Fruit and Nut Plants from around the world

Check out our Papaya Seed Page for Papaya ( carica ) varieties from around the world

IP073 Artic Kiwi, Siberian Gooseberry ( Actinidia arguta )
A strong-growing vine with dense, dark green foliage. The fragrant but inconspicuous white flowers appear in early spring. The fruit, which ripens in late summer or fall, is about 3/4"-11/4" long. It tastes much like the commercial kiwi fruit, to which it is closely related, but is somewhat sweeter and has smooth skin. The seeds are very small and not noticeable, so eating the fruits is somewhat like eating large seedless grapes. Most selections should be hardy to around -30° F. In the native Asian habitat of this species the vines typically grow wild in trees, where they are known to climb as high as 100'.
  15mg pack ( about 10 seeds ) $2.95
  100 seeds $9.95
D8509 Kiwi Fruit ( Actindia chinensis )
Cold hardy to zone 4. Kiwis are vigorous vines. They cannot support their own weight and will spread up to 30 feet. They require strong support such as trellis, arbor, or fence. In nature, they grow up into trees. Training to the south side of a building is excellent for the small planting. Kiwi vines are heavy feeders and like their roots to be in warm soil. A mature kiwi vine can produce 200 pounds of fruit.
Kiwis require special training and pruning to produce good crops. When planted, the vines should be pruned back to 4 or 5 buds. From these a main stem should be selected and staked to grow to the top of the arbor or trellis, usually 6-7’ high. The trellis should be strong to support the heavy future fruit loads.
Kiwis are beautiful vines. Their vigorous spring growth is a spectacular sight. Excellent for a privacy screen, they will rapidly cover a fence and with support will cover a wall or steep slope. Kiwis grow in a manner similar to grapes but more rapidly. They are very high in Vitamin C. (Ten times as much as lemons.) They are excellent for eating fresh and are a tasty addition to salads and desserts. Ice cream, pies, jam and wine are other ways to use kiwis.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 100 seeds $7.95
D8581 Issai Kiwi ( Actinidia sp. issai )
Small 1" fruits with a very sweet taste. The vines will grow vigorously and bears loads of small fruit that is great for salads, desert or jelly. A vigorous, fast-growing, deciduous, woody vine that grows 25-30' but can fill a 200 sq. ft. trellis in time. Grown for its foliage and edible fruit. Foliage is a lustrous dark green throughout the growing season. Flowers appear in May-June and are slightly fragrant and greenish white, but are not particularly showy since they are largely hidden by the foliage. This cultivar does not require a separate male pollinator plant. Smooth-skinned kiwi fruits ripen in early fall and are the size of a large grape. It tastes similar to, though slightly sweeter than, its larger-fruited relative, the true kiwi, Actinidia deliciosa, which can not be grown north of Zone 8.
  Package of 6 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $7.95
1A440 Bael Fruit Tree ( Aegle marmelos )
Tropical plant for zone 10b and higher outside, also can be grown in tubs in warm greenhouses. The bael fruit, is also called Bengal quince, Indian quince, golden apple, holy fruit, stone apple. The bael fruit tree is slow-growing, of medium size, up to 40 or 50 ft (12-15 m) tall with short trunk, thick, soft, flaking bark, and spreading, sometimes spiny branches, the lower ones drooping. New foliage is glossy and pinkish-maroon. Fragrant flowers, in clusters of 4 to 7 along the young branchlets, have 4 recurved, fleshy petals, green outside, yellowish inside, and 50 or more greenish-yellow stamens. The fruit, round, pyriform, oval, or oblong, 2 to 8 in (5-20 cm) in diameter, may have a thin, hard, woody shell or a more or less soft rind, gray-green until the fruit is fully ripe, when it turns yellowish.
The tree grows wild in dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India and Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh, also in mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forests of former French Indochina. Mention has been found in writings dating back to 800 B.C. It is cultivated throughout India, mainly in temple gardens, because of its status as a sacred tree; also in and northern Malaya, the drier areas of Java, and to a limited extent on northern Luzon in the Philippine Islands where it first fruited in 1914. It is grown in some Egyptian gardens, and in Surinam and Trinidad.
The tree has no exacting cultural requirements, doing well with a minimum of fertilizer and irrigation. The spacing in orchards is 25 to 30 ft (6-9 m) between trees. Seedlings begin to bear in 6 to 7 years, vegetatively propagated trees in 5 years. Full production is reached in 15 years.
Normally, the fruit is harvested when yellowish-green and kept for 8 days while it loses its green tint. Then the stem readily separates from the fruit.
A tree may yield as many as 800 fruits in a season but an average crop is 150 to 200, or, in the better cultivars, up to 400.
Bael fruits may be cut in half, or the soft types broken open, and the pulp, dressed with palm sugar, eaten for breakfast, as is a common practice in Indonesia. The pulp is often processed as nectar or "squash" (diluted nectar). A popular drink (called "sherbet" in India) is made by beating the seeded pulp together with milk and sugar. A beverage is also made by combining bael fruit pulp with that of tamarind. These drinks are consumed perhaps less as food or refreshment than for their medicinal effects.
The young leaves and shoots are eaten as a vegetable in Thailand and used to season food in Indonesia. They are said to reduce the appetite. An infusion of the flowers is a cooling drink.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $7.95
3626 Seed of Heaven ( Aframomum sp. )
Also known as Guinea Pepper. A spice and fruit native to West Africa. The dried seeds are a popular spice locally and were once extensively exported as African Pepper. This ginger from Uganda also has edible fruits borne in clusters at the base of the plant that are harvested for their tangy, sweetish, juicy pulp. The seeds are used as a piquant spice. Can be grown outside in tropical climates, or inside in tubs in warm greenhouses.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $9.95
SF185 Chocolate Vine ( Akebia trifoliata )
Also known as Three Leaf Akebia. An attractive climber with twining stems. Deciduous palmate leaves are divided into three wavy edged leaflets. Stems are violet when young and brown at maturity. Small deep purple flowers (both male and female) are borne in clusters in May and have a delicate cinnamon scent.
Very interesting edible fruits, resembling a sausage in shape and reaching 4-5" long. May be grown in full sun or partial shade. All Akebia species retain their attractive leaves through most of the winter, are excellent for growing on walls, fences, trellis.
Best planted in a sheltered position. It can be trained up various kinds of garden supports, or alternatively, allowed to climb up a tree. Hardy to 24 degrees.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $5.95
E3102 Juneberry, Saskatoon Serviceberry ( Amelanchier alnifolia )
Low water requirements, grows as high as 10,000 feet. A deciduous shrub that seldom exceeds 15 feet in height and occasionally suckering to form a slowly spreading clump. An easily grown plant, it prefers a rich loamy soil and thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged. The largest yields, and best quality fruits, are produced when the plant is grown in a sunny position, though it should also do reasonably well in semi-shade. The plants are fairly lime tolerant and they will also grow well in heavy clay soils. They are very cold-hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to at least -20°c and probably much lower. Flowers in Early Spring, these white flowers are produced before the plants come into leaf, and are usually produced so abundantly that the whole plant turns white. They look particularly beautiful at this time. By late June, or more commonly early to mid July, the plants will usually be carrying large crops of fruits. These fruits are about 15mm in diameter, they are soft, sweet and juicy with a taste that reminds us of apples. Small enough to be eaten without problems, though they can add a slightly bitter almond-like flavour to the fruit if they are crushed whilst eating. The fruit can also be cooked in pies etc., when dried it is quite sweet and can be used in the same ways as raisins.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $7.95
Image: By A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
SF268 Black Cardamom, Nepal Cardamom ( Amomum subulatum )
A small ginger, native to valleys from the eastern Himalayas to central China, produces an underground rhizome that gives rise to clusters of evergreen, leafy shoots to about 5 feet tall. The pretty, ivory flowers appear in compact inflorescences at ground level and are followed by seed pods that, in dried condition, are widely know as black cardamom or Nepal cardamom and as such very popular in Indian cuisine.

It is a culinary herb that is used in Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian cooking. Vikings are said to have taken the spice to Scandinavia where it is used in baking breads and pastries still to this day. In the Arabic culture, Cardamom is used to flavor coffees and teas. The flavor of Black Cardamom is said to be a dark, smoky flavor with a taste of camphor and mint.
The Cardamom spice is found in the dried seedpods and seeds. The small, brown-black sticky seeds are contained in pods which are collected just before maturity. Keep the Cardamom seed in its seedpods as husked seed and ground seed loses its flavor quickly. Always store it in an airtight container. Black Cardamom herb was used in Chinese medicine as a medicinal herb. It was said to treat stomach ailments and malaria. Cardamom is rich in vitamins and minerals. The essential oil is used as an antiseptic and local anesthetic.
Black cardamom pods can be used in soups, chowders, casseroles, and marinades for smoky flavor, much in the way bacon is used.
The green cardamom, with smoother, lighter colored pods, and more familiar to westerners, is produced by the plant Elettaria cardamomum. Amomum subulatum is also a great ornamental, suitable to all mild and warm temperate climates that do not experience excessive freezes.
For zones 9-10 outside, it can be container grown in large tubs inside.

 10 seeds $3.95
Image: By Hannes Grobe 21:22, 5 November 2006 (UTC) [CC BY-SA 2.5], from Wikimedia Commons
TRZ086 Cherimoya Fruit ( Annona cherimola )
The cherimoya is a fairly fairly dense, fast-growing, evergreen tree, briefly deciduous in California from February through April. The tree can reach 30 feet or more, but is fairly easily restrained. Young trees "harp," forming opposite branches as a natural espalier.
The cherimoya is subtropical or mild-temperate and will tolerate light frosts. Young growing tips are killed at 29°F and and mature trees are killed or severely injured at 25°F. If cherimoyas do not receive enough chilling, the trees will go dormant slowly and then experience delayed foliation. The amount of chilling needed is estimated to be between 50 and 100 hours. The tree grows well in the coastal and foothill areas of southern California.
The compound fruit is conical or somewhat heart-shaped, 4 to 8 inches long and up to 4 inches in width, weighing on the average 5-1/2 to 18 ounces, but the largest fruits may reach 5 pounds in weight.
The sweet, juicy, white flesh is melting, subacid and very fragrant. The fruit turns a pale green or creamy yellow color as they reach maturity. They should be picked when still firm and allowed to soften at room temperature. Ripe fruit will give to soft pressure. Overripe fruit will be dark brown. Fruit left on the tree too long will usually crack or split and begin to decay. The fruit should be clipped rather than pulled from the tree. Cut the stem close to the fruit so it won't puncture other fruit during storage.
Store mature fruit above 55°F to prevent chilling injury to the skin and flesh. Ripe fruit will deteriorate quickly but can be stored at temperatures lower than 55°F for short periods. Ripe cherimoyas can be frozen and eaten like ice cream. Cherimoyas are best served chilled, cut in half or quartered and eaten with a spoon. The fruit can also be juiced or used to make delicious sorbets or milkshakes.
Easily grown container plant, or zone 10 outside.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
  Package of 25 seeds $12.95
TRZ100 Soursop ( Annona muricata )
Soursop (also known as graviola or guanabana), is a small evergreen tropical tree that is native to Central and tropical South America. In the wild, it is a slender tree that will grow to 15-20' tall often with down-curved branching. It grows much smaller in containers.
The name soursop is in reference to its large edible fruits which have a slightly acidic or sour taste. This tropical plant is not reliably winter hardy to most of southern Florida, but may be grown in the Florida keys and Puerto Rico.
In greenhouses, it typically flowers in summer producing fruits in fall. Each flower ( to 2" long) appears singly on a woody stalk almost anywhere on the tree ( twigs, branches or trunk ). Each flower has three yellowish-green outer petals and three dull yellow inner petals. Flowers give way to rough-skinned, prickly-textured, oblong fruit ( each fruit from 6-12" long to 4-6" wide with weight to 8-15 pounds ). Fruit pulp is used in ice cream, sherbets or juices. Leathery, egg-shaped, malodorous ( when bruised ), oblong to oval leaves (to 6" long) are glossy green above. Plants have been used for various medicinal purposes.
Easily grown container plant, or zone 11 outside.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
Image: By Jacotot Julien Jacotot [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
1A225 Sancoya ( Annona purpurea )
Beautiful spreading tree to 30'. Its fruits are very sweet and juicy with an orange color to the pulp. Requires a consistantly warm tropical climate.
Sancoya is an edible fruit and medicinal plant in the Annonaceae family. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Its common names include soncoya, ilama, and cabeza de negro. It has hairy leaves and large, strong-scented flowers. The fruit is rounded and 15 to 20 centimeters wide, and is covered with a felt-textured brown skin. The surface of the fruit has hooklike projections. The pulp is similar in scent, appearance, and taste to that of the mango. It has many seeds.
  Package of 5 seeds $7.95
Image: By Nam Hy Hoàng Phong [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
TCB003 Sugar Apple ( Annona squamosa )
Sugar Apple is an excellent tub or container plant for indoors and patio, with an added bonus of being rewarded with edible fruits. High in calories with nutritional value, its fruit is usually eaten fresh out of hand. The thick juicy and creamy pulp, after being separated from the seeds can be used to make delicious milkshakes, ice-creams and sherbet.
A small (2-4"), knobby fruit with soft, creamy white flesh often having a minty or custardy flavor. The sugar apple is extremely popular throughout the tropics, especially in climates where the cherimoya can not be grown.
Sugar Apple is relatively carefree. Being a tropical fruit tree, it'll reward you handsomely if properly watered and provided with enough light, warmth and humidity, together with a monthly feed. After harvesting of fruits, prune back long branches and thin its center of unsightly twigs. Check occasionally for mealy bugs and caterpillars.
Easily grown container plant, or zone 10 outside.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
  Package of 25 seeds $9.95
D2285 Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus )
The strawberry tree is a beautiful small evergreen tree or shrub that usually grows about 15 feet tall.
The strawberry tree produces masses of beautiful white flowers followed by small fruits. Since the fruit takes 12 months to ripen, the tree carries both mature fruit and flowers at the same time and is then incredibly beautiful. This is a superb plant to grow as a specimen in a lawn, and it also grows very well on the sunny edges of a woodland garden.
Best grown in a rich, well draining soil for best results, though it will grow to some degree in most type soils, except for water-logged soils. Does well in full sun or partial shade.
The small strawberry shaped fruits ( hence the name )have gritty skin and must be fully ripe to be eaten. It has a sweet, delicate flavor that some people love, and others do not care for. The fruit can also be made into wine and is used to make delicious jams and preserves.
Grow this shrub in USDA Zones 7-10. It originally comes from western Europe and the Mediterranean region.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $6.95
Image: By Scott Bauer, USDA (USDA ARS Image Number K7575-8) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
FDR95 Paw Paw Tree ( Asimina triloba )
Pawpaws are native to the Eastern half of the United States, from the Gulf Coastal plain to the Great Lakes. The fruit look like short, fat bananas. They have a fragrant aroma, a custardy texture, and a tropical taste. The best ones are rich, creamy and sweet, reminding some people of banana cream pie. Compared to apples, peaches and grapes, Pawpaw is higher in food energy, and has more than double the amount of vitamin C, and is much higher in minerals.
It is higher in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate. It has a much higher content of amino acids in a good balance. It has mainly unsaturated fatty acids, and is a good source of linoleic and linolenic acids. It is a small tree, seldom taller than 25 feet. Grown in full sun, the pawpaw tree develops a narrowly pyramidal shape with dense, drooping foliage down to the ground level. In the shade it has a more open branching habit with few lower limbs and horizontally held leaves. Pawpaw trees require warm to hot summers, mild to cold winters, and a minimum of 32 inches (81 cm) of rainfall spread rather evenly throughout the year, with the majority falling in spring and summer. It can be grown successfully in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 (-15 F/-26 C min. temp.) through 8 (15 F/-9 C min. temp.)
Shading for the first year, and sometimes the second, is normally required outside, and it is for this reason that pawpaws are almost always found in nature as an understory tree. Although the pawpaw is capable of fruiting in the shade, optimum fruit yields are obtained in open exposure, with some protection from wind (on account of the large leaves). Plant at least two trees for fruit production, to ensure cross-pollination. The soil should be slightly acid (pH 5.5-7), deep, fertile, and well-drained. Good drainage is essential to success. Pawpaws will not thrive in heavy soil or waterlogged soil. In its native habitat the pawpaw has few pests of any importance.
  Package of 5 seeds $5.95
3500 Borojo Fruit Tree ( Borojoa patinoi )
It is a native of the rainforests of Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. In its natural habitat, the Borojo Tree lives with 85% humidity in the air. The tree reaches 3-5 meters high.
The Borojo Tree is cultivated for its fruits rich in calcium. They have 7-12 cm in diameter and their color is green. The pulp of these fruits is acid and very dense. It is also brown. Each fruit contains hundreds of seeds. They are ready to consume when they fall off the branches. The uses of the Borojo fruits vary from juice, ice cream, capsules and jelly.
The trunk of the tree is small and sometimes separated in two or three smaller trunks. The trunk is grey-brown and harsh. The tree is an evergreen. The foliage is dark green and the leaves have a smooth texture.
Hardiness zones 10-11. The Borojo Tree can resist small periods of frost and even floods. It needs an average temperature of 28°C. Easily grown in warm greenhouses in cooler climates.
The tree enjoys moderate light. It requires good watering, don't let the soil dry out. You may fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer.
  10 seeds $3.95
  25 seeds $7.95
Image: By Karduelis [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
AW85 Camellia Tea Plant ( Camellia sinensis )
The tea plant is a small shrub about 3 to 8 feet in height when mature outside, though it will grow taller if you don't prune it. In the fall, your tea shrub will flower with small white blossoms that have a delightful scent. These plants are often grown as ornamentals.
This is the tea produced commercially around the world. The tender, young leaves are used in the process of tea production.
Can be grown in tubs inside, or in cool greenhouses, outdoors in warm climates. Prefers moist, well drained, humus rich, slightly acidic ( 5.5-6.5 )soil. We recommend maintaining a 2-3 inch deep mulch of shredded bark or leaves around base of plant.
Hardy to zone 8, can be grown in zone 7 with protection. To make green tea, pick only the top 3 leaves from new growing tips, spread and dry in the shade for 6-8 hours, then in an open pot, heat ( simmer ) the leaves, stirring frequently for about an hour.
Click here for an informative site on growing and making your own tea. For black tea, you must ferment the leaves. USDA Zones 8 to 11.
  5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $4.95
TWT091 Caper Bush ( Capparis spinosa inermis )
A perennial hardy to zone 9. Capers, a fixture of Mediterranean cuisine for 2000 years, are made from the unopened flower buds of this plant. The buds are pickled in strongly salted wine vinegar to develop their characteristic aromatic pungent flavour used to such advantage in French mayonnaise-based sauces, vinaigrette, and savoury butters. Capers tend to reduce oiliness in foods, and possess a natural affinity for garlic and lemon.
A slow growing shrub of dry, rocky areas of the Mediterranean and North Africa. For best results, freeze seeds in moist sand for 2 weeks, then sow and keep moist and dark until germination.
 300mg pack ( about 40 seeds ) $7.95
IP041 Red Lady Papaya ( Carica )
An early and productive fruiter, Red Lady is an excellent papaya for southern gardens or as a tropical container fruiting plant in the north. The dwarf tree starts to flower and set fruit during its second year when the plant reaches 4' tall. It can fruit the first year, if grown in high light with an extended growing season. Red Lady is a self-fertile hybrid whose fruits often weigh 3-5 pounds. Two-pound fruits are more common for container grown plants. The oblong papaya is orange-red, sweet and juicy when ripe. Rich in vitamins A, C and other nutrients, it also contains papain, an enzyme that aids in the digestion of protein. Harvest the fruit when the skin yields slightly to the touch and changes from green to yellow. You will notice a sweet, delicious aroma when it is fully ripe. Green papayas are sometimes shredded and used in salads or stews. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil.
Hardy to Zone 10 and higher for outdoors.
Full sun, grows to 8' in container, minimum temperature 50°F, blooms in spring. Germination about 75%.
  10 seeds $3.95
 Bulk Pack 700mg ( about 70-75 seeds ) $24.95
IP155 Natal Plum ( Carissa macrocarpa)
Natal Plum is a shrub native to South Africa, where it is commonly called the Large Num-Num. In Zulu, as well as in the Bantu tribes of Uganda, it is called amatungulu. In Afrikaans the fruit is called Noem-Noem.
It deals well with salt-laden winds, making it a good choice for coastal areas. It is commonly found in the coastal bush of the Eastern Cape and Natal. It produces shiny, deep green leaves and snowy white flowers whose perfumed scent intensifies at night. It is a spiny, evergreen shrub containing latex.
The flowers are about 2 inches across and sweetly fragrant, like orange blossoms, especially at night. The edible fruit is a pretty plum shaped red berry abut 2 inches long which tastes like sweet cranberries. Natal plum blooms almost all year long and most of the time both flowers and fruit are present. The fruit can be eaten out of hand or made into pies, jams, jellies, and sauces.
A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known fruit has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.
Natal plum are among the best ocean front foundation, hedge, container and groundcover plants for tropical and subtropical regions. They are very popular in South Florida. Natal plums are often grown in containers on ocean front condominium balconies. Their thick leathery leaves are not torn by wind nor bothered by salt spray.
Zones 9-11 outdoors, but easily grown as a container plant and brought inside during winter.
  10 seeds per pack $2.95

FDR11 Shagbark Hickory ( Carya ovata )
Shagbark hickory is probably the most distinctive of all the hickories because of its loose-plated bark. Common names include shellbark hickory, scalybark hickory, shagbark, and upland hickory. Shagbark hickory is evenly distributed throughout the Eastern States and, together with pignut hickory, furnishes the bulk of the commercial hickory. The tough resilient properties of the wood make it suitable for products subject to impact and stress. The sweet nuts, once a staple food for American Indians, provide food for wildlife. Zones 5-8A.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
Image: By François André Michaux (book author), Augustus Lucas Hillhouse (translator), Pancrace Bessa (illustrator), Bessin (engraver) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
FDR51 Mockernut Hickory ( Carya tomentosa )
A large nut tree growing to 60-80 feet tall and hardy for zones 4-9. Mockernut hickory is a medium to large, deciduous tree with a straight trunk and rounded crown that typically grows 60-80' (less frequently to 100') tall. It is primarily native to hillsides and ridges in somewhat dry soils. It grows throughout the eastern and central U. S., with concentrations of tall trees in the Ohio River valley and Mississippi River valley. In Missouri, it is found in dry upland woods, ridges and slopes throughout the State, except it is not present in the southeastern lowlands and northwestern corner.
Compound, odd-pinnate, dark yellowish-green leaves (each to 6-12" long) have 5-7, toothed, ovate-lanceolate leaflets. Leaflets grow 3-6" long. Leaflet undersides are downy and glandular. Rachis and petiole are pubescent. Leaflets are aromatic when cut or bruised. Leaves turn an attractive yellow in fall. Thin dark gray bark develops furrows and flattened ridging as it matures. Non-showy, monoecious, yellowish-green flowers bloom in April-May, with the male flowers in drooping catkins (to 6" long) and the female flowers on short spikes.
Female flowers give way to fruits (rounded nuts), but only after the tree reaches about 25 years old. Each nut is encased in a thick, four-grooved husk which splits open in fall when ripe. Nuts are edible for humans but can be very difficult to extract from the husks, hence the common name of mockernut.
Nuts are eaten by a variety of mammals including squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, raccoons and black bears. Light colored sap wood of this tree gives rise to a sometimes used common name of white hickory. Genus name is a Greek name for walnut. Specific epithet means with short hairs in reference to the leaflet undersides.
  Package 3 large seeds $3.50
Image: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
LET250 Mountain Grape ( Cavendishia bracteata )
A wonderful blueberry relative that is pretty much unknown in the gardening community. This is a very showy plant that puts out gorgeous clusters of pink, bottle-shaped blooms that are tipped with white and bloom pretty much througout the year. From the mountainous areas from Mexico to South America, it's usually found growing as an epiphyte on trees, but it adapts well to soil. It forms a large, caudex-like root crown, and arching, woody branches that grow 10 feet long, unless pruned shorter. Its big, evergreen leaves are very attractive, they are thick, glossy and about 6 inches long. Each flower cluster has dense rows of glossy, inch-long blooms, and are accented by large, flaring bracts. These large floral displays are pollinated by hummingbirds. The plant makes attractive, edible fruit which looks like purple blueberries. They are lightly sweet & tart, and are reportedly high in antioxidants.
It is best grown in mild climates that do not get too hot, and does not get lower than the upper 20's during winter.
 2mg package ( about 20 very tiny seeds ) $3.95
D2249 Carob Tree ( Ceratonia )
Ceratonia siliqua, commonly known as the carob tree, St John's-bread, or locust bean is a species of flowering evergreen shrub or tree in the pea family, Fabaceae.
It is widely cultivated for its edible pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens. The ripe, dried pod is often ground to carob powder, which is used to replace cocoa powder. Carob bars, an alternative to chocolate bars, are often available in health-food stores.
Carob consumed by humans is the dried (and sometimes roasted) pod. The pod consists of two main parts: the pulp accounts for 90% and the seeds for 10% of the pod weight.
Carob is mildly sweet and is used in powdered, chip or syrup form as an ingredient in cakes and cookies, and as a substitute for chocolate. Carob bars are widely available in health food stores. A traditional sweet, eaten during Lent and Good Friday, is also made from carob pods in Malta. Dried carob fruit is traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat.
While chocolate contains levels of theobromine which are toxic to some mammals, carob contains significantly less caffeine and theobromine, and is therefore used to make chocolate-flavored treats for dogs.
Carob pod meal is used as an energy-rich feed for livestock, particularly for ruminants, though its high tannin content may limit its use. Carob pods were mainly used as animal fodder in the Maltese Islands, apart from times of famine or war when they formed part of the diet of many Maltese. In the Iberian Peninsula, carob pods were used to feed donkeys.
The carob tree is native to the Mediterranean region, including Southern Europe, Northern Africa, the larger Mediterranean islands; to the Levant and Middle-East of Western Asia into Iran; and to the Canary Islands and Macaronesia.
Carob trees may be grown in USDA zones 9-11.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $6.95
Image: Sanja565658, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
NW56 Japanese Flowering Quince ( Chaenomeles japonica )
A plant with many uses. It has showy fragrant flowers, is easy to grow, very adaptable, can be used as a bonsai, it attracts butterflies, has edible fruit, can be used as espalier, hedge, or screen/windbreak, and it is drought and wind tolerant
Very nice for a shrub border, hedge, screen, barrier or espaliered to wall. Cut branches with swollen flower buds may be forced indoors, making a welcomed winter flower arrangement.
Japanese Flowering Quince is a dense, broad-rounded, deciduous fruiting shrub or small tree. It typically grows to 5 to 10 feet tall and as wide. The leaves are finely-toothed, oval to oblong, glossy dark green to 3.5 inches long. Leaves may emerge in spring with a bronzy cast. 2 inch, scarlet to red and sometimes pink or white five-petaled flowers bloom before the leaves fully unfold in an often showy early spring bloom.
Flowers are followed by hard, dot-speckled, yellowish-greenapple shaped fruits (2.5 inch Quinces) that may acquire red tinges as they mature in autumn. The fruit is called Karin in Japanese and is very hard and astringent and very unpleasant to eat raw, though they do soften and become less astringent after frost (when they are said to be "bletted"), much like persimmons.
They are suitable for making liqueurs, as well as marmalade and preserves, as they contain more pectin than apples and true quinces. The fruit also contain more vitamin C than lemons.
Zones 5-9.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
Kona Coffee
TRZ159 Kona Coffee ( Coffee Arabica )
The Kona is the very popular coffee of Hawaii. Its a heavy bearing variety with excellent quality. Normally it begins to produce in 4 years. One producing tree can provide 1 lb. of coffee. Can be grown in bright light indoors, outside in zone 10 and higher.
  5 seeds $3.95
D4503 Coffee Plant ( Coffea Arabica )
Coffee can be grown outdoors in some parts of the US, but is often grown in pots. The world's most important trade crop also makes a wonderful house plant. Click here for info on growing your coffee plant inside. The plants have dark shiny-green leaves and whitefragrant flowers. A very ornamental plant. Very unique.
Considered to be among the easiest and hardiest of houseplants, coffee plant is great for both experienced and beginner gardeners. Not only is coffee plant care easy, but the plant itself is lovely and makes a wonderful addition to the home. Coffee plants prefer bright, but indirect, light. This means that they should be placed near a window but not directly in the window itself. They also cannot take temperatures below freezing and will not do well in temperatures that stay consistently below 65 degrees. Keep them away from drafts in the winter. When growing coffee plants, the soil needs to stay moist, but not soaking wet.
Also, make sure that both the soil and the pot your coffee plant is growing in has good drainage. The humidity around the plant will need to stay high as well. Setting your coffee plant on a water-filled pebble tray will help with humidity. Like many houseplants, a coffee plant will need less water in the winter than in the summer.
Plant coffee plants in a rich, peat-based potting soil with excellent drainage. Coffee plants prefer acidic soil, so if your plant is not thriving add organic matter such as sphagnum peat moss to increase soil pH. Coffee plants can grow in soil with a pH range of 4 to 7 but the ideal pH range is closer to 6 to 6.5.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $11.95
JB117 Korean Kousa Dogwood ( Cornus kousa )
A wonderful dogwood with so many uses and benefits, it has beautiful spring blossoms, great fall color, edible fruit that is showy and ornamental, and attractive bark. It can be grown as a lawn specimen, as a patio plant or sidewalk plant.
Kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree for small lawns. Two outstanding characteristics are the four-petaled, white flowers that appear above the foliage in June and reddish-purple fall color. In the Midwest, this is a hardier substitute for the acid-loving flowering dogwood. The shallow root system will benefit with a layer of mulch to maintain a cool root environment.
Kousa Dogwoods are very showy for a long period of time as the flower bracts are showy longer than most flowers. They'll give you up to a month of display. The flowers precede the red fruit, which looks like a raspberry. Some people make jellies, jams and wine from the round red berries, or, leave the red colored fruit for birds! They'll be happy to snap them up for you without any fuss or muss.
best suited for zones 5-8.

Note: These seeds need to be cold stratified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $7.95
Image: Wikimedia
FDR16 European Filbert ( Corylus avellana )
A close relative of our American Hazelnut, this plant produces larger trees and more fruit that is much larger than the American Hazelnut. It is cold hardy and resistant to most diseases. According to research books, it should start bearing fruit in 3-4 years from seeds. Does well in most soils. Hardy to zone 4, up to zone 9
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
TRZ060 Chinese Hawthorn ( Crataegus pinnatifida )
A large shrub to small tree growing up to 25 feet, but often smaller. A pleasant flavor. The orange fruit has a mealy texture with an acid taste and a slight bitterness but is fairly nice raw. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use. The fruit is about 1/2 inch in diameter. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed.
Zones 5-9.

Note: These seeds need to be cold statified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.

  10 seeds $2.95
IP122 Caigua Exploding Cucumber ( Cyclanthera pedata )
This is one of the most interesting plants we have found. It is a climbing member of the cucumber family that can be used as a vegetable in salads, or steamed, it has a nice sweet flavor. It is also an herbal plant, the fruit has anti-inflammatory, weight reducing ( it is often sold in capsule form as a natural weight loss product ), lipid-absorbing, cholesterol and blood sugar regulating affects.
Can easily be grown in the garden, on a fence or trellis. It is an annual plant. One of the most interesting aspects of the plants is that when ripe, the fruits become spring-loaded missile devices, splitting and turning themselves inside-out to launch their seeds up to 5-6 feet away into the garden. This is quite the conversation plant.
  5 seeds $2.95
  25 seeds $9.95
Image: Dietrich Krieger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
TRZ120 Quince ( Cydonia oblonga )
Edible quince trees produce fruits that can be used mostly for cooking, pies, jelly or some can even be eaten fresh. The fruit looks like an irregularly shaped pear or apple with a very tough flesh. But after being cut, quince has a lingering wonderful fragrance and becomes sweeter and softer after cooking. Quince trees are naturally small with very showy blossoms. Quinces are self-fruitful.
While some quince can be eaten raw, its true beauty is in the delicious fragrance and rosy-red color unlocked by poaching or cooking them. Quince jelly is a natural, because of the natural supplies of pectin in quinces. Quince is also delicious added to apple or pear tarts and pastries and quince paste is an elegant accompanient to cheeses such as manchego.
The fruit ripens in mid-fall and contain high levels of pectin, so are ideal for using in jams and preserves. The trees are attractive while in bloom and grow to about 15' tall at maturity. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9.
 10 seeds $2.95
 50 seeds $7.95
Image:Σ64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
FB101 Date Plum ( Diospyros lotus )
A type of persimmon tree, produces a small fruit with a taste similar to both dates and plums. Known by the ancient Greeks as the fruit of the gods, the date plum is renowned for its sweet taste.
It is a decidious tree that is native to Middle East and South Asia, especially from China and Japan. This tree can reach up to 90 ft (30 m) tall in warm areas, but will generally be smaller. (Up to about 30 ft -10 m- tall) it bears edible small fruits in autumn.
The leaves of the date plum are decidious, and are about up to 4-5 in (10 - 12.5 cm) long. Flowers - Flowers are small and yellow-green, and are dioecious. At least both a male and female plant will be required to get viable seeds. A pack of 10 seeds will usually produce both male and female plants, can be pollinated by other persimmons.
The date plum is a close relative to the persimon. However, the date plum is a smaller fruit, as it is about 0.75 in (2 cm) wide. It is a globose yellow fruit that turns purple-brown when fully ripe. Like the persimon, the date plum looses its astringency when fully ripe. The flesh is then very soft and rich in flavour.
This tree is frost hardy down to -15°F (-25°C) and less. It can easily be grown in USDA zones 5 and warmer. The date plum needs a fairly well-drained and deep ground.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $7.95
Image: By Franz Xaver [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
D2217 American Persimmon ( Diospyros virginiana )
The persimmon is a slow-growing deciduous tree, rarely exceeding 50 feet in height. The leaves are generally elliptic, 4-6 inches long, dark green on top and pale green underneath.
The bark on older trunks is black and broken up into distinctive, regular square blocks. The female flowers develop into showy orange fruits, up to 2 inches in diameter, that are very astringent during maturation, but deliciously sweet when fully ripe.
Persimmon is native to eastern North America from New England, west to Kansas, and south to Texas and Florida. It is one of the most widely-adapted of trees, growing naturally in bottomland swamps, along stream banks, in upland forests, in fields, piney woods, and even dry scrub lands.
Prefers full sun, but also does well in partial sun. Highly adaptable, tolerates drought and even brief flooding. Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10.
Wild persimmons and their seedlings vary greatly in fruit quality and size. Plant persimmon trees in the natural area of your landscape where their fruit will can be shared with wildlife as well as children.
When you gently shake a persimmon tree, the ripe fruits fall to the ground. If you have to pull the fruit off the tree, it will surely pucker your mouth inside out! Ripe persimmons are delicious out of hand, and can be made into puddings and cakes. Frozen, they satisfy like ice cream, while dried persimmons are like dates. Persimmon wood is prized for its beauty and extreme density, and used for golf club heads and pool cues.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
Image: By Sphl (ja:Image:Kaki.jpg) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
SO456 Japanese Persimmon ( Diospyros kaki )
A very popular fruit tree from the Far East that has gained popularity in the US. Easy to grow from seeds. Can be raised inside in tubs in the north and outside in mild climates. The fruits are large, up to 3" across and sweet.
  Package of 6 seeds $2.95
Image: By Thayne Tuason [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
D2219 Russian Olive ( Elaegnus Angustifolia )
Zone 6-9. A very fragrant plant when in bloom, with a rich honey like fragrance. Russian-olives are non-native, deciduous shrubs or small trees that grow to 20 feet tall. It has yellow flowers and dry yellow mealy fruits. Silver scales occur on the underside of the leaves. The twigs of Russian-olive are typically covered with thorns. These shrubs begin to flower and fruit annually after 3 years. An individual plant can produce 8 pounds of fruit each year. The leaves are covered with small scales which give the foliage a distinctive silvery appearance. The fruit is berry-like, and is silvery when first formed but turns brown at maturity.
Although its fruits are used in drinks and to make preserves, it is more sought after for its white shoots and silver undersides of leaves which give them an ornamental appeal.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $7.95
  Package of 100 seeds $12.95
D2925 Pineapple Guava ( Feijoa )
Originally native to southeastern Brazil and northernmost Argentina, this shrub or small tree is now widely cultivated around the world for its edible fruits, as well as for its ornamental qualities. Acca sellowiana grows to about 12-15 feet tall and forms a dense, rounded crown of small leaves that are grayish furry underneath.
The pinkish flowers have prominent red stamens and are followed by plum-sized, yellowish green fruits that are amazingly delicious, highly aromatic, lightly acidic and remind of pineapple and strawberries. They are eaten raw or used in jams, juices or sauces.
Hardy to zone 8.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $8.95
D9915 Common Fig ( Ficus carica )
Ficus belongs to the Mulberry Family. The Common Fig is native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia region where it grows wild and has been in cultivation for centuries. The cultivated Fig forms a shrub or low-spreading tree.
The fig is a picturesque tropical looking tree or shrub with a dramatic spreading habit. The breadth is often wider than the height of 15 to 30 ft (4.6-9 m) with equal spread. This deciduous, low-branching tree is usually single trunked, with pale, silvery gray smooth bark. In colder regions, figs are grown as bushes with multiple stems and branches close to the ground that are laid down and buried before winter. The Ficus makes an especially attractive specimen in the landscape. Plant one on an expanse of lawn, where it's graceful spreading shape and smooth twisting branches command attention in all seasons.
The alternate, long petioled, dark green leaves are broad-ovate to nearly orbicular in outline and may become 20cm(10 in) long and 10-20 cm (4-10 in) wide with 3-5 lobes. The upper surface is thick and ribbed while the underneath is finely haired .The leaves texture is rough and they can irritate skin.
The Genus Ficus is unique for bearing its flowers inside a nearly closed receptacle, or branch, which ripens into a fleshy fruit called a fig. The small flowers are produced twice in the season. The first ones (the breba crop) are produced near the ends of the shoots of the preceding flush of growth, whereas the second crop (the main crop) is produced in the axils of the leaves on the new growth.
The mature fruit is pear shaped and variable in size and range in color from a greenish-yellow to purple. The edible fruit is a hollow succulent receptacle with many ovaries on the inner surface, which may or may not produce seeds, depending on the variety.
Figs usually begin bearing fruit within two years and may bear twice per year. Figs grow nicely and will bear fruit when grown in containers where they can be artfully pruned to create a living sculpture to decorate deck or patio. This is convenient for two reasons: cold climate growers can move their figs indoors in winter and the plants can be removed from the patio when the fruit begins to (over)ripen. The edible fruit are extremely attractive to birds.
Hardy for zones 7-10. Note that with winter protection, it can be grown as far north as Zone 5. The Ficus Carica likes reflected sun, full sun, or part shade. Fig trees are tolerant of poorly drained soils and grow well in relatively infertile soils. When fully dormant, fig trees can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 to 15°F (-9°C). Even if frozen, figs often will restart from the roots and produce a crop the following summer. They are drought tolerant, once established. Figs responds well to pruning and can be espaliered or pruned heavily in the dormant season for size control and to increase the main crop. Water the tree every month or two while it is growing, and once or twice per year when fully grown. They grow much better with a monthly fertilizing program and deep watering twice a month in summer.
 20mg pack ( about 10-12 seeds $2.95
 50 seeds $9.95
Image: Atamari, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
LET460 Giant Leaf Fig ( Ficus lutea )
This is also known as Dahomey rubber tree. It has enormous spreading branches and usually grows about 50-60 feet tall and is grown for its ornamental appeal and as a shade tree.
The large, glossy green leaves have attractive, light veins. Ficus lutea is widespread over tropical and southern Africa and found in a variety of forests and woodlands from sea level to 1800 m. It is a very fast growing tree that makes an exceptional ornamental for warm temperate and tropical regions in USDA Zones 10 and above. Easily maintained as a potted plant by occasional grooming of the branches and aerial roots.
A tree of many uses in Africa, the tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of medicines, fibres, dyes, latex and potash. Plantations have been established in Florida and SE Asia for the production of latex, which is valued in the pharmaceutical industry.
The latex can be used to make a good quality rubber, known as Dahomey rubber, which is where the name orignates.
It also is known for its abundance of fruits borne directly on the branches.
 2mg pack ( about 10 seeds ) $3.95
3399 Cluster Fig Tree ( Ficus racemosa )
An evergreen tropical fig that can be grown in large tubs.
Impressive large Ficus species which can easy be recognized by the myriad of fruits that are hanging from its branches almost the whole year round.
Popularly known as the Cluster Fig Tree or Goolar (Gular) Fig, this is native to Australasia, South-East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. it is unusual in that its figs grow on or close to the tree trunk.In India the tree and its fruit are called gular in the north and atti in the south.The fruits are a favorite staple of the common Indian macaque. In Vietnam, it is called sung.
 25mg pack ( about 100 seeds ) $2.95
LET782 Lovi-Lovi ( Flacourtia inermis )
A beautiful, bushy small tree with glossy green leaves that are reddish when young and cherry-sized, bright red, edible and acidic fruits throughout much of the year that are eaten fresh or made into jellies or jams. Flacourtia inermis is best suited to tropical climates in USDA Zones 10 and above.
  Package of 10 seeds $4.95
D2220 Honey Locusts ( Gleditsia )
This tree is cultivated for its golden fern-like foliage. The small, greenish-yellow flowers bloom in May and June and are fragrant. The fruit are actually 7" to 18" long, twisted, flattened pods, approximately 1" wide and strap-like, color changes from green to dark brown. The pulp is sweet and thus the name. The pods are often fermented to make beer or to feed to livestock. Beware, lots of thorns! Hardy to zone 4.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $8.95
Image: By Paul S Kruger [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
SF349 Brandybush ( Grewia flava )
The Brandybush is a shrub found in the Kalahari. The tasteful, flesh rich fruits are gathered by the San people from February to August and are eaten in large quantities. They are also mashed, soaked and eaten as a porridge.
In the flowering season, the beautiful sweet-scented star-shaped yellow flowers can be found growing on the angles where the leaves grow on the branches. These in turn make way for the berry-like fruit that starts showing from December to April. The berry fruit is reddish brown in colour when ripe and ready to eat, is sweetish in flavour and has a fairly high sugar content.
A recent seed addition from Africa, we do not yet know zone requirements for this plant, so grow at your own risk!
 5 seeds $2.95
 25 seeds $9.95
IP301 Japanese Raisin Tree ( Hovenia dulcis )
Japanese Raisin tree can reach 40 to 50 feet in height but is most often seen at 30 to 35 feet with an open, upright, oval silhouette. Unfortunately it is a little too big for planting beneath most power lines. The tree usually maintains a fairly good central leader with small-diameter main branches. The four to six-inch-long, glossy green leaves are particularly striking and create light shade below the trees but they show no appreciable color change in autumn, dropping while they are still green. In early summer, the branch-tips of the trees are festooned with small, two to three-inch-long cymes of sweetly-fragrant, greenish-white flowers which are quite attractive to insects. These blooms are followed by the production of small, fleshy, brown drupes which ripen to bright red and have a flavor similar to a sweet raisin, giving the tree its common name. Hardy for zones 6A through 10A.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 25 seeds $9.95
2903 Hops ( Humulus lupulus )
Humulus lupulus ( aka Hops, Japanese Hops ), is a perennial climber growing to almost 20 feet high at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from September to October. Hops are noted for attracting wildlife, pharmaceuticals, and beverage flavoring such as beer.

Hops produce rich, heavily scented, green-golden fruit that is harvested in autumn. The flowers of Humulus lupulus contain the chemicals myrcene, myrcenol, resin, linalool, humulene and tannins, all used extensively in the pharmaceutical industy. Also, another common usage is flavoring for the beer industry.

Hops seeds can be slow to germinate. Use a process called "cold scarification" to encourage hop seed germination. A good method is to put seeds in an equal amount of moist sand and refrigerate from one to three months at about 41 degrees F. After that, plant the seeds at 68 degrees F. for one to two months. If the hops seeds have not germinated, put them back in the refrigerator and repeat the cycle.

Decorative fast growing vine, excellent for porches and screens.

 80mg Package ( about 20-25 seeds ) $6.95
D9917 Yellow Pitaya, Yellow Dragon Fruit ( Hylocereus megalanthus )
This rare cactus fruit has a unique sweet flavor. The seeds are slightly larger than most dragonfruit, and the inside fruit is extremely sweet and juicy!
Yellow Dragon fruit have an oblong shape and are slightly smaller in size than the more common red varieties. Their thick yellow skin is covered in small knobby protrusions, which when immature displays small spines that will naturally fall off as the fruit matures. Beneath the skin is a dense white flesh containing numerous petite, edible black seeds. Yellow Dragon fruit has a crisp, juicy texture and very sweet, tropical flavor with floral hints and no acidity.
Yellow Dragon fruit is typically eaten raw, either straight out of the skin or scooped out and cubed, balled or sliced. For the best flavor, refrigerate the fruit for 2 hours before preparing raw. Add to tropical fruit salads or serve alone as dessert. Yellow Dragon fruit flesh can be pureed and made into a sauce or syrup or added to smoothies and cocktails. Freeze the pureed pulp for sorbet or a granitas. Use the flesh to flavor pastries or other baked goods. Yellow Dragon fruit can be kept at room temperature for a few days and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
The Yellow Dragon fruit has been used for centuries by the native people of northern South America. It was used for both medicinal and culinary purposes. It has only been since the early 2000s that Yellow Dragon fruit was approved for export to North America and Europe.
It is native to the northern region of South America, what is now Colombia and Ecuador. The fruits are still cultivated there, with Colombia being the largest producer, and are exported all over the world. They are also grown in Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico and in California and Florida in the United States. Growers specializing in rare fruits in the United States, specifically in southern California and Florida, grow Yellow Dragon fruit on a smaller scale. The Yellow Dragon fruit cactus has long extending stems that can grow up to 20 feet long and require some form of trellising or support to grow on. The cactus prefers arid tropical and subtropical climates and is fairly heat resistant and somewhat cold-hardy. Yellow Dragon fruits can be spotted at most markets and specialty stores and at farmer’s markets in Southern California and Florida.
Zones 10 and higer outside, can be grown inside in cooler zones if good light provided.
 10 seeds $2.95
 25 seeds $7.95
Image:Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
JB184 White Flesh Dragon Fruit ( Hylocereus undatus )
A unique cacti with ornamental and edible appeal. The fruit is popular eaten chilled, out of hand. It is also used to flavor drinks and pastries. Unopened flowerbuds are cooked and eaten as vegetables. Easily grown in tubs in warm greenhoues in colder climates.
Hylocereus undatus is a vine-like cactus that is often grown as a night-flowering ornamental plant and as a fruit crop. The fruit is highly decorative, with a bright red skin, studded with green scales. The flesh is white, juicy and delicious in flavour, with tiny black seeds. Its exact native range is uncertain but is considered to be in Central America. Since the late twentieth century it has been widely planted on a commercial scale as a fruit crop in many tropical regions, particularly in Vietnam and other South-East Asian countries.
Hylocereus undatus is one of the most unruly species in the entire cactus family. It is a hemi-epiphyte, its fleshy, three-angled, jointed stems clamber over other plants and produce fibrous, aerial roots that cling to any available surface. In their natural habitat support is provided by trees, shrubs and rocks in the dry, open woodland of Central America and northern South America, where the species is thought to have originated. Zones 10 and higer outside, can be grown inside in cooler zones if good light provided.
 25mg pack ( about 20 seeds ) $4.95
Image: By H. Zell [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
3338 Yerba Mate ( Ilex paraguayensis )
Yerba Mate makes a good houseplant that provides leaves for tea. Click here for an informative site on growing yerba mate indoors.
Grow you own Yerba Mate and enjoy this popular South American tea as an alternative beverage to coffee. In Latin America, Yerba Mate is the beverage of choice and has a smoother taste than green tea, plus it's loaded with antioxidants. The plant itself makes a wonderful potted plant for its graceful full-leafed branches. Under warm temperatures, it grows throughout the year, even in the north as a potted plant with flowers arriving during the winter/spring months. The leaves can be harvested once the plant is established. Grow in full sun with temperature above 65 degrees for fastest growth.
Hardy to Zone 10 and higher for outdoors.
Yerba mate was has been used as a beverage since the time of the ancient Indians of Brazil and Paraguay. In the early 16th century, Juan de Solis, a Spanish explorer of South America's famed La Plata River, reported that the Guarani Indians of Paraguay brewed a leaf tea that "produced exhilaration and relief from fatigue." The Spaniards tried the beverage and liked it. Their subsequent demand for the tea led the Jesuits to develop plantations of the wild species in Paraguay and yerba mate became known as "Jesuits' tea" or "Paraguay tea."
Methods of leaf preparation for the traditional tea beverage vary then and now: in one method, the branches are cut, then held over an open fire (to fire-cure the leaves). This deactivates the enzymes in the leaves (making them more brittle) and the green color of the leaves is retained in the subsequent drying process (with charred bits often found in the resulting tea product, which lends to a smoky flavor). Other methods include a brief par-blanching of the leaves in boiling water (to deactivate the leaf enzymes and soften its leathery texture). They then are toasted dry in large pans over a fire or inside a brick oven-resulting in a finished brown-leaf tea.
The wild plant has a distinct aroma and taste that has not been matched by plantation cultivation. In South America yerba mate is considered a national drink in several countries; in Europe, it is called "the green gold of the Indios." In Brazil and Paraguay (leading exporters of mate), some production still comes from wild stands-most of which is found in the humid depressions of the foothills. It is not unusual for one wild tree to yield 30-40 kg of dried leaves annually. In wild harvesting, mate gatherers, called tarrafeiros or yebateros, travel through the jungle searching for a stand of trees (called a mancha). Harvesting is done between May and October, when the tree is in full leaf. Leaves are picked from the same tree only every third year, which protects it for subsequent crops. Most of the mate in commerce today, however, comes from large cultivation projects in Paraguay and Uruguay.
The word mate is Spanish for "gourd," and refers to the small gourd cup in which the tea beverage traditionally is served throughout South America. It is also served with a metal drinking straw or tube, called a bombilla, which has a filter attached to the lower end to strain out leaf fragments. The bottom third of the gourd is filled with fire-burned or toasted leaves, and hot water is added. Burnt sugar, lemon juice, and/or milk often is used to flavor the refreshing tea, which occupies a position rivaling that of coffee in the United States. Mate bars are as prevalent in South America as coffee bars are in North America and Europe; mate drinking has deep cultural roots.
In addition to its standing as a popular beverage, yerba mate is used as a tonic, diuretic, and as a stimulant to reduce fatigue, suppress appetite, and aid gastric function in herbal medicine systems throughout South America. It also has been used as a depurative (to promote cleansing and excretion of waste). In Brazil, mate is said to stimulate the nervous and muscular systems and is used for digestive problems, renal colic, nerve pain, depression, fatigue, and obesity. A poultice of the leaves also is applied topically to anthrax skin ulcers (for which mate's tannin content - highly astringent - may be the reasoning behind this use).
 10 seeds $2.95
 50 seeds $9.95
TRZ158 Yaupon Holly ( Ilex vomitoria )
Looking for a lovely and useful plant for your garden? Consider the Ilex vomitoria! Also known as yaupon holly, yaupon, or cassina, this species of holly is native to southeastern North America, from Maryland to Florida and Texas. It boasts smooth, gray bark and glossy dark green leaves, and produces beautiful quarter-inch scarlet fruit in large quantities. The plant takes well to pruning and is adaptable to various soil types.
The leaves are small, leathery and bright green and are not prickly like other hollies. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. This holly can rapidly reach 10 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, so allow proper spacing when planting multiples. It will form thickets unless the suckers are removed.
Though occasionally used for hedging, it is primarily used for landscaping. The wood of the Ilex vomitoria is heavy and hard, making it useful for turnery, inlay work, and other woodenware. The plant is also culturally significant: Native Americans used the leaves and stems to make a tea containing caffeine, a unique quality in a North American plant. Rediscovered in modern times, yaupon tea made from dried leaves is now commercially available. Add this picturesque and useful plant to your garden today!
Grow as a container plant or outside in zones 7-9.
700mg Package ( about 100 seeds ) $4.95
3636 Jaltomato Procumbens
A South American fruit, with a sweet, spicy taste similar to grapes or tomatoes. These easy-to-grow plants can grow as short-lived perennials but are better grown as annuals in cooler climates.
The fruit has a pleasant taste and aroma and is prized as a food source by many. This little tomato is found across Mexico and it's mostly used in the cuisines from the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tamaulipas and Jalisco. It is rarely found in markets, and when it is, usually in small quantities. The ripe fruit has been used economically in parts of Mexico fresh, dried, in jams or preserves. Only completely ripe fruit are to be eaten, as green berries and the rest of the plant may be poisonous. The plant grows like a tomatillo plant and the berries are a decent size and produces well even in poor sandy soils.
This type of "berry tomato" is very juicy, has lots of seeds and a thick skin, peculiarities which the people who consume it enjoy. Said to taste like a sweet and spicy cross between a tomato and a grape, it can be eaten raw or made in to a delicious jam. Definitely is a plant for super food and gourmet for vegan fans.
Plants produced many cherry-sized black berries. They fall off when ripe. It is also a folk medical plant of Kamasa Indians in Columbia and Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. Plants can be grown like commonly tomatoes. This true perennial and can live many years in conservatory. In spring it shoots up from stout roots.
As with other members of the Solanum family, such as tomatoes and aubergines, jaltomata may require staking or some form of support.
 10 seeds $2.95
 50 seeds $7.95
Image: By Nekrasov.ig [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
FDR07 Butternut ( Juglans cinerea )
Butternut, also called white walnut or oilnut, grows rapidly on well-drained soils of hillsides and streambanks in mixed hardwood forests. This small to medium-sized tree is short lived, seldom reaching the age of 75.
Butternut is more valued for its nuts than for lumber. The soft coarse-grained wood works, stains, and finishes well. Small amounts are used for cabinetwork, furniture, and novelties. The sweet nuts are prized as a food by man and animals. The kernels are sweet, oily and tasty, having a buttery flavor as per the common name. Native Americans used the nuts for food and boiled the tree sap for syrup. This species is sometimes commonly called white walnut because of the light color of the wood. Butternut is easily grown but must be transplanted early because of the quickly developing root system. Hardy for zones 3-7.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
FDR08 Black Walnut ( Juglans nigra )
One of the most popular nut trees in the US. It is abundant in hedgerows and oldfields, as well as river bottoms and coves. In the open, walnut has a short main stem with a broad crown. With even moderate competition, walnut forms a tall, stately tree. On poor sites, walnut will become established and persist, but will not become a canopy tree and is eventually snuffed out by competition.
Black walnut produces seed crops every year, and heavy seed crops intermittently. Seeds are highly sought by squirrels, which cache seeds by burying them. Germination occurs the following year. Seeds can form a long-term seed bank. Black walnut is intolerant and grows moderately fast. First reproduction may occur by ten years. Few walnuts live longer than 200 years, though a few persist for up to 250 years. Stems are usually short and forked unless grown with competition.
Walnut seeds are an important food item for grey squirrels. Walnut leaves are host to a number of insects and diseases, which cause the leaves to drop in late summer. Black walnut is famous for its allelopathic inhibition of the growth of nearby plants. Despite this, the effect is not commonly observed in the field.
Black walnut is the premier hardwood species in North America, and one of the most valuable woods in the world. Supplies of quality walnut are declining, as a result of overharvesting. Attempts to grow walnut in plantations for fine wood production have met with limited succcess. Walnut wood is dark and hard, but workable, with fine grain. It is prized for gunstocks, furniture and face veneer. The nuts are collected throughout the midwest, and are used in baking and ice cream making.
Native Americans and European settlers prized the rich nuts. Native Americans harvested the buttery fat left from boiling the nuts, which may be up to 60% fat. Cherokees dried the nuts for winter use, and made porridge from ground nuts mixed with hominy and beans. Iroquois made beverages, soups, breads, pies and puddings from the nuts. Native Americans of many tribes also made dye from fruit husks, roots, barks and charred wood, and used many parts for drugs. Hardy to zone 4.
  Package of 5 seeds $5.95
FDR03 English Walnut ( Juglans regia )
Juglans regia (the Common walnut, Persian walnut, or English walnut), is the original walnut tree of the Old World. It is native in a region stretching from the Balkans eastward to the Himalayas and southwest China.
The bark is smooth, olive-brown when young and silvery-grey on older branches, with scattered broad fissures with a rougher texture. Like all walnuts, the pith of the twigs contains air spaces, the chambered pith brownish in colour. The leaves are alternately arranged, 25-40 cm long, odd-pinnate with 5-9 leaflets, paired alternately with one terminal leaflet. The largest leaflets the three at the apex, 10-18 cm long and 6-8 cm broad; the basal pair of leaflets much smaller, 5-8 cm long, the margins of the leaflets entire. The male flowers are in drooping catkins 5-10 cm long, the female flowers terminal, in clusters of two to five, ripening in the autumn into a fruit with a green, semi-fleshy husk and a brown corrugated nut. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in autumn; the seed is large, with a relatively thin shell, and edible, with a rich flavour.
Good for zones 6-9.
 Package of 5 large seeds $4.95
Image:Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
FDR038 Carpathian English Walnut ( Juglans regia carpathian )
The carpathian english walnut can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 5–9 and is a bit cold hardier than the standard English Walnut. Nuts are thin-shelled, easy to open. Tree's crown is rounded, spreading and open.
Carpathian English Walnut is a large tree that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces large brown oval nuts in hard shells which are usually ready for picking from early to late fall. The nuts have a sweet taste and an oily texture. Carpathian English Walnut will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 50 feet.
 Package of 5 large seeds $6.95
H119 Chinese Wolfberry, Goji Berry ( Lycium barbatum )
Known to some as Chinese Wolfberry, Goji is a woody, perennial shrub that produces bright red berries in the summer and fall. Much lauded as a "superfruit" in recent years, Goji has been used medicinally in China for centuries. Extra sweet and super nutritious, Goji berry plants produce a valuable harvest you can freeze, dry, juice and of course, eat raw like a blueberry or cranberry or dry and use like raisins.
With its purple flowers, attractive foliage and bright berries, Goji berry plants make a wonderful addition to your perennial garden. Plant prefers full sun and fast-drying soils. High desert conditions are quite conducive. Goji plants are drought-tolerant.
A graceful shrub that bears large edible berries. The leaves are also edible when fresh and used in salads. A wine is made from the fruit that is said to prolong life. A perennial for zones 5-9.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $7.95
Image: By Yuriy75 [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
3519 Black Gojiberry ( Lycium ruthenicum )
Also known as Tibetan gojiberry and Hei guo gou qi. A promising superfood! A little known species of gojiberry with amazing health potential. The black berries are very rich in oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), a class of compounds that is thought to give red wine, grape seeds and blueberries their powerful antioxidant effects. They are also rich in vitamins A, C and E.

And what is highly unusual for fruits, they are rich in essential fatty acids. This combination of protective, healing and nutritive constituents help explain the many benefits of this plant. It is traditionally used to treat diabetes, anemia, heart disease, impotency, abnormal menstuation, menopause and problems of the liver and kidneys. It reduces cholesterol, helps regulate blood pressure, and improves circulation.
It also improves vision problems and dizziness. In Kashmir it is used to treat blindness in camels. Studies have shown that black gojiberry protects against radiation and may help reduce the side-effects of radiation therapy. As well, the berries boost the immune system and help prevent or slow the growth of cancer.

Black gojiberry is a spiny shrub found in dry areas from Turkey and Armenia to Tibet and northwestern China. It does well in dry, well-drained soils, and requires full sun. The seeds germinate readily but the seedlings are susceptible to damping off and control of damping off is necessary for best results.
Best sown in spring, kept in pots the first season, and then planted in the garden the following spring. Depending on conditions, plant will grow from 16-36 inches tall.
Based on its natural range we believe it is hardy to at least zones 4 to 7. It can be grown in warmer zones if provided with partial shade during the day.

  16mg pack ( about 10-15 seeds ) $2.95
  80mg pack ( about 50-75 seeds ) $9.95
1A365 Macadamia Nut "Beaumont" ( Macadamia integrifolia x M. tetraphylla )
Beaumont is a superior hybrid variety of Macadamia nut for commercial orchards as well as home gardens. It grows quickly and bears a reasonable amount of good quality nuts after just 4 years and after 8 years can produce about 18 kg of nuts per tree. The nuts are easier to dehusk than most other varieties. It is well suited to most warm temperate and tropical climates in USDA Zones 10 and 11. Macadamia grows into a large tree unless pruned and makes a nice ornamental. Beaumont has attractive, maroon new growth. What most people do not know is that the pink flowers are wonderfully and intensely fragrant. Seeds should be soaked for a few days before sowing but shells must not be cracked. Germination is slow and erratic and usually takes place over several months.
  Package of 3 large seeds $5.95
Image: By H. Zell from Wikimedia Commons
2121 Oregon Grape ( Mahonia aquifolium )
This is a very beautiful and useful evergreen shrub. It's upright stems and coarse leaves form an irregular mound up to 8' tall. As the bush matures, it sends out additional stems to form a clump up to 6' wide. The bluish green leaves are coarse and spiny and resemble holly. The compound leaves are radially arranged at the end of each stem. Bright yellow flowers appear atop the stem in spring.
Location: Oregon grape holly is native from the northwestern United States on into Canada. It is widely grown as an ornamental.
Culture: Light: Needs shady conditions, hot direct sun will burn leaves. Moisture: Likes moist soil high in organic material, but adaptable. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-9. Propagation: Clumps can be divided.
Usage: This plant thrives in shady areas where selection of plants is limited. Can be used in entry ways and under roof eaves if adequate moisture is maintained. Looks great under a canopy of pine along with azaleas and camellias. Can also be used as an outdoor container plant.
Features: The bright yellow flowers are beautiful against the lustrous blue green leaves. The bright blue berries on dark red stems are even more striking. The grape like berries can be made into jelly.
Oregon Grape Jelly Recipe.
  385mg ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95
  4g ( about 500 seeds ) $19.95
SF079 Paradise Apple ( Malus pumila )
An heirloom apple with many uses. Can be eaten raw, cooked in pies, cakes etc. or fermented into cider. The taste is sweet and pleasant when fully ripe. This is a common rootstock plant as well. Zones 4-9.
Package of 10 seeds $2.95
Package of 50 seeds $7.95
Image:Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
TRZ148 Medlar Fruit ( Mespilus germanica )
Ornamental tree that produces attractive foliage, flowers, edible fruits and fall color.
Mespilus germanica, commonly known as medlar, is a small, coarse, rounded tree or large shrub with spiny twisted branching that typically grows to 20 feet tall. It is native primarily to woodland and scrub areas from southeastern Europe to central Asia. Five-petaled, white to pink-tinged flowers (to 2" diameter) appear singly in June. Fruit is a brown pome (1" diameter) with an open end that is crowned by persistant calyces. Immature fruits are hard and inedible. Fruits are typically not picked from the tree until late autumn after leaf drop. Fruits may benefit from some light frost prior to being picked. After being picked, the fruit is usually stored in a cool place until it becomes over-ripe with soft, mushy, sweetened pulp (a process known as bletting). Ripened fruit may be scooped out with a spoon. Toothed, oblong to lanceolate, dull green leaves (to 5" long) are hairy on both sides. Yellow and red fall color is often attractive. Notwithstanding the specific epithet, this tree is not considered to be native to Germany, but may have been introduced there by the Romans.
For zones 5-8. Here is a YouTube video on Medlar Harvest and Bletting.
  Package of 10 seeds $3.95
TRZ142 Black Himalayan Mulberry ( Morus macroura )
Wow! The king of mulberries, known as the 'shahtoot.' Fruits measure on average about 3" long with some reports of up to 4" long. Sweet and flavorful,It is delicious eaten fresh but can also be sundried and eaten as a sweet.
Medium sized spreading tree with a weeping habit, excellent shade tree. Birds love them too so make sure you cover them if you don't want to share.
The Himalayan Mulberry is fairly similar in growth habits and climatic requirements to the black mulberry.
Plants normally grow about 25 feet tall, but have been known to grow as tall as 70 feet, but that is rare. Trees are hardy to about 18-25F. Grows well in zones 6-10.
 300mg Package ( about 25 seeds mixed with shells ) $2.95
 Yuriy75, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
D2226 Black Mulberry ( Morus nigra )
A heavy fruiter like the Russian Mulberry but is preferred because it grows only a third as tall and is easier to harvest. Great pies and wine can be made from the fruit.
I'ts said that if you like blackberries, then you will love mulberries. No thorns and it is easy to grow your own tree! Each tree produces succulent mulberries that are both delicious and nutritious and offer even more juicy flavor than blackberries.
The fruit grows in abundance from June to August. The berries ripen over an extended period of time, providing a delicous snack all summer.
These tress grow quickly, and in few short years uou can pick baskets full of large, black mulberries so sweet there’s no need for sugar, and mulberry lovers know this fruit is to be prized because its intense flavor is like no other. A lovely specimen tree whose fruit will keep you in jam and wine all winter long. Berries also freeze very well. One of the few trees that actually prefers heavy soil to achieve its lifespan of a hundred years or more.
Grows about 15 feet tall and spreads about 12 feet, does well in zones 4-10.
 80mg Package ( about 25-30 seeds ) $2.95
 250 seeds $7.95
3733 Yumberry ( Myrica rubra )
This is an attractive, medium sized fruit tree with bay like leaves, perfect for lawns in warm zones. Myrica Rubra is a subtropical tree that resembles a small baytree that is grown for its sweet, crimson to dark purple-red, edible fruit. It is a small to medium sized tree with smooth gray bark and a rounded habit. The tree is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers bloom on individual trees. When immature, the fruit is green and matures into a dark red to purple-red color. It is native to eastern Asia, mainly in China, where it has been grown for at least 2000 years.
They are also referred to as Chinese bayberry, Japanese bayberry, Yangmei, or Chinese strawberry trees. The fruit is about 1 inch in diameter, with a round, knobby surface that varies form red to purple. The pulp is similar in color with a sweet and tart flavor. Each fruit has a single seed is about 10% of the fruit much like a cherry. The Chinese have been using the seeds, leaves and roots for medicinal purposes for centuries. The bark has also been used as a yellow dye.
The fruit can also be canned, dried, juiced and made into wine. Also known as Yumberry. This fruit has seen a dramatic increase in popularity over the last decade especially in Australia. Hardy for zones 8 and higher. Does well in subtropical climates but can stand mild freezes.
 Package of 5 seeds $3.95
JB210 Indian Plum ( Oemleria cerasiformis )
Oemleria cerasiformis, also known as the Osoberry and Indian Plum, is the sole species in genus Oemleria. It is a shrub native to the Pacific coast and ranges of North America, from British Columbia, Canada to Santa Barbara County, California, U.S.A. It is among the first plants to leaf out and flowers early in the spring. It reaches a height of 5-12 feet and has lance-shaped leaves.
Native Americans ate them, made tea of the bark, and chewed its twigs to use as a mild anesthetic and aphrodisiac. For zones 6-10.
 5 seeds $3.95
Image: Wikimedia
D2228 Common Olive ( Olea europaea )
A most useful tree that can be grown in any temperate climate ( zones 8-11 ). It also can be grown in containers. The tree itself is attractive and usually becomes gnarled with age. It bears the olive of commerce that reach up to 1-1/2" in dia. and are filled with oil. The flowers are tiny and yellow, the foliage a light grey-green.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $12.95
D8564 Passion Fruit ( Passiflora edulis )
Ripe fruits are edible off the vine or incorporated into a variety of food products such as beverages, jellies, fruit salads and sherbets. This plant has many uses: as a screen, to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it looks great cascading down a wall. This vine, native to the Amazon, produces beautiful flowers and sweet-tart fruit. It was named by the Spanish missionaries in South America who saw the Passion (suffering) of Christ represented in its flowers.
Passion fruit is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. The fruit is produced on a woody vine from bisexual flowers. The fruit is somewhat tart, has a hard purple or yellow rind, and contains many black seeds. Passion fruit is commonly used in beverages. Grow on fences or trellises, or allow it to scramble over shrubs and trees. Can be grown in many zones as an annual plant if started inside in winter and moved outide in spring. Zones 9b and higer it is a perennial.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
Image: Christine Matthews / 
JB146 Giant Orange Passion Fruit ( Passiflora edulis )
This vine produces large orange passion fruits that provide more volume than standard passiflora edulis varieties and has a delicious flavor.
Passion fruit is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. The fruit is produced on a woody vine from bisexual flowers. The fruit is somewhat tart, has a hard purple or yellow rind, and contains many black seeds. Passion fruit is commonly used in beverages. Grow on fences or trellises, or allow it to scramble over shrubs and trees. Can be grown in many zones as an annual plant if started inside in winter and moved outide in spring. Zones 9b and higer it is a perennial.
  300mg package ( about 15 seeds ) $3.95
By John Ocampo via Wikimedia Commons
3584 Fragrant Passionflower ( Passiflora maliformus )
Also known as Sweet Calebash, it is grown for its beautiful fragrant flowers and delicious fruit.
Flowers are greenish-white and purple, huge, up to 4-6 inches in diameter. The sepals are greenish-white, heavily speckled with purple spots inside, green outside. The petals are green white and heavily spotted with purple. The crown consists of four rows of filaments, white with purple stripes. The flowers are pendulous and very fragrant.
The fruits are oval or spherical, about 2 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. They are greenish yellow to light orange and the external shell is extremely hard. They are edible and taste of grapes.
The name maliformis name means "apple-shaped".
Vines are self-fertile, and should be grown on fences or trellises.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
2640 Giant Granadilla ( Passiflora quadrangularis )
The Giant Granadilla forms a larger leaf and is a more vigorous grower than the yellow passion fruit. This plant derives its botanical name from the fact that the stems are quad rangular in cross section. It is a vigorous grower that can grow 50 feet or more in a single season, for zones 10 and higher, or warm greenhouses.
Fruit of the giant granadilla reach a length of up to 12 inches and turn yellow when mature. The pulp around the seeds is used to flavor ice cream and to make a cooling drink. In addition, the flesh of this fruit is edible. The green fruit is boiled and eaten as a vegetable. The fully ripe flesh is eaten alone or in combination with such fruits as papaya and pineapple
Available only in Treated Seed.
 10 seeds $3.95
JB128 Perfect Passionfruit ( Passiflora popenovii )
The rare P. popenovii produces arguably the most delicious fruit of all Passiflora. In our opinion it is very similar to the sweet granadilla, but a bit more sweeter. The translucent and very juicy flesh inside the bright yellow fruit is extremely sweet and has an exquisite, exotic and perfumed flavor. It was native to rainforests in Colombia and Ecuador between 1600 and 6200 feet, but is believed to have gone extinct in the wild and only persists in cultivation locally.
It will easily adapt to being grown in a wide range of tropical and warm temperate climates. We think the Perfect Passionfruit has the potential to become far more popular than Passiflora edulis, which is a common sight in fruit markets worldwide.
The plants do extremely well in containers and are hardy in the landscape in USDA zone 9-11.
 5 seeds $3.95
Image: By The original uploader was Pollinator at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
D9930 Maypop ( Passiflora incarnata )
A North American species that grows to a bit more compact than other passifloras, making it an easier variety to keep under control. This is a very herbaceous vine and dies back every Winter, only to pop back in May, hence the name Maypop ( though I think the names comes from stepping on the fruit and the pop it makes ).
It climbs by means of clinging tendrils and can be kept as an container plant. The long tendrils need lots of support for climbing. It may be grown as a houseplant in a sunny South-facing window. It has large scented flowers, from June to November, with pale lavender petals and purple filaments which are kinked at the tip. These are followed by sweet edible fruits which are yellow when ripe. The leaves are tri-lobed and 15 cm large. Pruning is a must to keep the vine healthy. Prune off less vigorous growth and occasionally prune back vigorous growth to promote flowering.
When established, and without care, the passion fruit can easily overtake other garden plants, shading them from sun. One of the easiest Passiflora to grow and has the best cold hardiness. Keep the atmosphere humid through the Summer and place in full sun, can tolerate partial shade. You may need to water your plants on a daily basis during the hottest Summer months. During the Winter the roots should be kept moist, but as growth will be much slower you will probably only need to water once a week, depending on growing temperature. It will do best in a loam based mix with a little peat moss.
Fertilize at least once every two weeks in the growing season.
If their pot is too large or if they have an unrestricted root run then the whole plant will simply get bigger and bigger but it will refuse to flower and therefore produce the fruits. By limiting the pot size you are limiting the ability to grow and this is seen as a threat, so the natural mechanism is to produce seed for the next generation. A suitably sized pot for an adult plant would generally be of 12 inches in diameter.
Hardiness zone 8-11.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95
IP189 Sweet Granadilla ( Passiflora ligularis )
A vigorous vine that is woody at the base and climbs onto structures or high into trees using tendrils with heart-shaped 4 to 8 inch long leaves that are of a medium green color and paler below with prominent veins. In the warmer months of the year appear the 4 inch wide sweetly fragrant flowers, often in pairs at the leaf base. These flowers have greenish white sepals and light pinkish-white petals with 2 ranks of filaments that are banded with bluish purple.
The outer shell is hard and slippery, and has soft padding on the interior to protect the seeds. The seeds, which are hard and black, are surrounded by a gelatinous sphere of transparent pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and has a soft sweet taste. It is very aromatic and contains vitamins A, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium.
Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F
  5 seeds $2.95
  25 seeds $8.95
3552 Chinese Lantern ( Physalis alkekengi )
An easy to grow perennial that is normally grown as an annual as it re-seeds easily. Edible berries are borne inside fascinating orange chinese lantern-like calyces. Berries are eaten raw, or in preserves and pies. Recommended for fevers and gout.
  20mg pack ( about 20 Seeds ) $2.95
  100 Seeds $7.95
Image: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
TRZ145 Chinese Pinenut ( Pinus koraiensis )
Introducing the Pinus koraiensis, also known as the Korean Pine or Chinese Pinenut. This tree species is native to eastern Asia, including Manchuria, far eastern Russia, Korea, and central Japan. It can grow up to over 100 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 4 to 6 feet. The seeds are extensively harvested and sold as pine nuts, particularly in northeastern China. The nut oil contains 11.5% of the unusual fatty acid pinolenic acid.
The Korean Pine is a popular ornamental tree in cold climates and is tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down zone 4, possibly 3. It is also used for construction, furniture, and wood pulp. The seeds have medicinal properties and are used to promote milk flow in nursing mothers and as an analgesic and antibacterial in Korea. Invest in the versatile and unique Pinus koraiensis for your garden or for its many beneficial uses. Best for zones 4-8.
  5 pinenut seeds $5.95
 Royjose, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Z2101 Black Pepper Vine (Piper Nigrum)
A vigorous tropical vine with glossy green leaves grown for commercial production of pepper. Can be grown on trellises outside or used as a houseplant for most regions of US.
Black pepper plants make an attractive addition to your house or garden. Once grown, they develop dainty white flowers before producing fruit. The fruits will appear as clusters of round berries in a chain formation.
Conditions for growing black pepper plants require high temps, heavy and frequent rainfall, and well-draining soil, all of which are met in the countries of India, Indonesia, and Brazil where most of the commercial peppercorns are grown. Most growers in the USA grow these in containers inside the home or greenhouse. These warm loving plants will stop growing when temps drop below 65 degrees F. (18 C.) and do not tolerate frost; as such, they make great container plants. Situate in full sun with 50 percent or greater humidity, or inside the house or greenhouse if your region does not fit these criteria.
In its native habit of southern India, Black Pepper is an understory plant that climbs up trees and grows in dappled light. When grown as a houseplant, it needs moderate light in an east or west window and it should be placed directly on the windowsill or close to your light source if grown in a light garden. It does benefit from some direct sunlight but not hot noonday sun. Like other tropical plants, Black Pepper can be grown outside during the summer months and brought inside for the winter.
The flowers start growing at the leaf nodes of new growth. The small white flowers form pendulous spikes and then small, round, green peppercorns form in chains, which in time ripen to red. Growth slows down in the winter, yet it will fruit and flower year-round. The pepper plant can produce an abundance of peppercorns in a pot as small as 8-inches.
To fertilize, use a soluble or liquid fertilizer applied every two weeks when you water. Don’t over fertilize your black pepper plant, as a rule of thumb, the less light, the less often you fertilize, so outside in summer means more, inside in winter less.
  10 seeds per pack. $3.95
SF368 Chilean Carob Tree ( Prosopis chilensis )
A small tree with feathery foliage in the Fabaceae (pea family), native to the arid regions of northern Chile, southern Peru and northern Argentina. The fruits are similar to carob and are used to make a rich sugary flour.
The dried fruits are placed in a blender and the resulting flour is sifted and added to desserts, pastries, soups and even ice-cream. The dried pods are also nibbled on as a delightful snack. These trees are beneficial as Nitrogen fixers. They grow quickly and are extremely hardy. The variety offered here is one of the larger fruited forms from the Atacama desert in Chile.
In cultivation, Prosopis chilensis can take moderate freezes and severe droughts and can be grown in dry climates of USDA zones 8 to 10.
Seeds are easy to sprout but need to be scarified and soaked before sowing.
 5 seeds $3.95
Image: By Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA (Prunus virginianaUploaded by Tim1357) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
TRZ153 Wild Black Cherry ( Prunus Virginiana )
For zones 2-6. A medium size cherry tree; height usually not over 20 to 25 feet, diameter 4 to 8 inches; with an irregular, rounded crown. Bright green, broadly oval leaves, paler underneath; length 3 to 4 inches, width 1 to 2 inches. Fruit is in dense clusters; reddish, turning nearly black when fully ripe; each berry containing a single seed, skin of fruit thick; flesh thin and dark; very astringent to the taste, but edible. Popular tree for birds. Most widely distributed tree in North America, extending from the Arctic Circle to Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Rockies.
1.5g pack ( about 20-25 seeds ) $4.95
Image: Forest & Kim Starr [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
D2261 Strawberry Guava ( Psidium cattleianum )
Can be grown indoors in containers or as a tree outdoors to 15 feet, in containers it will be limited to the size of the container. The fruits are very versatile. They can be eaten out of hand. Makes great juice, jelly, mousse, Guava butter and Guava pudding. Cold hardy to 25 degrees.
This guava does well in limestone and poor soils that would barely support other fruit trees. It is shallow-rooted but is fairly drought tolerant.
A delicious puree or tart-filling can be made by trimming and cooking 6 cups of red cattleys with 1 cup water and 2 cups granulated sugar and pressing through a sieve.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
  Package of 50 seeds $7.95
Image: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons
3341 Apple Guava ( Psidium guajava )
A shrub or small tree, sometimes growing as high as 30ft, but usually no more than 10-15ft.
Highly fragrant fruit usually with green or yellow skin, about the size of a baseball, with pink or white flesh. The guava is one of the most common fruits in the world and its sweet pulp is used in a wide assortment of drinks, desserts, and other food products.
Hardiness: The guava is highly adaptable to tropical and subtropical environments and can be grown outdoors as far North as the San Francisco Bay Area in California, as well as most areas of Florida and gulf coast states. Protect from temperatures below 30F, which can cause defoliation. Harder freezes will kill the plant. In cool winter areas, guava's may partially defoliate, but should begin new growth flushes in spring and summer.
 5 seeds $2.95
 25 seeds $9.95
JB145 Red Apple Guava ( Psidium guajava )
Widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, guava fruits can range in size from as small as an apricot to as large as a grapefruit. This cultivar features pink to red flesh.
When cultivated from seed, guavas are notable for their extremely slow growth rate for several months, before a very rapid acceleration in growth rate takes over. From seed, common guavas may bloom and set fruit in as few as two years or as many as eight. Cuttings, grafting, and air layering are more commonly used as a propagation method in commercial groves. Highly adaptable, guavas can be easily grown as container plants in temperate regions, though their ability to bloom and set fruit is somewhat less predictable.
The plant is used in many different shampoo products for its scen. It is also becoming a popular bonsai species and is currently quite popular in India and Eastern Asia. Guava wood from Hawaii is commonly used for the smoking of meat. The wood is resistant to insect and fungal attack.
Hardy down to 28 degrees, but may lose foliage at this temperature, easily grown in containers.
 275mg pack ( about 40-50 seeds ) $5.95
Image: By Daniel Capilla [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
D2267 Pomegranate ( Punica )
A very decorative ornamental that has a pleasant tasting fruit. It has vermilion red flowers and small glossy leaves.
Pomegranates are adaptable to many soil types, though they grow best in loamy soil with good drainage. The ideal climate is zones 7 to 12, with short, mild winters and low humidity. They may be grown in containers in colder places, and kept indoors or in a greenhouse over winter.
It is not necessary to prune your pomegranate trees, but it can help with ease of harvest, better fruit, and for a shapelier tree. Pomegranates naturally grow in bush-form, and produce lots of suckers. This is ideal for hedges or living walls, but not for most other situations.
 350mg pack ( about 20 or more seeds ) $2.95
 100 seeds $7.95
Image: By Supermicio [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
3182 Firethorn ( Pyracantha coccinea )
A plant of many uses: Impenetrable shrub for informal hedges, hedgerows. dense screens or property lines. Also effective when massed to cover slopes. Group in shrub borders. May be sheared as a hedge, but severe pruning performed after flowering will adversely affect fruit production. Espaliers trained on wall or fence. Best planted in areas where the thorns will not present a problem.
Birds love the fruit. They are greatly favored by Black Birds and Cedar Waxwings, which have been know to strip a tree of all its berries.
Here is a link to a great web page about Firethorn and includes a recipe for Pyracantha Jelly.

Firethorn is a large, evergreen shrub that is cherished for its spectacular fall and winter display of scarlet fruits and ability to withstand dry and droughty conditions. Shooting long lanky stems in all directions, firethorn typically grows into a tangled mound up to 10 feet in height and 12 feet wide. It is armed with sharp thorns that hide among the dark,glossy green leaves.

Clusters (corymbs) of small white flowers appear in spring. These are up to 2 inches across and are borne close together creating the appearance of nearly solid surface of flowers. In fall the 1/4 inch berries begin to ripen, their color mellowing from green to shades of red, orange, or yellow. These persist through winter and into early spring depending on climate and appetite of the local bird population. Under bright sunny conditions the berries are plentiful but expect smaller crops in shadier situations. The color of both leaves and berries tends to be darker in cooler climates.

Culture: Not particular about soil and requires little or no supplemental fertilization.
Light: Full sun preferred but will grow in partial to fairly heavy shade. Flowering and fruiting will not be as heavy.
Moisture: Moist to very dry, well drained soil. Hardiness: Zones 5 - 9.
Usage: Pyracantha is often used as an espalier. Held flat against a wall, it can be shaped quite creatively. Because of its fast growth rate, sprawling, spreading habit, and ease of care, it can be used on slopes to great advantage requiring little maintenance or care. The wide-reaching stems may be pruned back as needed during warm weather as the shrub blooms on old wood. Even consider using it as an informal hedge! This will require some trimming and shaping for the first few years but the effort will produce impressively beautiful and secure (thorny) hedges.

Landscapers love the firethorns for their fast rate of growth and ability to withstand drought and neglect. The shrubs ruggedness and disease and pest resistance makes this plant a very popular item in commercial landscapes.

  Package of 100 seeds $2.95
  Package of 500 seeds $8.95
TRZ124 Sand Pear ( Pyrus phaeocarpa )
Also known as the dusky pear or orange pear, that bears edible fruit and and is a wonderful ornamental lawn tree. A wide tree reaching at most 25 feet in height, it is hardy to USDA zone 5, or perhaps even zone 4. Its small yellow to brown fruit are edible, and its beautiful Autumn foliage is bright orange to orange-red, giving it good potential as an ornmental. The spring flush of white blooms are very eye catching. The fruits are great jams and jellies.
  10 seeds $3.95
  25 seeds $7.95
Image: By Rasbak [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
TRZ155 Common Pear ( Pyrus communis )
Pyrus communis, better known as Common Pear or European Pear, is a vital fruit of the temperate region, widely grown in Europe, North America, and Australia. It is considered the ancestor of most orchard pear cultivars. This species of pear is native to central and eastern Europe, as well as southwest Asia.
Common Pear grows best in a cooler climate and requires some winter chilling to bear fruit. This tree is a descendant of wild pears categorized as P. communis subsp. pyraster and P. communis subsp. caucasica. It is a tree of historical significance, with archaeological evidence showing its cultivation dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Common pears are best picked before ripening, and they store well when kept cold. Fermented pear juice is called perry, and in Britain, the place name "Perry" indicates the historical presence of pear trees. The European Pear is an exceptional fruit that has played an important role in human history, used for food, drink, and more.
For zones 5-8.
Package of 10 seeds $3.95
Image: By katorisi [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
TRZ146 Asian Pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia )
Pyrus pyrifolia is a deciduous Tree growing to 32 feet.
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in April, and the fruit ripens in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Asian pears are cousins to the pears that are typically seen in grocery stores, but this fruit is similar to an apple and its many names reflect that characteristic. Other names that this fruit goes by are: Chinese pear, Japanese pear, Sand, Nashi, and apple pear.
Asian pears differ from the traditional European ones. These pears are usually round, firm to touch when ripe, and are ready to eat after harvest. Asian pears reach prime quality when they ripen on the tree, like an apple and peach. These pears will be crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet with some tartness, especially near the core.
Note: These seeds will require cold stratification, you may need to purchase our Cold Stratification Kit
 10 seeds $3.95
Image:
LET822 Lemonade Berry ( Rhus intergrifolia )
This California native plant is an aromatic, evergreen shrub that typically grows 8 to 10 feet tall with a stout, short trunk and many spreading branches. The leaves are mid to dark green with a leathery texture, flat to slightly enrolled with a margin that usually has small sharp teeth and the petioles and central leaf veins are often attractively maroon to pink tinged.
Rhus integrifolia can also be used as a landscape shrub and is suitable for hedging and espalier. The plant is vulnerable to frost, but often the plant will regrow by summer, after it appears to have died from cold.
The small flowers, in tightly grouped clusters, are white to rose-pink in color and bloom at the tips of branches from February to May. The fruit is a sticky, flattish drupe that is covered with a fine reddish-brown down, inside of which is a hard stone of a seed about 1/4 inch long. Plant in full sun to light, or even dense shade. It is drought tolerant once established and cold hardy to 10°F.
It can also be kept smaller by regular light pruning and can even be trained as a formal hedge. If this plant becomes too big or too lanky, give it a hard pruning, even to the ground in late winter, and this plant will resprout new shoots rapidly.
Use care when pruning as this sumac relative has sap that can cause a rash. Lemonade Berry is found growing naturally below 2,600 feet in coastal sage scrub and chaparral on dry, mostly open-facing slopes from Santa Barbara county to Baja.
The sticky substance covering the fruit tastes like bitter lemons, which gives the plant its name.
The berries are edible and can also be used for lemonade. Lemonade berry is also good for erosion control. The fruit is consumed by roadrunners and many upland gamebirds, songbirds, large and small mammals. Also provides a special value to native bees.
Medicine: Tea made from the stems can be used to treat coughs. The tea made from the bark, berries, or leaves steeped in cold water can be gargled for sore throats and cold sores, or you can drink it to alleviate diarrhea or urinary problems (best to use leaves for the latter). Best suited for zones 8-10.
 10 seeds $3.95
Image: By Walter Siegmund [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons
3358 Thimbleberry ( Rubus parviflorus )
A decidious shrub growing to 4 feet. Has large maple-shaped leaves. White flowers in spring produce edible red fruit. It does not like wet, soggy soil and prefers some light shade.
Thimbleberries are good subshrubs for use as streamside erosion control. It forms thornless bramble thickets with good soil-binding attributes. Because it is vigorous and adapts well to sun or shade, it makes a fine native species for re-vegetating disturbed moist areas, especially those spots located in shade.
The raspberry-like fruit make tasty jams, jellies and syrups.

Note: These seeds need to be cold stratified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.
  45mg Pack ( about 40 seeds ) $4.95
TRZ108 Jojoba ( Simmondsia chinensis )
Pick up a bottle of lotion at the store and you may recognize the name of this oily plant. Known for its moisturizing properties, Jojoba is widely found in cosmetic products. If you find this large bush in your area, you can also eat the nuts that are found on the female variety of the plant, containing seed pods. The nut has a bitter flavor similar to an almond.
This woody, evergreen shrub grows up to 8 feet tall and about 10 feet wide with leathery, grayish-green leaves. Jojoba occurs throughout the Sonoran Desert where annual average rainfall exceeds 5 inches. It extends beyond the desert into the coastal mountain ranges of southern California. Use jojoba plants as a screen, barrier, hedge, or desert revegetation.
Zones 9-11 or can be container grown in cooler zones.
  5 seeds $3.95
JB111 Tamarind ( Tamarindus indica )
The tamarind is a large tropical tree with a short massive trunk, ferny pinnate leaves, small yellow flowers and fat reddish brown pods. The tree can get 90 ft (27.4 m) tall but is usually less than 50 ft (15.2 ft). It has a short, stocky trunk, drooping branches and a domed umbrella shaped crown about as wide as the tree's height. The leaves are about 10 in (25.4 cm) long with 10-18 pairs of 1 in (2.5 cm) oblong leaflets. Tamarind drops its leaves in pronounced dry seasons; in climates without a dry season it stays evergreen. The flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, pale yellow with purple or red veins. They have five unequal lobes and borne in small drooping clusters. The velvety cinnamon brown pods are 2-6 in (5.1-15.2 cm) long, sausage shaped and constricted between the seeds. The pulp that surrounds the 8-10 seeds is both sweet and extremely sour.
Tamarinds are grown as ornamental shade and street trees, and for the edible pods. The pods are fed to livestock, and the pulp within the pods is used to make beverages, curries, chutneys and sauces. Tamarind pulp is made into a soft drink known as refresco de tamarindo in Latin America, and tamarinade in Jamaica. It's also the basis of a popular drink in the Middle East. Tamarind is used extensively in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, and is an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. The juice is used to pickle fish in India. Several medicinal uses of tamarind are reported in Grieve's A Modern Herbal. The fruit is said to improve digestion, relieve gas, soothe sore throats, and act as a mild laxative.
The tamarind tree is a beautiful, fine textured tree and it makes an excellent shade tree in large landscapes. It often is planted in public parks and as an avenue tree in tropical cities. Best for zones 10 and up.
  5 seeds $3.95
  25 seeds $12.95
3240 Chilean Cranberry ( Ugni molinae )
Botanically its in the Myrtaceae ( Myrtle ) family and is not related to the cranberry ( which the small red berries resemble ). The delicious 3/4" fruits have a wild strawbery taste. Although this fruit is relatively unknown to most of the civilized world it is expected to make a commercial impact in the future. It had been introduced to England in 1844 and became a favorite fruit of Queen Victoria. The processed fruits are beginning to enter the world markets. It is a handsome shrubby tree to 7' laden with small oval leaves, glossy and spicy scented when crushed. It develops small profuse pink tinged blossoms which have the fragrance of strawberries. Hardy to zone 8, once established it is drought resistant and can tolerate some frost. Makes an excellant ornamental tree and may be pruned to desired height. Requires bright light and well draining acid soil.
  10 seeds per pack: $3.95
Image: By Rob Duval [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
FDR97 Highbush Blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum )
A deciduous medium to large multi-stemmed sized shrub that can grow to 10 feet tall, but normally in the 7-9 feet range. The flowers bloom from May to June. The blooms are typically numerous and somewhat showy. The highbush blueberry fruits are small (1/3 inch), dark blue and covered with a white film. The berry ripens in mid to late summer. The fruits are sweet and delicious. For this tree the ideal soil is moist, high in organic matter and well-drained. It prefers an acidic soil (4.5 to 5.5). The blueberry tree likes to have mulch around the roots and full sun to partial shade. More sun translates into more into more blooms, more fruit and enhanced fall foliage color. Hardiness zones: 3-9. Pre-stratified seeds need to be planted immediately upon receipt.
Germination instructions are not on seed packets, click here for germination instructions.
  50mg Package ( about 100 ) seeds $7.95
  500 seeds $17.95
SF186 Cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon )
Cranberries can be grown in-doors, in a garden, in planter boxes, raised beds, etc. Cranberries have huge health benefits and can be dry stored for extended periods of time.
Cranberries are native to North America do not need to be grown in a bog. Cranberries do require some soil preparation that is well worth the effort.
Cranberry plants can also be grown in large pots as ornamentals. These attractive, spreading plants are a unique addition to any garden.
With proper care, you can harvest berries the first year from the cranberry plants.
Zones 2-8 if grown outside.
Germination instructions: Sow at 64-71F for 2-4 weeks, move to 24-39F for 4-6 weeks, move to 41-53F for germination. Cover seeds 1/4 inch. Sowing Rate: 2 - 3 seeds per plant. Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination.
  12mg Package ( about 20 seeds ) $3.95
  100 seeds $9.95
TRZ123 Nannyberry ( Viburnum lentago )
A versatile native shrub with excellent year-round interest, and many uses. It features showy white flowers in May and burgundy leaf color in autumn with dark blue edible berries. A large upright shrub, it spreads by roots to form colonies and makes an excellent privacy screen or hedgerow. It can be maintained as a small tree by pruning stems and removing the suckers at the base. Adaptable to a wide range of soils, this native viburnum is found in low moist woods or near stream banks, but will tolerate drier sites. Very shade tolerant in nature, it grows larger in open sunny areas.
Viburnums offer excellent support for birds and pollinators, and serve as host plants to numerous butterflies and moths. They tend to flower profusely whether or not pollination occurs. However, poor fruiting will happen if there is only one Viburnum available, so try to grow at least two somewhat close together. The edible berries can be used to make jams and jellies.
It can grow 15 to 20 feet tall and should be spaced about 15 feet apart. Hardy for zones 2-8.
  10 seeds $3.95
  25 seeds $7.95
Image: By Arnstein Rønning [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
W253 Mountain Cranberry ( Vaccinium vitis-idae )
Depending on where you are at in the world, Mountain Cranberry may also be called: Lingonberry, Cowberry, Foxberry, Quailberry, Beaverberry, Red Whortleberry, Bearberry, Lowbush Cranberry, Cougarberry, Mountain Bilberry, Partridgeberry, Redberry, and more.
Mountain Cranberry is a short evergreen shrub in the heath family that bears edible fruit, native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. Lingonberries are a staple in Northern Scandinavia, picked in the wild and used to accompany a variety of dishes.
Hardy for zones 2-7.
Germination instructions: Sow at soil temperuture of 41°F or lower, needs to planted in cold soil, the warming soil triggers germination, germination irregular, often several months.
Average Germ Time: 6-12 weeks. Light Required: Yes.
Depth: 1/8-1/4 inch. Sowing Rate: 4 - 5 seeds per plant.
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination. Plant Spacing: 18-24 inches.
  7mg Package ( about 30-40 ) seeds $2.95
Image: By Andshel [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
IP309 Amur Grape ( Vitis Amurensis )
This plant is native to the Far East (China, Japan, Korea, and Siberia). This is a rarely offered species with exceptional fall coloring. This robust, fast growing vine attains a height of 18-24 ft (6-8 m), with up to 6 ft (2 m) of annual growth.

This plant is suitable for growing up tall fences, arbors, and sturdy supports.A splendid and vigorous climber with reddish flossy shoots, when there young. The leaves are broad, ovate and large (3 or 5-lobed), up to 10 in. across (15-25 cm). In autumn the rather fine foliage turns a rich crimson and purple. This plant climbs by means of tendrils. This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. They bloom from May to July, and the seeds ripen from September to October. After the flowers the fruits appear, they are small (1-1.5 cm) colored purple to black, and they taste very good, making wonderful jelly.

Hardiness zones: 4-9. Even if it has small soil requirements, this plant prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam. The plant does best in calcium rich fertile loamy evenly moist soils for best production and flavorful fruit. Vitis Amurensis succeeds in sun or partial shade; though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen. This vine is very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -40 degrees.

Note: These seeds need to be cold statified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.

  Pack of 10 seeds $2.95
IP296 Riverbank Grape ( Vitis Riparia )
Also commonly known as Frost Grape, it is a Native American climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed from Quebec to Texas, and Montana to New England. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest trees. This plant is highly valued by wildlife and perfect for naturalizing woodland areas or along fences. This vine is a strong climber reaching 12m (2m of annual growth).

This plant is recommended for covering tall fences and various supports as well as concealing unsightly buildings. It can suppress the growth of other plants. The growth form is that of a woody vine. There are well-developed tendrils that wrap around nearby plants or other objects to help the vine climb.

Mature vines have loose, fissured bark, and may attain several inches in diameter. Leaves are alternate, and lobed (there can be dramatic differences in the lobbing pattern from one leaf to the next). The lobes are generally sharp-pointed and there are also large sharp teeth along the margin. The leaves often have opposite tendrils or inflorescences; they are about 2-10 inches long and 2-8 inches broad, sometimes with sparse hairs on the underside of veins, and are glossy green on both surfaces.

The vine has large panicles of delightfully Mignonette scented flowers, a most unusual feature, in early summer. The inflorescence is 6 inches long and is loose, and the flowers are small, fragrant, dioecious, and white or greenish in color. V. riparia blooms in May or June and produces a small 6-15 mm blue-black berry (grape) with a bloom, seeded, juicy, edible, vinous-herbaceous in flavor (not foxy), but usually sour.

Hardiness zones: 2-9. The vine is extremely cold hardy and easily survives temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. The riparia vine prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam. This vine does best in calcium rich fertile loamy evenly moist soils for best production and flavorful fruit. It will grow best in a calcareous soil. It will succeed in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen. This is an undemanding, drought tolerant and fully hardy species.

Note: These seeds need to be cold statified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.

  Pack of 10 seeds $3.95
  Pack of 50 seeds $12.95
Image: By Vitis-vinifera.JPG: Stickpenderivative work: Stickpen (Vitis-vinifera.JPG) [CC BY 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
IP297 Common Wine Grape ( Vitis vinifera )
Vitis vinifera is also called California Grape Vine and is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Spain north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. It is a liana growing to 35 m tall. It holds on to supports with twining tendrils.

An interesting climber with green leaves covered with silvery down. This plant is ideal for color compositions with shrubs, other climbers or trees with dark leaves or flowers. The leaves are alternate, palmate and lobed, about 5-20 cm long and broad.

The flowers of the vine are of color yellow-green and are gathered in bunches. They are intensely fragrant, hermaphrodites (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. Since it has both sexes, you need only one plant to be able to enjoy the fruits. The flowers will bloom from May to July.

The sweet edible fruit is a berry, known as a grape; in the wild species it is 6 mm diameter and ripens dark purple to blackish with a pale wax bloom; in cultivated plants it is usually much larger, up to 3 cm long, and can be green, red, or purple. Fruits ripen from September to October.

Hardiness zones: 5-10. Tolerating temperatures down to about -20 degrees. Best grown in fertile, moist but permeable soil that is rich in calcium, but it will also succeed moderate soil. This vine does best in calcium rich fertile loamy evenly moist soils for best production and flavorful fruit. It likes sunny, warm and well-aerated spots. When grown in shade, the leaves turn green. It can freeze during severe winters. The species typically occurs in humid forests and stream sides.

Note: These seeds need to be cold statified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.

  Pack of 5 seeds $3.95
  Pack of 25 seeds $12.95
Image: INRA DIST from France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1A030 Chinese Jujube ( Zizyphus jujuba )
The tree has a weeping ornamental growth pattern. The fruits are smooth and round like an apple and can be eaten right off the tree. Very high in vitamin C. Very fragrant flowers.
Jujube grows throughout most of the southern half of North America. For best crops, the tree needs a long growing season and hot and dry weather during ripening. About the only parts of the United States where jujube can't grow are in the North (USDA Zones 5 and colder) and the Gulf Coast where summer rain and humidity prevent optimum fruiting.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.95
TRZ149 Christs Thorn ( Zizyphus spina )
A legendary shrub said to have been used to elaborate Jesus Christ’s thorn crown. The wood is tough, white-pink and elastic. During Antiquity, its roots, leaves and fruit were used for their astringent and diuretic properties. Also known under Paliurus aculeatus y Ziziphus spina-christi.
Deciduous shrub growing up to 5m with green oval leaves. The basis of their stalks is thorny. Yellow-greenish flowers in spring and summer. Typical yellow edible fruit. It adapts to any types of soils. Can be seen on the edge of Oak groves and Cork oak plantations shaping thorny hedges.
A medium sized African tree that is highly versatile and prized in its native range. The fruits are edible and have a sweetish flavor similar to the common Jujube. The tree is also a source of honey and a flavoring for alcoholic drinks. Some believe the tree to be the source of Christ's Crown of Thorns, hence its common name. For zones 6-10.
  Package of 5 seeds $3.95