Please note: We are traveling in the highlands of Peru and Bolvia from mid April to mid May. Orders received during this time will be shipped asap in the second half of May. We appreciate your understanding and support!
This is only a partial list of the plants and seeds we have available.
This is only a partial list of the plants and seeds we have available. For our complete illustrated catalog send $2 ($4 international)
California Natives
California, land of my birth, does that make me native? My maternal great-grandmother moved out west from Oklahoma seeking a better life and fleeing her Indian identity, a classic case of bioinvasion? My father rambled here from the east coast, an obvious exotic... But is not "native" a relative term? What scientific merit does it truly hold? We use such terms with care, for are we not all "native" to this fecund planet? Nature does not conform to such transitory simian notions of of how she should behave, or comply with our abstract ideas of geographical boundaries. California's diverse terrain boasts 6,000+ "native" species. She has flung open her golden arms to lovingly embrace a just-as-impressive number of so called exotics, some long lost lovers like Ginkgo returning after millions of years in the hands of peripatetic primates. I spent my childhood wandering the central California landscapes, in perpetual romance with the land. In my youthful eyes the biologically rich groves of introduced Eucalyptus were just as sacred as the native oak forests. I've spent the last 15 years exploring northern California, and many native seeds have found their way home to our gardens. We offer here a small smattering of superlative species that we've collected wild or have been growing on our land here in western Sonoma County. All deserve wider cultivation. For California Ephedra, Sedum & Yucca, look at the Succulents webpage.
Allium sp. BK08426.1
Dwarf species, 2-4" tall. Small tasty bulbs and spheres of white flowers with pink midstripes. Collected on the hills
southeast of San Luis Obispo. The plants grew by the thousands, a sea of puff flowers, a white-pink foam hovering
above the ground. Full sun, let dry during summer. Cold stratify seed. Z9a
Seed packet $3
Artemisia californica "California Sagebrush" "Khapshikh" "Hulvel"
Asteraceae. Aromatic shrub to 6'. Fine silver green foliage, small yellow flowers. One of the signature plants and
scents of California. Dried foliage is burned as incense and smudge. Like all wormwoods, the plant is strongly
antimicrobial and antiparasitical. Surface sow. Z8b
Seed packet $3
Brodiaea stellaris "Dwarf Grass Nut"
Alliaceae or Liliaceae. Grass-like leaves from small geophytic bulbs. Slender stems to 1-6" tall bearing several
violet colored flowers with recurved petals and white staminodes held close to stamens. Grasslands and open
woodlands of coastal northern California. The bulbs are edible and were once eaten by native tribes. The bulbs
offset with age and have a sweet nutty flavor eaten raw or cooked. Seed from western Sonoma Co. populations.
Easy, prefers wet Winters and hot dry Summers. Give the seed 30-60 days cold treatment. An excellent addition to
garden borders and rock gardens. Dormant late Summer through Winter. Z8a
Seed packet $3
Inquire for bulbs
Dudleya abramsii ssp. murina BK0612.2
Crassulaceae. Rosettes of slender glaucous leaves from a small branching caudex to about 4". Flower stalks to 6"
with small purplish flowers. Endemic to the serpentine outcrops in the hills around San Luis Obispo. Sow seed like
cacti. Plants need bright light and a dry Summer rest, when the leaves will shrivel until Autumn rains revive. Z9a-b
Seed packet $3.50
Dudleya cymosa BK09725.4
Crassulaceae. Clusters of glaucus white sculpted rosettes to 6" across. 6-10" flowers stalks bearing dozens of small
pale yellow flowers. Collected on a south facing serpentine cliff, Lookout Rock, Coleman Creek, Occidental. Z9a
Seed packet $3.50
Dudleya pulverulenta BK0612.1
One of the largest of the genus, forms a rosette up to 30", usually unbranched. The leaves can be up to 18" long and
3" wide, covered in a fine white powder that gives the plant an spectacular appearance. Large multi-branched
flower stalk to 4' with dozens of bright red flowers. Native to isolated areas, from San Luis Obispo County, south
to Baja. A hummingbird magnet when blooming. This seed is from the northernmost populations, growing on steep
south east facing sandstone outcrops in the hills near Avila, San Luis Obispo Co. Needs soil with excellent drainage
and a dry summer rest. Z9a-b
Seed packet $3.50
Eriodictyon californica BK081111.1 "Yerba Santa"
Hydrophyllaceae. Shrub to 8' tall. Thick resinous linear leaves with toothed margins, dark green with white undersides.
Clusters of small tubular white flowers. The flavonoid rich sticky leaves are a powerful decongestant. Smoked and
chewed as a tobacco substitute. Leaves used as natural bandages. Does best in full sun and poor soil. A rugged
plant, can take drought. Seed collected on Mt. St. Helena (Mt. Mayacmas), 4,000', Calistoga. Z8a
Seed packet $3.50
Fritillaria biflora BK08426.2 "Chocolate Lily"
Liliaceae. From small bulbs arise thick, polished, lanceolate basal leaves and a flowering stalk 4-8" tall bearing 2-6
nodding, bell-like flowers, dark chocolate-purple. Native to the coastal ranges of California. The bulbs may have been
eaten like other Fritillaria species. Prefers a heavy soil, the plant goes dormant by Summer and should be kept dry. We
collected seed of this exquisite species on the hills southeast of San Luis Obispo. Cold stratify. Z8b
Seed packet $3.50
Gentiana affinis v. ovata BK06906.1 "Gentian"
Gentianaceae. Small perennial caudex from which 4-12" annual stems grow. Small ovate leaves and intensely dark
blue bell shaped flowers, often with flecking of lighter blue. This rarity is native to open meadows and hillsides. Seed
is originally from populations growing in the hills near the coast in Sonoma County. Gentian are used the world over
as bitter digestive tonics. Sun to part shade. Can take some drought. Z8b
Plant 3-4 years old $12
Montia parvifolia
Portulacaceae. 1-3" rosettes of small paddle-shaped succulent leaves. Straight flowering stems to 12" bearing 1/2"
white-pink flowers. Small plantlets grow along the flowering stems and eventually drop off and root wherever they
land. The plant turns red in bright light. The edible leaves have an interesting taste and were once used as a relish.
Quite showy and easy, shade to part sun. Self propagates readily and is very drought tolerant. Our plants are from
seed originally collected on the north side of mossy rocks along the north fork of the Trinity River, Trinity Co. Z8a
Plant $4.50
Pedicularis densiflora "Betony" "Indian Warrior"
Scrophulariaceae. Deciduous herbaceous plant with feathery fern like leaves, dark green to purple in color. Flower
heads to 1' high, densely packed with gorgeous bright red flowers. Considered semi-parasitic on the roots of other
plants, but can grow on its own as well. Seed from western Sonoma County. Tea made from the plant is a superb
skeletal muscle relaxant. Shade to sun. Give seed 30+ days cold. Z7b
Seed packet $3.50
Perideridia kellogii "Yampah"
Apiaceae. From a perennial rootstock arises slender pinnately divided leaves and a flowering stalk to 4'. Delicate
umbels of white flowers, sometimes with a blush of pink. Native to vernal-meadows of the Pacific Northwest.
Develops thickened rootlets, eaten by many tribes, but not as coveted as P. gairdneri. The tender new Spring
growth is an eagerly awaited delicacy. The aromatic seeds can be used as a caraway substitute. A fantastic native for
the veggie garden. Likes a rich moist soil and at least partial sun. Seed from plants that grow naturally around our
home. Needs 30-90 days cold to sprout. Z7a
Seed packet $3
Salvia apiana "White Sage" "We'wey"
Labiatae. Shrub up to 10' tall with white resinous leaves. Large flower stalks up to 4' long with white to palelavender
colored flowers. The sacred sage of the arid mountains and deserts. Important medicinal to many native
tribes, bundles of the aromatic leaves are burned as a physical and spiritual antiseptic. Loved by bees. An excellent
companion plant to many of the columnar cacti. Seed germinates in 1-4 weeks. Z8b
Seed packet $3
Salvia columbariae "California Chia" "Ilipesh"
Annual 1-2'. Resinous dissected leaves. Spiky globular heads with blue flowers. Southwest US native. Seed highly
nutritious source of EFAs. An important food of many desert tribes. One of the few sources of the anti-seizure
compound tanshinone. Easy to grow, tolerant of hot, dry conditions. Z9b
Seed packet $3
Salvia spathacea "Pitcher Sage"
Clumping perennial to 3'. Globular 3" whorls bearing large magenta colored flowers, a hummingbird mecca. The
whole plant is wonderfully aromatic, being covered in sticky oil glands. Used by the Chumash to sweeten Yerba Santa
tea. Often grows as an oak understory, this seed was collected from such a habitat in the hills around San Luis Obispo.
This has been our favorite sage since early childhood. Part sun to part shade. Z8a
10 seed $3.50
Triteleia laxa (=Brodiaea laxa) "Grass Nut" "Wally Basket"
Alliaceae or Liliaceae. Several narrow grass-like leaves up to 15" from small geophytic bulbs. Slender stems to 2'+
tall bearing wide loose umbels of 6-18+ lavender colored funnel form 1" flowers arise as the leaves wither in early
Summer. Native to grasslands and open woodlands. The flowers and bulbs are edible, the bulbs once being an
important staple food of many native tribes who carefully tended wild populations of the plant. The bulbs offset with
age and have a delicious sweet nutty flavor eaten raw or cooked. Our seed is originally from populations growing
in western Sonoma Co. in what appears to be relic Pomo "gardens" that include high densities of other important
root crops-Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, and Perideridea. Easy to grow in most soils, they prefer wet Winters and
hot dry Summers. Cold stratify seed to sprout. Plants usually flower in 3-4 years from seed. An excellent addition
to the garden, we've also found them to grow well in association with cacti. The plants are dormant late Summer
through Winter and should be fine to Z8a.
Seed Packet $3
Inquire for bulbs
Vaccinium ovatum "Evergreen Huckleberry"
Ericaceae. Evergreen shrub 3-8'+. Small dark green leaves and pink/white bell shaped flowers. Delicious 1/3" black
berries. New growth is an attractive red-bronze. The small berries are esteemed by people and wildlife. Part sun to
full shade, though a few hours of sun is needed to flower and fruit. Plants in the sun tend to be smaller than those in
shade. Seed from our backyard. Prefers an acid soil. Seed needs 60-90 days cold. Z7a
Seed packet $2.50