Wildflowers of North America – Page 3 – Botanically Inclined

Bursting at the seams

Mid-June is by tradition a period when various spring flowering species are maturing their fruits – many are literally bursting at the seams :-) and are a bit difficult to catch, even for experienced collectors. Cues of maturation are slight changes in color and/or in texture, but even so, fruits on the same plant will mature at different times, therefore using organza bags when possible is still a better way to go.

Stylophorum diphyllum fruits releasing the seeds

Cardamine enneaphyllos splitted fruits

Asarum canadense fruits and seeds

Viola adunca var. bellidifolia opening capsules

With plants being smart, the fruits are in most cases down-turned towards the ground (like in Stylophorum diphyllum, the woodland poppy), which makes the matter of capture even more difficult. The wild ginger fruits (Asarum canadense) are laying at the ground level and innocently keep the same color/shape until the ‘last minute’ of maturation – an open buffet for all ground crawling creatures.

Viola species capsules, we talked about them, are explosives and it is not possible to include all the stems in bags.

So, daily garden walks have a double goal, to admire the newly flowered and to also collect seeds from the ‘seeds defectors’.

Papaver chakassicum, Polygala

Campanula bellidifolia

Dianthus deltoides (2)

Dianthus spiculifolius

Dictamnus albus

Gladiolus tenuis

Just one example of an Epimedium ex. ‘Amber Queen’ hybrid; colored young foliage and yellow spidery flowers in various shades

To make a long story short, there will be new fresh seeds listed in the Spring-Summer 2024 section of the SEED LIST very soon.

At this point, only Jeffersonia diphylla and one Helleborus are on the ‘wait list’, but not for long I think.

PS. In the featured image: capsules with seeds of Epimedium lishihchenii.

Free Epimedium seeds will be offered for all orders (while quantities last)!

This spring was good with them and there are plenty of capsules on Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’ and its hybrids, so it would be a shame to let them go to waste.

Stay tuned…

June 14, 2024

June seeds and Dicentra

Wildflowers of North America

The Corydalis and Hepatica seeds offering will be closed sooner that June 15^th, after this weekend. So, do not wait longer if you want to grab some of the remaining seeds.

I was concentrating towards preparing the orders with Hepatica seeds as fast as possible when garden walks revealed that many early flowering species (March/April) are ripening their seeds sooner than usual! The biggest mischiefs from ‘catch me if you can’ category were bagged, and in fact, as of today Helleborus niger and Helleborus purpurascens seeds are already collected.

Frequent garden walks are recommended now because many species are maturing their fruits gradually (Physoclaina, Geum triflorum, Lathyrus vernus, Draba, Viola species….for example). I also noticed the first Epimedium capsules bursting…

Jeffersonia diphylla capsule

Helleborus purpurascens seeds

Lathyrus vernus gradually maturing fruits

Geum triflorum

Collecting seeds in the wild will be a hit and miss this year, that’s for sure.

Dicentra formosa flowers showing immature capsules.

In the feature image we have Dicentra formosa, the Pacific bleeding heart, for which I’ll make a short plant portrait.
It was grown from a few seeds collected many years ago during a trip to Victoria, BC. It grows well in a part-shaded location and I like it for its long flowering period and for providing food for the bumblebees in the spring. Interestingly, I’ve never noticed fruits until this year; as shown in the image they would be hard to miss!

The Pacific bleeding heart is a lovely plant with ferny-like foliage growing from fleshy rhizomes that broke easily (so careful with transplanting). The pink heart shaped dangling flowers appear in early spring and last for a very, very! long time. It will spread to form carpets, with size depending on how much moisture it has; easy to remove as the rhizomes are very shallow (almost sit atop the ground). It usually becomes dormant in late summer.

I would say it is an essential species for the long tongue pollinators in the spring. In my garden it flowers at the same time with Lathyrus vernus and they are both very good ‘providers’. The bumblebees population has increased because of them, and because of the countless early Corydalis and Dicentra cucullaria, of course :-)

Regarding Dicentra seeds germination, I would like to emphasize that the same applies as for Corydalis species. The seeds need to be sowed fresh, with warm/cold stratification cycles. From dry, old seeds you will not get much germination. This subject is not often discussed because actually not many Dicentra species are grown from seeds.

Like in previous years, the next offering of fresh seeds will be done on late June-early July for various native and non-native species, before the Shop will close for the rest of summer: Sanguinaria, Asarum canadense, Stylophorum diphyllum, Saruma, Epimedium, Jeffersonia, Dicentra formosa (if enough seeds), Pseudofumaria lutea, Capnoides sempervirens, Helleborus (Helleborus seeds can also be sown in early fall)…

June 7, 2024

Apropos Hepatica germination

Wildflowers of North America

Now that the seeds sale is started, today I will show a small flat with little pots of Hepatica sowings from last year. Sometimes ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. Have a look at it; the post will be transferred to the Hepatica germination page afterwards.

What else can be said? The seedlings will remain on this stage on for the rest of the season – above ground wise. More is happening below ground with the root system growing on, accumulating reserves for next year growth. Seedlings of this size should not dry out but also beware of overwatering. Less foliage, less watering is the norm. Apply a very light fertilizer once in a while.

The seedlings from the first pot should (and will) be pricked out because the pot is very small; all other pots should wait until next spring, especially those where more seeds are expected to germinate.

The top image features a pot with a sowing from 2021. One seed germinated (spring 2022) and grew up, the remaining seeds germinated only this spring! This means germination in the third year after sowing.

I hope this will draw more appreciation for the amount of work put into obtaining a Hepatica young plant! Never consider that they are too expensive, should you decide to purchase plants. If/when gifted to you, take them with a big thank you.
And my big Thank You to those who persevere in growing these beauties from seeds!

May 17, 2024

Out in the woods – spring beauties

Wildflowers of North America

Back to the ‘Out in the woods’ posts, with less ‘talk’ and more pictures. But make no mistake there is plenty info on this website to keep you reading about the featured plants.

Hepatica acutiloba fo. rosea

A bit earlier this year, the flowering of Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp lobed-leaf liverwort) has started in the southern regions of Ontario, along with its usual companions. Even if there are many images already on the website, it is an event that needs celebrating.

Depending on the amount of sun the plants get and the weather in the next week, more flowers will gradually open. In my garden, on shaded spots, some plants are still in bud.

For those new to the blog, you can read and see more pictures about Hepatica acutiloba, in general, and Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix in particular – from which seeds are offered almost every year.

There is also the Hepatica page, a FAQ regarding the moist packed seeds, and the Search tab where typing a couple of words will bring to ‘front’ other postings on that particular subject.

Hepatica acutiloba and friends; take advantage of any sunny and relatively warm day to enjoy them!

April 12, 2024

Friday’s seeds: the curious case of Leptarrhena pyrolifolia

Wildflowers of North America

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia seeds: light brown, fusiform and partially ribbed with long tails at both ends.

I first wrote a very short post on Leptarrhena pyrolifolia seeds in 2018, after receiving a small package of seeds from a friend. I was wondering that time about the particular shape of the seeds, different than any other seeds of the Saxifragaceae family I’ve seen.

In a way it makes sense, Leptarrhena pyrolifolia (Leatherleaf saxifrage) is the only species of its genus. The name comes from: Greek leptos, slender, and arrhen, male, alluding to stamen filaments (FNA).

So, seeds-wise I knew what to expect when I had the chance to see it for the first time last summer during a trip to BC. What I didn’t expect was how much more handsome this species is in reality, more than pictures can show. It often happens, nothing beats seeing a plant in ‘situ’ among its companions.

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia is a cold hardy, evergreen perennial plant species that inhabiting wet meadows and wet cliffs, usually found around stream banks and seepage areas. It grows in mountaineous areas of AB, BC, NWT and Yukon (Canada) and the US.

Leptarrheena pyrolifolia fruits in foreground, along an alpine stream

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia in habitat, a moist meadow

The Leatherleaf saxifrage grows from a rhizome and like the common name implies, it has attractive, leathery, shiny and toothed leaves, similar in shape and texture to those of most Pyrola species.
From the compact carpet of glossy leaves, arises a tall flowering stem up to 25-30 cm bearing clusters of white/pinkish flowers in mid-summer. Easy to observe later are the conspicuous red fruits, a very nice addition to the overall aspect of the plant (the red capsules resemble a lot those of Triantha glutinosa, another moisture loving plant).

I wonder why this species is not more widespread into cultivation, especially considering that it has evergreen foliage and it is a very cold hardy species; qualities that those living in cold climates always appreciate in a plant.

Mats of Leatherleaf saxifrage foliage in a rocky, moist meadow, BC.

Maybe we can change this situation. Why not consider going beyond the more ‘regular’ saxifrages and also grow Leptarrrhena? It will do well in a slightly moist place, in the rockery or elsewhere in the garden, with other moisture loving species like for example: Zigadenus, Lobelia cardinalis, Gentiana andrewsii, Primulas, Silene pusilla, various sedges….. Due to its rhizomatous nature, it can be used as a small scale, evergreen groundcover.

It is a bit late to sow species requiring cold/moist stratification (unless provide stratification in the fridge), but I have it on my list for next year. For now I will give it a try with GA3 as soon as I ‘turn on the lights’ just to see how it goes.

*There are reports of medicinal usage of Leptarrhena among the Aleuts of Alaska and Indigenous People of British Columbia, most commonly applying a poultice of chewed leaves to wounds.
So, keep this in mind, you never know when the leatherleaf saxifrage will come in handy :)

February 9, 2024

Greens and golds

Wildflowers of North America

We are all tired of the extreme cold and cleaning snow by now and dreaming of greens and other colors. When selecting a few spring pictures for a short garden walk to enjoy bright, warm colors I stumbled upon the cheerful flowers of Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer’s form.

Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer form

It is a good occasion to spread the joy about Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold, goldenstar), particularly about the Norman Singer form, which was named after a North American Rock Garden Society founding member (nowadays remarketed as Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Superstar’).
You can read an excellent plant portrait on the Ontario Rock Garden Society website, by Robert Pavlis, from whom I also received a division few years ago:
https://onrockgarden.com/index.php/plant-of-the-month?view=article&id=88:chrysogonum-virginianum-norman-singer&catid=22

I have nothing much to add to the plant portrait, except for the fact of being indeed an excellent low-growing, mat forming plant that every garden should have! You won’t know until you try it.

Almost evergreen, with large, bright yellow flowers (reblooming sometimes), Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer form is one of the best edging/groundcovering species for a sunny to part-shade location. Mat forming doesn’t have a bad connotation in this case, because the rhizomes are short and it grows very compact. I even had a division growing in a full shade location for a while, just that it didn’t flower so well.
Join the ORG&HP Society and participate in the Spring plant sale, maybe you’ll get lucky and find a division for yourself!

Degenia velebitica

A question on everyone’s mind is how will some of our plants fare through this low temperatures period? Most will be OK, it is not the first time it’s been so cold in this region (after all we are zone 5).

More damaging than the cold are the winter rain periods of which we got quite a few in December; so I worry more about some of the rockery plants, like the young Degenia velebitica shown here, which require excellent drainage and ideally would spend the whole winter under snow. We’ll have to wait for spring to see the results.

Until then, a few green and golds and other spring warm colors.

Primula macrocalyx

Primula sibthorpii

Hepatica americana pink form

Lathyrus vernus pink

Odontarrhena obtusifolia (syn. Allysum borzaeanum)

Pulsatilla ex. styriaca pink, April

Uvularia grandiflora

Paeonia peregrina

Linum capitatum, June 2022

Incarvillea delavayi

Fritillaria collina

Dianthus deltoides ‘Deep Confetti Red’

January 19, 2024

Pussytoes and winter sowing

Wildflowers of North America

Winter has arrived and with it a bit more time to look after a few postponed seeds. There were a couple of wild collected Antennaria species put ‘on hold’ for good reason. They are difficult to identify, sometimes even specialists may encounter problems because of the widespread polyploidy and apomixy among them.

Erythranthe lewisii

Most Antennaria species are excellent plants for rockeries, especially due to their silvery foliage and we cannot pass the occasion growing them from wild collected seeds when they are available.

A third species put on hold until I was sure how many seeds can be offered was Erythranthe lewisii. Lewis Monketflower or Pink monkey-flower (syn. Mimulus lewisii), is a showy inhabitant of moist streambanks, seepage areas and avalanche tracks of the montane and lower alpine zones.

All species can be found in the Seed List now.

Antennaria rosea spp. pulvinata

The first Antennaria was found in a meadow at the edge of the woods along the Bow Valley in the Banff area. The silvery foliage forms mats at the ground level (see the gallery) and the flowering stems are up to about 15 cm. After looking over various details many times, I may stand to be corrected, but all characters of the mother-plants fit in with the A. rosea group. The subspecies has been assigned considering the collection place: Antennaria rosea ssp. pulvinata.

Plants under the name of Antennaria rosea can differ morphologically because it has a wide distribution and grows in a variety of habitats. For this reason, it is best to keep in your records the collection place.

The second Antennaria species from which I collected a few seeds at a much higher altitude is Antennaria lanata, woolly pussytoes. This species belongs to the pussytoes group with erect, longer leaves, together with A. pulcherrima and A. anaphaloides.

Antennaria lanata, woolly pussytoes

It was seen in various locations, in the company of Cassiope and Luetkea pectinata, which suggests the need for an acidic substrate. Factoring in the elevation, meaning a thick layer of snow present until late spring followed by plenty of moisture, makes this species less compatible with the hot & super dry summers of SW Ontario (this will not stop me from trying it out!).

More pictures showing companion species are presented in the gallery below.

By tradition, I always sow on Dec. 1^st part of the species in need of cold/moist stratification; this time the pussytoes and some of their companions.

Those who are preparing to do the same, please review this post where I briefly outlined why sowing in late Nov/December it is different than sowing in September and how to handle the sowings: Practical advice for sowing in the winter.

Pictures taken in the wild will sometimes not catch the plants at their best time, but we can always draw inspiration for our gardens from them, especially by noticing the companion species growing in the same place.

Cirsium hookerianum in grassland community with Antennaria rosea, Castilleja, Oxytropis monticola and other species

Luetkea pectinata with Antennaria lanata in an alpine meadow

Pulsatilla occidentalis, Castilleja, Antennaria lanata

December 1, 2023

November seeds and learn to ID your Phytolacca

Wildflowers of North America

Latest native species added to the Seeds List: from the well-known by now Asclepias exaltata to new donations from friends, always thankful for them:
Rudbeckia maxima, Giant coneflower
Phytolacca americana ‘Variegata’, Variegated pokeweed
and Musineon divaricatum, Leafy wild parsley

I had somewhere an older picture with Rudbeckia maxima but cannot find it. If we look on google images here: Rudbeckia maxima, we see an extremely tall Black-eyes Susan, with a particular large, glaucous foliage; a truly striking species.
Musineon divaricatum, leafy wild parsley was a completely new species to me. What better occasion to learn about new plants than through their seeds?! We are always in need of hardy, drought resistant species for our gardens.

Everyone knows Phytolacca americana, the American pokeweed. It also has a variegated form, with creamy splashed foliage which adds more interest and provides a nice background for the black fruits in the fall. Back again to google images, which most times are useful: Phytolacca americana ‘Variegata’.

However, it was disturbing to see that if someone looks on google after typing Phytolacca americana, there are a LOT of wrongly identified fruits images, coming from all sides of the life: seeds sellers, images sellers, food bloggers… you name it.

Phytolacca acinosa, Chinese pokeweed

We can look at our American pokeweed as an ornamental plant, and also, as its common name implies, a weed (outside of North America). On the fact that is a native species, we accept that will reseed around and maybe spread in undesirable places, as it happens with Solidago canadensis.

However, we always have to be aware of ‘impersonators’ of the same genus which have different origins. In our regions they can easily become invasive weeds. This is not the case yet for the Chinese and Indian Phytolacca species, but we have to be cautious with all species producing abundant fruits & reseeding around easily.

Phytolacca acinosa, a Chinese species, is morphologically very similar to the native Phytolacca americana. The most visible differences are the erect inflorescences and the fruits.
In Phytolacca acinosa the carpels are free, and thus the fruit looks deeply furrowed when ripe; the seeds are reniform, ca. 3 mm, 3-angulate and smooth.

In Phytolacca americana, the carpels are fused, and therefore the fruits are round berries (at maturity) with the seeds lenticular, about the same size, black and shiny. Go Botany (https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/) is a website that you can always trust to provide true images for NA native species.

Phytolacca americana shown on Go Botany website

The differences in fruits between P. americana and P. acinosa (and probably others) are very easy to observe in my opinion. Negligence, copy-paste from one site to another without discernment may be the cause of so many mistakes.

I don’t have the intention to openly bash other websites, but mistakes have to be shown in order to learn from them. Open and browse the gallery where I give just a few examples and notice the label ‘wrong’, meaning ‘not Phytolacca americana’ (probably P. acinosa or P. polyandra?).

The conclusion is: google images for plants is usually useful, gathering info from many educational or other purposes websites, but never take for ‘true’ everything you see. Try to do more research and, in general, be cautious about websites that try to sell you something.

November 24, 2023

American Witch-hazel

Plant portraits, Wildflowers of North America

Probably the last call (!) for the moist packed seeds; we have again a window of opportunity for shipping, but it won’t last long.

New seeds in stock for today: Hamamelis virginiana,Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry), plus a replenished stock for Triosteum aurantiacum. They can be grown together in the garden as they enjoy similar conditions.

For those unfamiliar with it, a Hamamelis virginiana plant portrait follows next, with the emphasis on a very cool method of seeds dispersal. You can still find the American witch-hazels in flower in the woods, and who knows, maybe even witness a few ‘flying’ seeds!
Having a late October flowering species it is a real treat for the cold climate of Eastern Canada (and not only). It is not a ‘mistake’, it happens every year. The bright yellow flowers with a spicy fragrance that adorn the usual bare branches are very visible at this time of year.

In addition to the odd flowering time, the fruit maturation is also unusual: woody capsules develop over many months into the next year, and then explosively expel two shiny seeds at the same time with the new blooming. The genus name Hamamelis is actually a reference to this, meaning “at the same time” (flowering) and “fruit”.

It is said that the seeds can be expelled at up to 6-10 m distance! This method of seed dispersal reflects another, rarely employed common name: snapping hazelnut. Even more, the seeds spin during their ‘flight’!

This dispersal of seeds is similar for all Hamamelis species (4 of them), and the phenomenon has received a lot of attention. Scientists believe that it could inspire/improve the design of mechanisms for jumping robots. Watch and read the explanations of this cool video recorded by a team from Duke University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv0ltUBe_UE

While approaching a group of witch-hazels to smell the flowers last week, I noticed some capsules slightly opened and just showing the seeds.

I collected a few, how to abstain?! I never had the chance before. At home, I placed them in a paper bag, and then popping sounds were heard over the next few days. You can just relax and wait for the seeds to ‘liberate’ themselves in the bag. How nice, compared to cleaning Viburnum seeds!

Hamamelis virginiana leaves are similar in shape to those of European Corylus, the hazelnut, and this combined with the fact that Early European settles observed that Indigenous People used its forked branches to find underground water sources (dowsing), lead to the common name of witch-hazel. It seems that the early name was actually Wicke Hazel (meaning pliant in Old English), and only later it became witch-hazel, although it has nothing to do with the witches :)

American witch-hazel has had long medicinal usage among the Indigenous People, with the bark and leaves being used for insect bites, minor burns, skin irritation, colds and fevers; the astringent extract of witch-hazel is still present on the drugstores shelves.

A nice small tree with a vase shape, suitable for part-shaded to sun locations (better flowering), and quite adaptable to substrates, with the exception of those too dry. Besides the late fall flowering, the foliage will also take a nice golden hue in the fall. It is less cultivated than the more colorful Asian Hamamelis species/hybrids available on the market, but I think we should give it more attention. After all, how many species do we have in our cold climate to flower in October?!

Propagation by seeds
The seeds require alternate cycles of warm followed by cold for germination. Considering they have just been harvested, if we sow in outdoor pots in late fall/winter, it means they will germinate in the second year after sowing. Or we can try cycles of moist stratification in plastic bags, or – even better, sow the seeds in late spring/summer and let it all happen naturally!

November 3, 2023

Seeds and the Rattlesnake root

Wildflowers of North America

The seeds announcement of today come in pairs.
Two species for dry, sunny areas: Oenothera macrocarpa (Missouri evening primrose) and Astragalus missouriensis (Missouri milkvetch).
A pair for moist locations: Nabalus racemosus and Smilax tamnoides (Bristly greenbriar).

Smilax tamnoides seeds

I’ll take this occasion to present Nabalus racemosus (aka Prenanthes racemosa, Rattlesnake root) which is rarely cultivated in the gardens, or maybe not at all.

All others are shortly described in the Shop and some may be discussed at a later time. On the account of Friday’s seeds we’ll have only a picture with the handsome seeds of Smilax tamnoides.

Nabalus racemosus plant portrait

I fell in love with the Rattlesnake root after seeing in flower one year in early fall in Bruce peninsula. From this point of view, Rattlesnake root is a good common name!

The fuzzy buds and pink flowers somehow are very attractive. One year, many monarchs were literally ‘hanging’ on the flowering stems in a group of plants, and so I became even more interested in growing it.

The common name Rattlesnake root suggests that it was used as a remedy for snakebites by the Indigenous People, and other common maladies like fever, headaches and dysentery.

I managed to grow a couple of plants just from a few seeds. It is not difficult to germinate, it only requires a long period of cold/moist stratification, ie. sow in late fall outdoors.

Nabalus racemosus (Fam. Asteraceae) is a moisture loving, tall species. Depending on how moist the place is, it can reach over 1.60 m on moist substrates, or remain around 80 cm on dryish soils.
In the wild, it can be found growing around stream banks, temporarily wet shorelines, and moist woodland edges.

Nabalus racemosus, Rattlesnake root, flowering in the garden

In the garden will share the location with Lobelia siphilitica, Iris versicolor, Lobelia cardinalis, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Castilleja coccinea and other similar companions.

The sturdy flowering stem grows from a rosette of large, glaucous leaves, tightly packed first with clusters of hairy buds, which open to pink flowers with the outer phyllaries covered in dense hairs.

The blooming time is August-September, and the flowers are visited by many late summer pollinators: butterflies, bumblebees and everyone else that would enjoy a sip of nectar.

Overall, Rattlesnake root is not a plant for the front of the border, or for those in need of very tidy garden beds. If you are wild at heart though and have a slightly moist garden area/where the water collects seasonally, go for it, you won’t regret it.

What’s next? Hamamelis virginiana, Viburnum rafinesquianum, Triosteum aurantiacum, a couple of Polemoniums…

October 27, 2023

A muddy affair

Wildflowers of North America

We arrived at the last offering of moist packed seeds of the season: Eastern skunk cabbage seeds, Symplocarpus foetidus.

The muddy affair of extracting the skunk cabbage seeds from the fruits.

They have been missing from the Seeds list in the last couple of years, so despite the not-so-pleasant process of cleaning/processing of these seeds, a couple of fruits have been collected. They blend in very well with the woodland floor and most times are difficult to spot.

For those who want to do it themselves, after various trials, the best method to extract the seeds from the fruits is to have them sitting in a Ziploc bag for a while until they soften naturally; mush the whole content very well afterwards, select the seeds from the ‘muddy affair’, and then rinse them well.

Sow right away, or pack them with a moist media for later sowing, but before the winter arrives.
The seeds will also start germinating in a Ziploc bag with wet media after cold stratification, but the roots do not develop as good as when they germinate in a pot (make it a tall one) or when sown directly in the ground.

More about Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage) here: An after Easter portrait.

And, this is not really the last call for all others moist-packed seeds in stock, but with the cold weather fast approaching we are getting close to it!
Trillium grandiflorum, Uvularia grandiflora, Podophyllum peltatum, Asarum canadense and few others are still available; for easy finding the moist packed seeds offerings are green-written in the Seeds List.

Other species to be announced next week.
(For those who like to plan for their orders, NA natives: Nabalus racemosus (Prenanthes), Oenothera macrocarpa, Smilax tamnoides and maybe Euthamia graminifolia).

October 20, 2023

October seeds

Wildflowers of North America

More seeds! More seeds from me and friends; and there will be more as soon as they get cleaned and the website files prepared.

For now, we can enjoy again Amphicarpaea bracteata, Groundhog peanut. Due to the last year’s drought, there was a break on seeds. By chance, I discovered that they enjoy climbing up bamboo sticks. So, those who want to avoid having them scrambling up nearby plants, there is an easy trick to do: put a few sticks around where the plants grow. The flowering and seeds production (not the peanuts!) are always better on the aerial stems.

Also, after a break of a few years we can consider new for the Seed list: Ptelea trifoliata, the Hop tree and the Northern bayberry Myrica pensylvanica.

For those on the look for something drought resistant with bright, red/magenta flowers, Callirhoe digitata seeds are also awaiting in the SEEDs List.