[Sacred Succulents] SS updates March

[benkamm at monitor.net]

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

3/3/13

A lot happening here and I?ve not had much time to sit in front of the 
computer to keep these emails more regular. The SS family continues to 
propagate with Jamaica giving birth to Kiera January 11th. Ember has 
become quite the rough and tumble little dirt eater, passing her first 
year February 10, ambling around the house and gardens. Shannon, who was 
newborn when we sent out our first catalog, turns 15 later this year. Such 
delight to watch them grow.
 
We just finally finished digging the Andean tubers for the season and have 
been feasting on a medley of Oca and Ulluco. Harvest was a bit late this 
year, which was fine except in the case of some of the Ulluco which were 
carried off by voles and chewed on by rolly-pollies (and Ember during 
harvest, she loves their mucilaginous texture raw, Shannon is partial to 
raw Oca...) We have a number of new tubers available this email. Bare toot 
tubers are currently available for shipping until the first week of April 
when we replant the last of them. Save on shipping costs by ordering the 
bare root tubers now. 
http://www.sacredsucculents.com/andean-tuber-crops/

We?ve had to raise our shipping and handling fees for the first time in 
many years due to the increased postal rates. This is most extreme for 
foreign seed orders where the postal rates have jumped severely. The new 
rates are-

SEEDS - 1st Class Mail USA= $2 (Free shipping when ordered with plants, 
USA only)
Air Mail International= $5 (the Americas, outside the USA), Rest of the 
World: 1?12 seed packets $6  / 13 or more seed packets $9 
 
PLANTS - (No shipping outside the USA) First Class Priority Mail = $6 for 
the 1st plant /  $2 each additional plant
For plants marked * we will bill you whatever the actual shipping costs + 
a $5 handling fee, for plants marked ** a $8 handling fee.
Express Mail = Inquire for costs

We are working on the new Rare Plant List and should have this in the mail 
in a couple weeks. While we can make no promises, we do hope to have the 
new catalog to you by early May.

RARE PLANT & SEED LIST - Issue 37 will be out soon. Yet another very large 
and diverse issue, don?t miss it! If you are not subscribed or have let 
your subscription lapse, we encourage you to sign up now. 4 issues for $5 
($7 outside USA) or 8 issues for $8 ($12 outside USA). This is where we 
list our offerings of limited rarities and specimens. 

New Offerings, March 2013
You can print out an order form- http://sacredsucculents.com/order-form/

Aloe polyphylla  ?Spiral Aloe?
Aloaceae. Broad, flat rosettes 2?3' across. Triangular lime green leaves 
that grow out in an impressive spiral pattern. Flower stalks to 2' tall 
with red or orange flowers. Endangered alpine species endemic to the 
mountains of Lesotho, southern Africa. A unique and highly coveted plant. 
Bright light, but dislikes excessive heat. Prechill seed 30?60 days to 
sprout. Z8b  
5 seed $3.50

Anredera sp? BK08612.8 
Basellaceae. Scrambling or hanging succulent vine with pink stems 3?8' 
long. Rounded pale green leaves. Slender spikes of tiny white-pink flowers 
are borne in mass at the leaf nodes. May produce a caudex with age. 
Growing on rocks and cliffs, north of Matucana, Lima Dept., Peru. An 
unusual, beautiful succulent plant. The leaves and roots might possibly be 
edible like other members of the genus and its close relative ulluco. Seed 
can be slow to sprout. Z9a/b?
Seed packet $4

Butia capitata ?Bohemain?  ?Jelly Palm? ?Pindo?
Arecaceae. Attractive, cold hardy, slow growing palm to 10?15'+. Thick 
trunk crowned with graceful recurved fronds. Long spikes of white flowers 
birth hundreds of cherry size, greenish-yellow to orange colored edible 
fruit, aromatic and juicy sweet. Native to southern Brazilian and Uruguay. 
Seed from a tree that has been growing for many decades near Bohemian 
Highway in the town of Occidental, CA. Slow to sprout, 2?6+ months warm. 
Z8a 
Packet of 6 seed $3.50 (because the seeds are heavy, one packet counts as 
6 for foreign shipping) 

Cajophora sp. SHL19.07.2012.2 ?Pica? ?Chachina?
Loasaceae. Short rosettes of toothed, dark green, spiny leaves. Unusual 
and lovely, deep orange, 5 petalled flowers. Interesting seed pods dehisce 
spirally. The whole plant has a sting similar to nettles and is used 
medicinally in much the same way. S. Lipe collection from rock walls, 
Amantani Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru, around 13,000'. A choice rock garden 
plant. Z7/8?                            Seed packet $4

Calceolaria cavanillesii  ?Capachito?
Scrophulariaceae. Rhizomatic low growing species to 6" tall and 24"+ wide. 
Bright green leaves. Flower stalk to 12"+ bearing clusters of lemon yellow 
inflated pouch flowers. Native to the mountains of central Chile. 
Calceolaria are used as a tea for kidney health throughout South America. 
Part to full sun, tolerant of wet conditions if the soil is well draining. 
Grows very well  in our garden. Z6b                             Seed 
packet $3

Corryocactus melanotrichus RCB009   ?K?usa k?usa?
Cactaceae. Slender columnar stems to 6?8'+ tall, well armed with long 
spines. Endowed with Purplish flowers and fat round fruit to over 3" with 
a delicious sweet-sour flesh, reminescent of kiwi. Seed collected along 
the Rio Abajo, La Paz, Bolivia, 11,750'. The fruit is said to be useful 
for inflammation and as an analgesic. Cut sections of stem, along with 
several other spiny cacti, are sold at the witches market in La Paz for 
use in misa offerings and as a wash for good luck. A hardy species worth 
growing for the fruit alone. Z8b/9a                Seed packet $3.50

Cucurbita maxima ssp. andreana  ?Zapallito Amargo?  ?Wild Squash?
Cucurbitaceae. This is the wild progenitor of many of our winter squashes. 
Fast growing annual vine. Big yellow-orange flowers swell into ovoid fruit 
to 5", dark green with pale green stripes. Bitter inedible flesh. Seed 
from wild plants, Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Over 4000 years ago people in 
South America selectively bred this species into the diversity of the hard 
squash we enjoy today. The vapor of the steamed fruit is used as an 
expectorant and seeds as a purgative and vermifuge. Ornamental, of 
interest for cucurbit breeding and historical curiosity. Z9 
5 seed $3

Datura stramonium? SHL04.07.2012.2  ?Chamico?
Solanaceae. Annual species with fragrant white trumpet shaped blooms, 
purplish inside. Spiny seed pods. Likely introduced to the Andes from 
Mexico. Rich in toxic medicinal tropane alkaloids. S. Lipe collection, 
Pisac, Cusco, Peru. Z9?  
Seed packet $3

Dioscorea sp. BK08517.20 ?Andean Yam?
Dioscoreaceae. Perennial rounded caudex to 4?6"+ diameter. Annual vine to 
5'+ with slender heart shaped shiny leaves. Strings of tiny yellowish 
flowers. Dry scrub, Moray, Cusco, Peru, 12,000'. The Andes have dozens of 
species of unusual Dioscorea, some are medicinal and some edible. With age 
these plants will appeal to caudiciform collectors. Normal succulent 
culture. Easy houseplant. Z9a/b?          
Plant 3?4 years old $12.50

Dioscorea sp. BK08605.3 ?Yungas Yam?
Medium sized annual vine to 8'+. Very Slender heart shaped leaves, 
clusters of yellowish flowers. Long cylindrical brown tuber/caudex. Found 
growing on dryland shrubs, Anandenanthera colubrina trees, and the bizarre 
columnar cactus Yungasocereus inquisivensis. Near the vast Tiwanaku/Incan 
ruins of Pasto Grande, Sud Yungas, Bolivia, about 6,000'. The tubers of 
this lovely species look similar to cultivated yams, but we can make no 
claims to edibility. Worth further study. Z9b?
5 seed $3
Plant 3?4 years old $11.50

Furcraea occidentalis BK08612.10 ?Llacay Negro? ?Champa Qara?
Agavaceae. Agave-like rosettes of deep green leaves, 3?5'+ in diameter. 
Flower stalk to 15'+ tall with yellow-white blooms. Rare species native to 
the western Andean slopes. Seed from near Surco, Lima Dept., Peru, near 
7,500'. The leaves are an important fiber source and were used to make 
everything from rope to sandals in pre-Columbian times. Completely new to 
cultivation outside of Peru. Will make a bold landscape specimen. Z9b 5 
seed $3.50

Gaultheria dumicola  ?Cong Lin Bai Zhu?
Ericaceae. Shrub with graceful arching stems to 2?5' or more. Large 
leathery leaves, small reddish flowers and dark purple edible berries. 
Rare blueberry cousin native to the forests and thickets of Yunnan, China 
up to 10,000'. Rich acidic soil, part shade. Z7?   Seed packet $3.50

Lycium barbarum ?Large Leaf?   ?Wolfberry? ?Gou Qi Zi? ?Goji Berry?
Solanaceae. Deciduous shrub with arching branches, 3?5' tall. Edible 
lanceolate leaves to 5" long and 3" wide. Pale purple flowers, 1/4?1/2" 
red berries. Native to the Himalayan foothills of central Asia. The leaves 
are eaten and the berries are one of the most nutritious foods known to 
man. A traditional Chinese longevity enhancer and sexual tonic. These are 
seeds from a plant we selected that has extra large leaves, excellent for 
food. Though the berries are a little smaller, it fruits more heavily and 
consistently for us than others we?ve grown. Z6a   Seed packet $3.75

Salvia carduacea ?Thistle Sage?    CA Native
Labiatae. Annual species that forms a basal rosette of whitish, wooly, 
aromatic leaves, spined like a thistle. Flower stalk 6?24"+ tall with 
frilly, blue or lavender flowers in globular whorls from wooly, spiny 
calyxes, very cool! Dry areas of central and southern California. The 
leaves have a pungent citrus-like scent. Somewhat resembles an oversized 
California chia and the seed can be used much the same way. Sun and 
drought hardy. Reseeds readily. Z8a 
Seed packet $3.50

Salvia verbenaca SHL06.08.2012.1 ?Alosima?
Basal rosettes of aromatic leaves. Erect inflorescence to 18"+ tall, blue 
flowers. Naturalized throughout the Andes, but native to the Mediterranean 
and Europe where it is used as a culinary herb. In Peru it is used to 
treat aches and sores. Makes a pleasant tea. S. Lipe collection, 
Chinchero, Cusco, Peru. Z6b
Seed packet $3

Satureja spinosa ?Crete Mountain Savory?
Labiatae. Lightly spined, pygmy shrub that forms a cushion 4?6" high and 
10"+ wide. Small, densely arranged aromatic leaves similar to thyme in 
scent. White-pink flowers completely cover the plant late summer, driving 
bees into a blissful frenzy. Endemic to the mountain massifs of the 
southern Aegean (Crete and nearby islands), from 4000?7000'+. Rich in 
medicinal terpenes, used as a culinary herb much like winter savory. 
Prefers full sun and a well draining rocky soil. Perfect for dry borders 
or the rock garden. Z5b                                          Seed 
packet $3.50

Saxifraga mertensiana  ?Merten?s Saxifrage?    CA Native
Saxifragaceae. Small herbaceous plant, tufts of annual, semi-succulent, 
rounded, dark green leaves with scalloped edges grow from a small 
perennial caudex. Flower stalks 6?10"+ with airy clusters of tiny white 
blossoms. Small bulblets form on the inflorescence that drop to produce 
new plants. Growing on seasonally damp west facing cliffs, Sonoma Co., 
California. An easy and rewarding plant, we grow it in pots on our deck 
railing. Z7a 
Seed packet $3

Spiraea canescens CC6806 ?Jhilleti?
Rosaceae. Deciduous shrub 6?12' high. Arching branches, long terminal 
clusters of sweet white flowers. Chadwell collection, Uttaranachal, 
Kumaon, Central Himalaya, 7200'. Highly ornamental. Contains antioxidant 
compounds. Part shade. Z5a 
1 year old plant $6.50

Tropaeolum sp. BK09427.2  ?Andean Yellow Nasturtium?
Tropaeolaceae. Floriferous scrambling vine 6?15'+. Clusters of strange 
looking vibrant yellow flowers with red dots, hundreds of blooms late 
summer. Rounded palmate leaves. Does not appear to be tuberous. Seed 
originally collected from a plant growing next to the only algorroba, 
Prosopis laevigata v. andicola, in the Sacred Valley of Cusco, Peru. 
Leaves and flowers edible. Andean Tropaeolum usually need alternate 
warm/cool temperatures to germinate. Annual in cold climates. Z10a
5 seed $3.50

New Andean Tubers 
Until April every 3 tubers ordered count as 1 plant for shipping costs.
Regular plant shipping costs apply the rest of the year.
Oxalis tuberosa ?OE, Blush??  ?Oca?
Oxalidaceae. Flesh colored round cylindrical tubers that blush magenta 
/red. An Oregon Exotics intro, we believe this is what they distributed as 
?Blush?. Z7a
Tubers/plant $12.50 (limited)

Oxalis tuberosa ?Polar Bere?   ?Oca?
Lumpy, rounded tubers, pure bone white to very pale yellow with light 
exposure. Mild sweet flavor. Z7a 
Tubers/plant $9.50 (limited)

Smallanthus sonchifolius ?OE?   ?Yacon?
Asteraceae. An Oregon Exotics intro. This may be ?Pearl of Bolivia? but we 
are not sure. Very highly productive.  Z7a 
Plant/ Tuber $12.50  (limited)

Tropaeolum tuberosum v. pilifera ?Mashua Blanco? ?Anu?
Vine with rounded lobed leaves, orange flowers. 2 to 6"+ white to cream 
colored edible tubers with purple eyes and with light exposure fine purple 
speckles near the stem. According to Cardenas this white variety 
originates in Columbia. This is probably the easiest and most productive 
of the Mashua for us, though the tubers are not as showy as other 
varieties. Z7 if well mulched. 
Tubers/Plant $8.50

Tropaeolum tuberosum ssp. silvestre BK08524.14   ?Mashua Silvestre? ?Anu 
Silvestre?
Large vine with lobed leaves and attractive orange-red flowers. Wild form 
of this ancient Andean tuber crop. In the Fall it forms porcelain white, 
finger thick, edible tubers 6?12" long. These become flecked reddish with 
light exposure. Mother plant growing on a rock wall edging a traditional 
garden of corn and kiwicha, above Lares, Cusco Dept., Peru, 11,300'. 
Leaves and flowers edible. The tubers are also used medicinally for skin 
infections. Beautiful and edible, wild Mashua will also prove useful for 
breeding with the cultivated forms. We offer tubers/plants from several 
seed grown parent plants. Grow like the cultivated Mashua. Z7 if well 
mulched.                        Tuber/Plant $14.50

Tropaeolum tuberosum ssp. silvestre BK10501.2   ?Mashua Silvestre? ?Anu 
Silvestre?
Clambering vine with lobed, rounded leaves. Small orange-yellow-red 
flowers. Come Autumn it forms finger thick edible tubers to 12"+ long, 
pure white with a little pinkish flecking, turning purple-red when exposed 
to light. Another seed collection of wild Mashua from a plant growing on 
shrubs on ancient Incan terracing, Killarumiyoq, near 12,000', Cusco 
Dept., Peru. We offer tubers/plants from our seed grown mother plant. Z7 
if well mulched. 
Tuber/Plant $14.50

Ullucus tuberosus BK08607.2  ?Papa Lisa? ?Ulluco? ?Melloco?
Basellaceae. 1?2" round, fluorescent red-pink tubers, delicious. Edible 
spinach like leaves. Chulumani, Yungas, Bolivia. Z7a 
Plant/tuber $14.50

SHIPPING & HANDLING:
Seeds - 1st Class Mail USA= $2 (Free shipping when ordered with plants, 
USA only)
Air Mail International= $5 (the Americas, outside the USA), Rest of the 
World: 1?12 seed packets $6  / 13 or more seed packets $9 
 
Plants (USA only)? First class priority mail= $6.00 for the first plant $2 
each additional plant.
Add $1 per plant if you want them sent potted.
CA RESIDENTS ADD 7.5% SALES TAX
We still only take Cash (USD$ or Euros), Money Orders, or Checks.
You can print out an order form- http://sacredsucculents.com/order-form/ 
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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