20 + seeds flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) Native Coastal SC, New Crop 2022
20 + seeds flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) Native Coastal SC ecotype. Flowering dogwood is native to eastern USA from southern NY and MI, thoughout the southeast to eastern TX and OK. It is highly treasured for its lovely bloom in spring. It is the state tree of Virginia and Missouri. It’s a small tree that’s usually found in the wild as an understory tree in forests, so it is tolerant of shade, but when used as a landscape tree in full sunshine has much more abundant flowers. Southern lore is that the dogwood was the tree that formed the cross of Christ, and the white 4-petaled flowers represent that cross, with a hint of red or pink to represent blood. When well pollinated, the flowers produce red berries that usually persist well into winter, where they serve for winter feed for songbirds. Apparently, they need some freezing to make them palatable for the birds. The tree is slow growing, bud has almost no insect pests. It requires little care, and can only tolerate light pruning (only in summer as it will bleed sap if done in winter). The wood is extremely hard and dense, so has historically been used for tools, such as mallets, and loom shuttles. The tree requires well drained soils, but otherwise adapts to a wide range of soil types. It tolerates somewhat acid soils. When young, the tree will need some watering if the soil is excessively drained, or there is a long period without rain. While a pink dogwood is shown in the photos, seedlings almost invariably produce the white variant, even when taken from trees with pink flowers. For a pink version, it’s necessary to graft a pick flowering scion onto a seedling, or propagate clones by cuttings. These are actually berries, collected in the Pee Dee region of coastal South Carolina in October 2021. They need to be cold stratified for at least 90(more is better) days to get good germination. The dry seeds remain viable for several years. Free shipping is by first class letter (no tracking). They can be planted in the fall (best with some temporary screen protection from rodents) to avoid the need for stratification. Or they can be planted in the spring after stratification. In either case, prior to planting, the seeds need to be soaked for a day or two to soften the pulp, so you can rub it off. Then scarify them by nicking with a file, or brushing against some sandpaper to open the hard seed coat. ******* NATIVES: This offering is part of our “natives” seeds and cuttings. We encourage the propagation of native plants, as these generally require less care and are of more benefit to the local environment. Our pollinators and songbirds are declining, and one reason for the loss is the planting of non-native plants that give them no support. Non-native plants often require watering and high pesticide use. The pesticides are another reason for the decline of our pollinators and songbirds. Some non-native plants, like Bradford pear, and Privit have become highly invasive and destructive. ECOTYPES: Our seeds and cuttings come from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina – Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg and Florence Counties in the northeastern corner of the state. So these are of a coastal Carolina ecotype. Why are ecotypes important? Many of our native plants have a wide range. For example, red maples are native throughout the entire eastern US, but there are variations within the species due to adaptation to local conditions. You can expect that those from your area will do better than one from far away, even though they are the same species. NATIVITY RESOURCES ONLINE: You can find online info on native status for your area with the North American Plant Atlas, which is presented by The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). You must know the Genus and species, but then you can find county-by-county information. Another resource, which is a bit more clunky (to me) is the government Plants National Database, which does allow common names (but take care, as these have regional variations). Both online sites are easy to find online. SEEDS: Our seeds are hand collected in season, and are in limited supply. While we try to clean these, we don’t have the fancy machinery that large seed companies have, so there may be some chaff or other plant material included. We are generous in our measurements, though. And residues should not interfere with sowing the seeds. Our berries may be offered two ways – as dried berries, or as separated seeds, at a higher cost, to compensate for the increased labor. Most seeds are shipped dry with a pac of silica gel for insurance. But a few, like Magnolia, Live Oak, and Longleaf pine should never be allowed to dry out. These are shipped damp and should be dealt with immediately. Many of the native perennial seeds require a period of cold (fall planting or cold storage in a damp medium – (called “stratification”), in order to germinate well. Some also require “scarification.” You can search online for info on how to do both of these practices. YouTube is especially helpful with many videos to show processes. Of course, as with any online resource, you have to use some judgement. There are many techniques, some contradictory, and some online info is just plain wrong. CUTTINGS: Likewise there is much online ino on plant cuttings. Keep in mind that this kind of propagation is a bit of a gamble. If you win, you get cheap plants that are exactly what you want (have you priced nursery stock lately?). If you lose, you aren’t out much. Our cuttings are made fresh upon your order, so we try to do our best for your success. While we emphasize native plants, we are not obsessive, and do have a few non-native food, herbs, and some woody plants that have shown to be well-behaved in our own homestead. NO GUARANTEES: As with any plant material, our offerings are subject to many factors and we cannot give any guarantees. We do want our customers to succeed, so we take care to give fresh and viable materials. And we no longer offer some things that we’ve shown in our own tests to be unlikely to do well.
Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) Bee-friendly Tree – Multiple Sizes
Genus: Koelreuteria. Species: K. paniculata. Indoor: Can be grown as a bonsai. Golden Rain Tree – Pride of India – China Tree – Varnish Tree. The Golden Rain Tree is native to Korea and China. Growth Habit: This tree has lateral uniform branching.
Poker Plant – Kniphofia SPANISH GOLD (Gold Rush) – 2 Plants – Perennial
Poker Plant – Kniphofia SPANISH GOLD (Gold Rush) Kniphofia Spanish Gold Plant starts blooming in early Midsummer. Brilliant yellow Flowers are produced above notably blue-green. This variety is one of the tallest of the Collection, so it’s perfect for giving Height for the Garden. This Plant adaptable any Soil. Mature Size: 4′ to 4.5 feet – Spread : 2.5′ to 3 feet Bloom Time : Late Spring to Early Fall – Rebloomer, Long Blooming Attract : Butterflies, Hummingbirds Deer and Rabbit Resistant Hardiness Zones : 5 to 9 Listing is for 2 Plants, will be Shipped Bare Root with Foliage trimmed.
Poker Plant – Kniphofia SPANISH GOLD (Gold Rush) – 2 Plants – Perennial
Poker Plant – Kniphofia SPANISH GOLD (Gold Rush). Brilliant yellow Flowers are produced above notably blue-green. This variety is one of the tallest of the Collection, so it’s perfect for giving Height for the Garden.
