctaginaceae, Texas, Mexico. Long stems have clusters of white flowers at their tips. The effect is very airy, as the flower tubes are 5” long, and the exotically scented, rose-centered white flowers open only at night, and all point in different directions. Not for the meticulously manicured garden, but well worth growing! Perennial. Z8 30 seeds

Mirabilis viscosa - Nyctaginaceae, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Vase shaped perennial to 30" has firm textured medium green, heart shaped leaves and bright fuchsia pink 1" flowers. The best part might even be the tan seed parachutes, one seed per chute, that follow the pretty flowers and float the seeds to the ground. Z8 30 seeds Sold out 2008

Nicotiana glutinosa - Solanaceae, Peru, Ecuador, Galapogos Islands. Very distinctive and pretty dusky rose flowers have more open throats than the typical nicotiana. Flower stems reach to 4'. Probably perennial in mild climates. 100+ seeds

Nicotiana 'Hot Chocolate' - Solanaceae. This charming seed strain was generously shared by Brian McGowan of Blue Meadow Farm, Massachusetts. Starry flower faces are muted ruby red to chocolate. Green flower tubes are great contrast.

Nicotiana knightiana - Solanaceae, Peru. Rounded gray leaves have firm texture; flowers have creamy tubes and bright green mouths. A stately and striking annual. To 5'+. 100+ seeds

Nicotiana maritima – Solanaceae, Australia. Erect stems with upfacing white flowers that are (unfortunately) scentless.

Nicotiana mutabilis - Solanaceae, Brazil. Properly named as a species in 2002, this remarkable plant is a beauty. Stems to 3-5' carry many pendant flowers. These open pure white, age to pale pink, then to rose pink. Perennial in Z9. 100+ seeds

Nicotiana hybrid- rose to pink – Solanaceae. Picked from a genetically polluted batch of ‘Hot Chocolate’, this was too nice to consign to compost. Fl. form is typical bedding nicotiana stars; color starts deep rose pink that almost borders on purplish maroon and ages to a lighter salmony pink. Plants to 3’.

Phacelia grandiflora - Hydrophyllaceae, California. This grand annual can easily grow to 3'. Large dark lavender flowers with white centers appear in late spring and summer with a long display if given moderate water. Very effective. 100+ seeds

Phacelia tanacetifolia – Hydrophyllaceae, California. Robust annual can rise to 3’ high and carries its dense lavender flower cymes in abundance in spring and early summer. Often planted in local hedgerows to attract beneficial insects.

Phacelia viscida - Hydrophyllaceae, California. Incredibly bright blue flowers have white centers and go on for quite a while in spring and summer. Annual, reseeds readily. 100 seeds

Salvia carduacea - California. Pale lavender blue flowers with an incredibly frilly lower lip are borne in spiny, cobwebby heads. Annual, good in containers. Z8 30 seeds

Salvia macrophylla - upright form. Tingo, Peru. Upright in habit, to 5'+, this form produces erect shrubs with large soft green leaves. Long spikes of bright blue flowers with backswept lower lip are set among limey green calyces. 30 seeds Sold out 2008

Salvia patens ‘White Trophy’ - Mexico. Large white flowers on this long blooming perennial. 20 seeds

Salvia praeclara - Bolivia. This species can best be described as a S. coccinea on steroids, leaves are thin and light green, flower stems reach to 18" and carry vivid orange red fls all summer above the foliage. Probably not hardy. 30 seeds

Salvia repens - South Africa. Low green lvs. are sometimes lobed; flower stalks to 16" carry light blue and white flowers set in a red violet calyx. Blooms for months, and the plants spread at the root with enthusiasm in light soils. Z8-9? 50 seeds

Salvia roborowski - China. Soft yellow flowers occur in terminal spikes all over this 1-2' annual sage. Very nice when it self seeds a little. 50 seeds

Salvia scabra - South Africa. Blooming from early summer to fall, this sage displays its pretty clear lavender, long tubed flowers very effectively. Dark green foliage is low. Z9 30 seeds

Salvia splendens – pink fl. – Brazil. Majestic shrubs to 5’+ bloom all summer into fall with spikes o