2013catalog

RAMSONS or WILD GARLIC #HB195 New!
(A. ursinum) Also called Bear’s Garlic, from the
brown bear’s predilection for digging the bulbs.
European native appreciated since Neolithic
times. The broad, spoon-shaped leaves and
delicate, star-shaped white flowers are both so
charming and unusual. Makes the most elegant
massed planting in a shady corner of the garden!
Use chopped leaves or flowers in place of ordinary
garlic. Pkt (100 seeds) $2.50
RUE, HERB O’ GRACE #HB191
(Ruta graveolens) Historic herb whose use dates
back to ancient times—rue is mentioned in the New
Testament. The evergreen plants are a rich sea-green,
quite distinctive even from a distance, forming a
compact mound in the herb garden. Thrives in poor
sandy soils and hot, dry sites. Pkt (100 seeds) $1.75
SAGE, BROAD LEAF #HB147
(Salvia officinalis) Used in Europe and America to
flavor many meats, stuffings, vinegars, and more!
Fragrant leaves are also used in potpourri. 20”-tall
gray-green plants are quite attractive. Pkt (75
seeds) $2.00
SHEEP’S SORREL #HB130
(Rumex acestosella) Tasty, sour, clover-like leaves;
pretty plant and flowers. Pkt (150 seeds) $1.50
SHISHO or PERILLA “PURPLE ZI SU”
#HB155
(Perilla frutescens) A beautiful and delicious plant
that is very popular in Asia. The purple-red leaves
are used to color and flavor vinegar and to make
beautiful pink rice. They are great in salads; flavor
is a mix of basil and mint. Pkt (75 seeds)$2.50
SHUNGIKU EDIBLE CHRYSANTHEMUM
#HB129
(Chrysanthemum coronarium) Delicious green
leaves are great in salads and stir-fries. The
brilliant yellow flowers are also tasty! A beautiful
Oriental heirloom, very colorful. Pkt (125 seeds)
$2.50
SORREL, GREEN DE BELLEVILLE #HB202
New!
(Rumex acetosa) Sorrel is appreciated in native
cuisines throughout Europe and in many parts
of Asia and Africa as well. A perennial, it is
available in early spring, before many annual
crops have even been sown! The lemony tartness
of the young succulent leaves gives a tangy
twist to salads. Widely used in soups; combine
with spinach for an authentic spanikopita. This
cultivated variety with clear green leaves is much
slower bolting than the wild species. Pkt (200
seeds) $2.00
SPEARMINT #HB199 New!
(Mentha spicata) Here is the true species spearmint,
used to flavor everything from jellies to chewing
gum, teas to toothpaste! This old favorite reaches
to 2 feet tall, grows in sun or shade. The lilac-pink
flowers make wonderful food for bees. It has
many documented medicinal effects, including
antiandrogenic properties. Easy from seed. Pkt
(125 seeds) $2.00
STEVIA #HB175
(Stevia rebaudiana) A hard-to-find herb that is
grown for the famous Stevia leaves which, when
dried, are used to sweeten drinks and desserts.
Much sweeter than sugar; stevia powder is
reported to be 300 times sweeter! Not winterhardy,
except in zones 8-10. From Brazil and
Paraguay. The chemical companies who make
artificial sweeteners hate this plant, and have
tried to make it illegal. But I just love it! Pkt (15
seeds) $2.75
STINGING NETTLE #HB203 New!
(Urtica dioica) Yes, it’s the very same plant that
causes unwary hikers such discomfort! But drying
or cooking eliminates the sting, and the attractive
plants have a long history of use in herbal
medicine, as a medicinal shampoo and reputed to
alleviate symptoms in cases of arthritis, enlarged
prostate, and many other complaints. Also used
in salt-reduced diets. Young shoots taste like
spinach and are rich in vitamins and iron. Nettle is
one of the foundations of Biodynamic practices.
Pkt (800 seeds) $2.00
SUMMER SAVORY #HB138
(Satureja hortensis) Delicious peppery flavor that
is popular in beans and many other dishes; also
used medicinally. Pkt (250 seeds)$1.50
SUNSET FLOWER MILKWEED #HB169
(Asclepias curassavica) There are beautiful reddishorange
flower clusters on this tropical milkweed
that grows as an annual here. This plant is used in
traditional medicine of Central America and the
Caribbean. Warning: Can be toxic, only for use by
medical professionals. Pkt (30 seeds) $2.50
TARRAGON, RUSSIAN #HB145
A flavorful herb that is used to season salads,
meats, and other dishes; hardy plants grow to 40”.
Used fresh or dried. Pkt (175 seeds) $2.00
THYME #HB113
(T. vulgaris) Very aromatic and flavorful; not winter
hardy. Pkt (800 seeds) $2.50
TOOTHACHE PLANT #HB160
(Spilanthes acmella) Pretty yellow and red
cone-shaped flowers and leaves have properties
similar to Echinacea; said to enhance the immune
system, improve digestion and help nausea. The
name toothache plant comes from the numbing
properties it produces when the leaves and flowers
are chewed, and it is used by many herbalists for
this purpose. It is a tender perennial but can be
grown as an annual in most areas. Pkt (35 seeds)
$2.50
VIETNAMESE MINT OR BALM #HB172
A flavorful herb that has a lemon-like taste, that
goes well in many dishes as well as making a
great tea, which in Vietnam is used medicinally. A
fast-growing plant that looks kind of like mint. Pkt
(50 seeds) $2.25
WHITE HOREHOUND #HB192
(Marrubium vulgare) This is the traditional remedy
for coughs, having earned its place in the herb
garden! Mounds of silvery foliage, around 18
inches tall and somewhat broader, last all season
long in most climates. White flowers in season are
pretty but not really showy. Pkt (100 seeds) $2.00
WORMWOOD #HB115
(Artemisia absinthium) Silvery-grey leaves, a
beautiful plant; ornamental. Used to expel worms,
and as a bitter tonic; hardy. Pkt (500 seeds) $2.00
YARROW #HB114
(Achillea millefolium) Beautiful when used as a
dried flower. Also popular as an herb; used for colds,
fevers, and for healing wounds. Pkt (800 seeds)
$1.50
Basil, Dark Purple Opal
Dock, Bloody
172 www.rareseeds.com