[Sacred Succulents] Plants of California

[benkamm at monitor.net]

do not ?reply? to this email, send all correspondence to - 
sacredsucculents at hushmail.com )

10/29/10

Greetings to all,

Please note- we will be in Baja from Nov. 3 to 14. Any orders received 
during this time will be shipped as soon as possible upon our return. If 
any of you experience a spontaneous last minute inspiration to join us on 
this botanical survey of the region, see - 
http://www.ecobaja.com/47962/74821.html and contact Gabriela, the trip 
organizer, immediately- Gabriela at ecobaja.com 

The seasons have made a dramatic shift here. Last weekend saw 6 inches of 
rain in a just a day and a half and we were visited by our first frost a 
few nights ago. A multitude of seed has been harvested and is in various 
stages of cleaning. The more tender plants have been moved back into the 
snug abode of the greenhouse. The gardens are being mulched and laid to 
rest. Soon we will begin our autumnal planting of trees and shrubs to 
expand our medicinal/food forest gardens. The moist earth and continual 
rains give them a chance to put their roots down and get well established 
before the dry season comes. 
Now is also the perfect time to begin sowing all the seeds that require 
cold stratification to sprout. The cool temperatures and rain are 
necessary to break down and wash out germination inhabitors which keep 
many seed from sprouting out of season. This includes a great number of 
species from mediterranean, temperate, and boreal climates. We build 
special wire mesh cages from hardware cloth and place our pots of sown 
seed within these to help diffuse the heavy rain and protect from the 
hungry rodents and birds that would otherwise snack on our precious 
plantings. Some of this seed will sprout mid to late Winter while 
temperatures are still cold, while others are born from their earthen beds 
with Spring?s thaw or the warming sun of Summer. A small number of species 
may desire the seasonal cycling of 2 or even 3?4 years before they are 
convinced that it is time to give up the quiet dreams of a seed and 
germinate into the world of photosynthesizing and flowering. 

Many of California?s plants need cold stratification to sprout. This email 
we are featuring a number of interesting new species we?ve collected this 
year, some within a mile of our home. All the California natives listed in 
the main catalog are on sale through the end of the year, and much of that 
seed has been recollected fresh.
In August our friend Matt Teel took us to meet Roger Raiche, horticultural 
wunderkind and devotee of the California flora, at a remote and unusual 
location in northern Sonoma County that Roger has been caretaking and 
studying for nearly 30 years. The Cedars, as the area is known, is 7,500 
acre chunk of serpentine and the pristine headwaters of Big and East 
Austin Creek. It is an isolated and rugged area of steep canyons, rocky 
ridges, cypress forests, talus barrens, undulating watersheds, and calcium 
carbonate springs. There is nothing else like it geoligically or 
botanically. At least 8 endemic plants occur in the area and disjunct 
populations of many other species occur here that you?d have to travel 
hundreds of miles to see otherwise. The Cedars is also peculiar for the 
many Californian plants and common exotics that occur just a stone?s 
through away, but are not to be found anywhere within its boundaries. We 
spent 2 lovely days exploring the area with Matt and Roger and collected a 
handfull of seed which we offer here for the first time. An excellent 
article that Roger has written about the region can be downloaded online 
at-
 http://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/fremontia/Fremontia_Vol37-No2.pdf 
We encourage everyone, especially those who live in the state, to 
experiment with growing a few of California?s plants, especially the rare 
species. Try cultivating the lily family (Allium, Brodiaea, Calochortus, 
Lilium, Triteleia, etc.) not only for their incomparable blossoms, but 
also for food. Plant some Perideridea in your vegetable garden for Spring 
greens, chia for the nutritious seed. Vaccinium and Gaultheria in the 
perennial garden or food forest for the delicious berries. Monardella and 
Satureja for tea, Angelica, Grindelia, Salvia, etc. for medicine. A large 
portion of California?s ecosystems were the result of at least ten 
thousand years of interaction between the land and peoples who relied 
directly on the local flora for food, medicine, and shelter. From the once 
mighty oak to the humble tarweed, all were once kin of man. Though this 
has irrevocably changed, true sustainable conservation can only come from 
each of us rediscovering and maintaining a meaningful relation to the the 
ecosystems and their inhabitants around us. Scapegoating so called 
?exotic? plants as the cause of ecosystem loss cannot hide the fact that 
the true blame lies with each of us and our alienation from the land that 
numbs our hearts into complicity with the continual destruction of habitat 
for urban sprawl, strip malls, industrial agriculture, the hungry ghost of 
?progress?.... unarguably the primary cause of biodiversity loss and 
extinction. We can never really restore the indigenous landscapes the 
Spanish first encountered here or all the vistas that inspired John Muirs 
splendorous paper scratching, but we can plant the seeds of something new 
that integrates and honors California?s botanical inheritance and all the 
strange, fabulous species that have found a new home in this golden and 
green land.

RARE PLANT & SEED LIST - Issue 30 is available. Another very large and 
diverse issue, don?t miss it! There?s new Trichocereus specimens and 
rarities including crested T. bridgesii, first chance at a plethora of new 
seed from our recent Andean expedition to Peru and Bolivia, new 
seed/plants from South Africa, Chile (Gomortega keule plants), and the 
Himalayas! If you are not subscribed or have let your subscription lapse, 
we encourage you to sign up now. 4 issues for $5 or 8 issues for $8. This 
is where we list our offerings of rarities and specimens. 

Andean Collections and Photos 2010- CD/DVD with 400+ photos from our 
Spring travels in Cusco, Peru including photos of the seldom visited lush 
Lares Valley, and Cochabamba, Bolivia where we examined the dryland cactus 
filled forests of the valleys, the endangered Polylepis forests of the 
higher mountains and the remote Incan archaeological site Inkallajta. 
Comes with a complete list of our seed collections with ethnobotanical 
notes and cultivation suggestions. Now available!!  $10 postage paid, 
foreign orders add $2

GIFT CERTIFICATES - are always available!

Plants of California 
SALE! Many of the California seeds listed in the catalog/website have been 
freshly restocked this season. From now until the end of the year we are 
offering 15% off all our California offerings in the main paper catalog or 
see http://www.sacredsucculents.com/natives.html
 This discount does not apply to the list below.

Allium jepsonii ?Jepson?s Onion?
Liliaceae. Perennial bulb with a cylindrical leaf and flower stalk 6?14"+ 
tall. Rounded cluster of flowers with white petals and dark pink midveins. 
A very rare species found only in a limited area of the Sierra Nevada 
foothills, Butte and Plumas Co., on serpentine outcrops. Edible like other 
onions. Sun to part shade and a dry Summer. Blooms late June, the flowers 
remain through late September. Give seed 30+ days cold. Z6?     Seed 
packet $3.50

Angelica tomentosa ?Ba?cowa? 
Apiaceae. Herbaceous perennial with stalks 3 to 5'+. Large ternate-pinnate 
glaucus leaves, spherical umbels of white flowers. CA woods and edges, 
oftern in serpentine soils. The Pomo ate the young Spring shoots, the 
roots were used for all manner of ailments including colds, headaches, 
wound healing, sore throats, to regulate menses, etc. Roots shavings were 
smoked or chewed by the shaman while curing. Cold stratify seed. Z7a
Seed packet $2.50
Brodiaea stellaris 
Bulbs are available for planting through December. See main catalog for 
full description.          3 bulbs $5.50 (counts as a seed packet for 
shipping)

Calochortus luteus BK091028.1 ?Golden Mariposa Lily? 
Liliaceae. Perennial bulb with annual grass like leaves. 6?18" flower 
stalk bearing upright cup-shaped flowers, brilliant yellow petals painted 
with an amazing intricacy of orange patterns and splotches, each flower is 
unique. Collected on serpentine outcrops, western Sonoma Co. The bulbs are 
edible and were once a food for California natives. Can naturalize in a 
sunny garden. Give it a dry Summer rest. Cold stratify seed. Z7b? 
Seed packet $3.25
Chlorogalum pomeridianum ?Soap-root? ?Pash?
Liliaceae. Slender blue-green leaves, often with wavy margins, grow from 
an egg-sized bulb. Small white flowers are borne on a graceful 
inflorescence to 3?5'. Grows throughout Califronia, seed from Sonoma Co. 
populations. The saponin rich bulb was once widely used to make a soap and 
shampoo and the fibrous bulb-scales made into brushes. Crushed bulbs were 
placed in water to stun fish. The bulbs and young shoots of the plant were 
also eaten after boiling in several changes of water or extensive 
roasting. Sun to part shade, tolerant of drought and diverse soils. Cold 
stratify seed. Z7a
  Seed packet $2.50
Erythronium californicum ?Trout lily? ?Fawn Lily?
Liliaceae. Bulb that produces 2 oval leaves, green with darker mottling. 
Erect flower raceme to 8"+ bearing several drooping white flowers with 
recurved petals. A lovely spring ephemeral endemic to the forests of 
northern California. The tooth-shaped bulbs were once a valued food. Seed 
from Mendocino Co. Dappled shade, dry Summer rest. Cold stratify seed 30+ 
days. Z7a            Seed packet $3

Gaultheria shallon ?Salal?
Ericaceae. Evergreen spreading shrub 2?6' tall. Simple glossy green leaves 
arranged alternately on the hairy stems. Large clusters of white to pink 
urn shaped flowers. Dark blue to purple edible berries. Grows throughout 
the Pacific Northwest. The berries are an important food for many animals 
and were valued by many tribes. The leaves were used for wound healing and 
as a tea for cough and stomach health. Part sun to shade, acid soil, 
fairly drought hardy once well established. Z6a       Seed packet $2.50

Grindelia hirsutula ?Gumplant?
Asteraceae. Perennial to 12", waxy slender leaves with serrated edges. 
Yellow daisy like flowers that exude a sticky resin. Seed from western 
Sonoma Co. Grindelia species are very important medicinals whereever they 
occur, from North to South America. Traditionally used to treat all manner 
of respiratory problems and skin disease. It was used in US hospitals to 
treat tuberculosis until 1960. Prefers sun, drought hardy. Z7a    Seed 
packet $2.50

Monardella villosa ssp. franciscana ?Coyote Mint?
Labiatae. Low growing perennial with small dark green rounded leaves 
covered in a light fuzz. The stems terminate in dense rounded heads with 
numerous pale-purple flowers. All parts of the plant are highly aromatic 
with an alluring mint-like fragrance. Found in serpentine outcrops where 
it is a favorite of native bees. Seed from western Sonoma Co. Makes a 
delicious and refreshing tea, great for stomach ailments. Easy to grow, 
good for garden borders or rockeries. Sun and drought hardy. Z7a           
                                                Seed packet $3.25

Satureja douglasii ?Yerba Buena?
Labiatae. Groundcover with runners to several feet. Ovate pale-green 
leaves with a sweet mild mint aroma and flavor. Small white to purplish 
flowers at the leaf nodes. Found growing throughout California woodlands 
and under scrub, seed from Sonoma Co. The plant was used by indigenous 
Californians to treat parasites as well as all manner of intestinal 
issues, fevers, colds, toothache, and menstrual cramps. It makes a 
pleasant tea and we enjoy chewing on the leaves whenever we come across 
the plant. The small seeds are very time consuming to collect! Shade 
tolerant. Z7a. 
Seed packet $3.50
Triteleia laxa 
Bulbs are available for planting through December. See main catalog for 
full description.          3 bulbs $5.50 (counts as a seed packet for 
shipping)

Vaccinium parvifolium ?Red huckleberry?
Ericaceae. Erect shrub 3?10'+ high. Angled stems and small oval leaves. 
Rounded pink-white flowers and shiny red edible berries, sweet-tart. 
Pacific Northwest native. Seed from Mendocino County. Can take shade but 
fruits prolifically with more sun. Cold stratify. Z6a                Seed 
packet $2.50

SEEDS from the CEDARS
The following seeds were collected in the remote area of northern Sonoma 
Co. known as the Cedars. We only have a limited amount of seed on hand, so 
take advantage of this unique opportumity to grow some of these glorious 
rare species.
The hardiness of these plants should be somewhere within Z7?8

Aquilegia eximia BK10807.1 ?Serpentine Columbine?
Ranunculaceae. Stems 1?4' with glaucus-blue sticky leaflets. Evocative 
red-orange flowers with yellow highlights have upward facing petals and 
spurs. Rare throughout California, but an abundant species at the Cedars, 
favoring the watersheds and seeps. The roots of the closely related A. 
formosa were used by the Chumash for stomach problems, the seeds to treat 
lice, and the whole plant used as food after boiling.        Seed packet 
$3

Allium falcifolium       BK10808.3
>From the bulb grows 2 or more annual falcate leaves that stay close to the 
ground. Short flower stalk to 2" with umbels of starry bright-purple 
flowers. Grows in the talus slopes at the Cedars. A unique and very 
beautiful onion for the rock garden. Blooming size bulbs. Cold stratify 
seed. 
                      Seed packet $3.25
Plant/bulb 3?4 years old $6.50 (grown from seed collected elsewhere in CA)
Calochortus raichei BK10807.7 ?Cedar?s Fairy Lantern? 
Bulb with glaucus-blue annual grass like leaves. 6?36" flower stalk with 
up to 6 nodding spherical yellow flowers. Blooms later than any species, 
from June to August. A narrow endemic of the Cedars. Named after 
horticulturalist Roger Raiche who has dedicated much of his life to 
botanizing and protecting this amazing hidden pocket of botanical and 
geological wonder. Bulbs likley edible. Needs a well drained soil and dry 
period at the end of Summer. Cold stratify seed.      Seed packet $3.50

Cupressus sargentii BK10807.9 ?Sargent?s Cypress?
Cupressaceae. Evergreen tree up to 50'+. Aromatic scale-like leaves, 1" 
rounded cones and rough furrowed bark. Found scattered throughout the 
coastal mountains of California. This is the dominant tree at the Cedars, 
from which the erroneous name comes. Here it can be seen as forests of 
large majestic trees to contorted bonsai just a few feet tall on some of 
the ridges and barrens. Cold stratify seed.          Seed packet $3

Erigeron serpentinus BK10807.4 ?Serpentine Fleabane?
Asteraceae. A low spreading perennial to 5?8" tall. Slender foliage and 
daisy-like flowers with yellow centers and pale lilac petals. A strict 
Cedars endemic, prefering the cypress forests, but also found along the 
watersheds. Tolerates sun or shade. Surface sow seed. Seed packet $3.50

Eriophorum criniger BK10807.3 ?Cotton Grass?
Cyperaceae. Clusters of grass-like leaves to 12". Fringed white 
inflorescence on the end of a slender stalk that turns to a fuzzy cotton 
ball. The populations of this plant at the Cedars are the far southern 
limit of the species. A very attractive sedge. Cold stratify seed.   Seed 
packet $3

Iris macrosiphon BK10808.5 ?Long-tube Iris?
Iridaceae. Clumping rhizome with narrow blue-green leaves 8?12" long. The 
elegant flowers can vary from pale to deep-purple or even yellow. Prefers 
sun to part shade and a dry Summer. Cold stratify seed.     .              
        Seed packet $3

Monardella viridis BK10808.5 ?Green Deermint?
Forms small colonies of densely packed 6"+ stems with smooth green leaves. 
Rounded flower heads with purple flowers. Wonderfully aromatic like all 
the members of this cheery genus. Collected from populations growing in 
the cypress understory at the Cedars. This is the far western limit for 
this species. May tolerate a little more shade than other species. Makes a 
great potted plant and is a real gem for the rock garden.        Seed 
packet $3.50

Phacelia corymbosa BK10808.10
Hydrophyllaceae. Forms rounded cushions 4?6" tall and 12"+ diameter made 
up of rosettes of fuzzy gray-green leaves. Small curled flowers stalks 
with white flowers. Grows throughout the serpentine barrens and talus 
slopes at the Cedars. A prime candidate for the rock garden, give it a 
well drained mineral soil and a bright sunny spot.                   Seed 
packet $3.25

Streptanthus morrisonii ssp. hirtiflorus BK10807.6 ?Jewelflower?
Brassicaceae. Biennial 1?4' tall. Fleshy purplish leaves reminiscent of 
its cabbage relatives. Unusual flowers with yellow sepals and  pale yellow 
petals, sometimes veined with purple. Another Cedars endemic and rarest of 
the jewelflower subspecies. An interesting addition for the rare flower 
garden. 
Seed packet $3.50

NEW BOOKS
CREATING A FOREST GARDEN: Working With Nature to Grow Edible Crops  by 
Martin Crawford
A good introduction to creating a food forest. Straightforward advice on 
designing, planting and maintaining a diverse polyculture of edible and 
medicinal plants, from small yard gardens to larger plots. Presents many 
novel approaches to edible horticulture that even the most seasoned 
organic gardener will find refreshing. Profiles many unusual 
edible/medicinal trees, shrubs and groundcovers and how to integrate them 
into a productive agroforestry system. An excellent companion to Dave 
Jacke?s mammoth Edible Forest Gardens, but much more accessible to those 
just starting a food forest. Though the main focus is temperate climates, 
the information is applicable to other regions as well.   
        Hardcover, color photos, 384 pages $49.95 (4 lbs) 
PEOPLE & PLANTS IN ANCIENT NORTH AMERICA, 2 Vol.  edited by Paul E. Minnis 

A fascinating work of prehistoric ethnobotany. A comprehensive overview of 
what is known of the interconnectedness of people and plants over the past 
12+ millennia in North America. The major topics are the uses of native 
plants, the history of crops and their uses, and how humans influenced and 
altered their environment. These fascinating volumes not only contribute 
to our understanding of the lives of ancient Americans and their shaping 
of the environment but also provide essential lessons for how we might 
develop meaningful sustainable relations to the ecosystems of North 
America today and rekindle long forgotten relations with the flora that 
surrounds us. These volumes are required reading for anyone interested in 
the history of the region, ethnobotany, ecological conservation and 
restoration, permaculture, organic agriculture, and sustainable living. 
Excellent companion volumes to Tending the Wild, and Imperfect Balance.
PEOPLE & PLANTS IN ANCIENT EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Areas covered - the Northeast, Eastern Woodlands, Plains, and the 
Caribbean. Softcover, black & white illustrations, 423 pages $35 (2lbs)
PEOPLE & PLANTS IN ANCIENT WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
Covers the prehistoric ethnobotany of the Southwest, Great Basin, 
California, and Pacific NW. Softcover, black & white illustrations, 440 
pages $35 (2lbs)
SPECIAL! Both volumes of People & Plants in Ancient North America for $62 
(3 lbs)

PLANTS OF THE FOUR WINDS: The Magic and Medicinal Flora of Peru  by Rainer 
W. Bussman and Douglas Sharon
A guide to 510 plants used in the medicine and shamanic practices of 
northern Peru. The herbalism of the region is a rich legacy that dates 
back at least 2000 years. Having survived 500 years of colonial 
persecution it now confronts the threat of losing many important medicines 
due to deforestation and mining in the Andes along with the erosion of 
cultural knowledge that faces many traditions in this age of global 
capitalism. This book is a major conservation effort for preserving 
botanical wisdom. Each plant has an entry with common and scientific 
names, detailed uses, administration and preparations along with a black 
and white photo of the dried or fresh plant as it is commonly found in the 
Peruvian herbal markets. One of the only books in English to thoroughly 
document plants used in Andean herbalism, serving as an important 
repository of unique plant knowledge. Though the focus is northern coastal 
and the adjacent highlands of Peru, many of these plants are utilized 
throughout the Andes. We have found this an invaluable reference for our 
own Andean studies. The entire text is bilingual English/Spanish.  
Softcover, black & white photos, 596 pages $29.95 (3 lbs)

For more titles see- http://www.sacredsucculents.com/books.html
To determine book shipping costs, add up the number of lbs in parentheses 
(  ) that is listed after the price.
Priority Mail- add $6 for the first lb, $2.25 for each additional lb. When 
ordered with plants just add $2.25 for each lb
Books only sent Media Mail - add $4 for the first lb, $0.75 for each 
additional lb
Please email us for international shipping costs; 
sacredsucculents at hushmail.com

SHIPPING & HANDLING:
Seeds? First class mail USA $2.00; Air mail international $4.00
Plants (USA only)? First class priority mail= $6.00 for the first plant 
$1.50 each additional plant.
Seeds ride free when ordered with plants.
Add $1 per plant if you want them sent potted.

CA RESIDENTS ADD 8.25% SALES TAX
We still only take Cash (USD$ or Euros), Money Orders, or Checks.
You can print out an order form- 
http://www.sacredsucculents.com/orderform.pdf
and mail it with payment to our Po Box

SACRED SUCCULENTS
PO Box 781, Sebastopol, CA 95473 USA

Email: sacredsucculents at hushmail.com
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