Download Catalog - Bustani Plant Farm

The plants in the catalog are listed alphabetically by botanical name.
This is followed by the common name in parenthesis. An alphabetical
list of common names to cross-reference can be found on page 11.
Below the plant name are categories of information starting with
the plant type. Most gardeners know what is meant by perennial,
shrub or tree. We give the plant this label if it is winter hardy in our
zone 6b garden. We use the word annual only for true annuals. That
is a plant that germinates from seed, grows, flowers, sets seed and
naturally dies all in a single year. The term tropical color plant we give
to plants that are not winter hardy in our area yet are not true annuals.
These plants are actually tropical/subtropical perennials or tropical/
subtropical shrubs. Some growers use the word Temperennials to
describe them. Others use the term Blooming Tropicals, but this
doesn’t give justice to all the colorful foliage plants. Our tropical color
plants have more value than annuals in that they start with robust root
systems and it is possible to over-winter many of them inside a warm
brightly lit home.
We use the word native if the plant is found growing naturally
within Oklahoma. Several of these species can also be found in a
number of other states, and in some cases those are listed. The next
category is light level with most plants listed as sun, partial shade,
shade or some combination. This is meant to be read from left to right
as to what the plant prefers. For instance, if a plant is described as
sun, partial shade, this means it grows best in full sun but will tolerate
partially shaded sites. Plant size is next with measurements given in
inches and occasionally in feet. From left to right, the first number is
height and the number to the right of the x is width. These are general
guidelines from what we’ve experienced in our garden and may vary
depending on different growing conditions. For the tropical color
plants, this is generally their size here after one season’s growth,
We have also listed the USDA Hardiness Zones we feel best
represent the cold hardiness of each plant. These numbers are the
cold tolerating limits of which the plant is rated. You can sometimes
extend a plant’s cold tolerating range by one or two zones by growing
it in a protected site, such as near the south-facing exposure of a
building. Because we are always fascinated with where plants come
from we’ve included their country of origin. We’ve tried to be as
specific as possible in the space available. An ideal description of
origin would also include the altitude where the plants are found, but
unfortunately this information is lacking in most botanical literature.
If a plant is a cultivar, hybrid or specific selection, the origin listed is
where the species are native.
The last category mentioned is the plant family. These always end
in the letters aceae. Knowing a plant’s family can usually give you
clues to its growing requirements. It’s interesting to see which plants
are related.
At the top and far right of each plant description is the price, item
number and container size indication. The initials lpb indicates the
plant is available in a large pot band, spb stands for small pot band
and gal means a one gallon container. A small pot band is a 3 3/4”
deep by 2 3/8” wide square root-pruning pot. Large pot bands are 4
1/4” deep by 3 9/16” wide square root-pruning pots. The gallon pots
are either standard nursery galons or Root-Maker containers.
Reading the Catalog
SPB
Plant Sizes
LPB
GAL
We offer plants in three different sizes of containers. These are
small pot bands (spb), large pot bands (lpb), and gallons (gal). The
small pot band is a 3 ¾” deep by 2 3/8” wide square pot. Large pot
bands are 4 ¼” deep by 3 9/16” wide square pots, and the gal pots
are either standard nursery gallons or Root-Maker containers. Most
of the plants we offer come in large pot bands and customers are
thrilled at how large the plants are when they see them. Pot bands
are called as such because of the narrow band of plastic that forms a
plus for the bottom of the pot. The design leaves a sizeable opening
for roots to grow into and be air pruned at their tips which creates
root-branching thus forming a stronger root system. Their square
shape also prevents root circling within the container, which can
weaken the plant.
The gallon pots we use for the more woody root systems are the
patented Root-Maker pots with unique root pruning design. The
sides of the pot are stair-stepped with root-pruning drain holes at
different heights. Raised ribs, or lines on the pot’s side direct roots
downward to the openings while preventing them from circling.
We have invested in this type of growing system in order
to provide the healthiest, strongest and most robust plants for our
gardening customers.
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