Greetings and Welcome! Feel free to browse through the farm-direct photos, read about our firsthand experiences with growing and using medicinal herbs, and marvel in disbelief at what we try to pass off as humor... Folks from near and far are welcome!
HEADS UP! Your plant orders are welcomed by us and will be shipped out starting SEPTEMBER 13th, 2010 (we're giving them a break from the heat!). We are still actively shipping seeds and comfrey roots.
If you want to order, we recommend that you log in first.
Follow this link to a video demo for pressing a tincture with the horizon herbs tincture press http://vimeo.com/12953268
A recent customer review: I have been doing business with Horizon Herbs for many years now. I have always found the service to be extremely good. The orders are processed promptly and the items received are of the highest of quality. One of the other reasons I continue to shop with Horizon Herbs is the vast selection of herb seeds available. Some of the seeds are extremely hard to find on the market. For anyone wanting to start an herb garden I would highly recommend that they start by paying a visit to the Horizon Herb website.
(1/18/2010. William H. of Dover, NH)
Our vegetable seeds are available straight from our farm to your garden--properly cured, dried, cleaned, germ-tested, packed with love, and very reasonably priced! (The vast majority of our vegetable seeds are available at $2.45/pkt.) We now carry seeds from many of the common cultivars (e.g. Provider Beans) as well as hard-to find nutrient rich specialty vegetables (e.g. Red Orach). We prefer to offer up vegetables that perform well in all zones and are especially well suited for diverse organic gardens. Here at Horizon Herbs we've always been known for the quality of our ever-lovin herb seeds, and now with food self-sufficiency coming to the forefront of everyone's consciousness (and bellies), we want to make the highest quality vegetable seeds available to you, too. Its a matter of survival.
We're open for your phone order M-F 7:00 to 5:00 Pacific Time. In fact, we'll take orders any way you can get them to us (mail, fax, phone, online), but please, please, here's what we need:
1) items ordered
2) delivery address
3) payment
All at one time and in one place!
We do not hide who we are. We are:
Horizon Herbs, LLC PO Box 69 Williams, OR 97544 USA Phone: (541) 846-6704
Fax: (541) 846-6233
Domestic shipping for a few packets of seeds is $2.90. Want to view the seeds shipping grid before making an order? Click here and scroll down on the pdf.
We currently actively shipping an awesome array of seeds, books, tincture presses, and seed cleaning screens.
Seasonal updates and ruminations from the founder:
Its midsummer and we're weeding, watering, and pulling in the seed harvests. The new Chamomile seed has been hand rubbed and wind winnowed and is being packaged. Yesterday we harvested the Assafetida. Today I harvested Ashitaba. There is more where that came from. It's hot. We've been working the fields, then taking dips in the creek to cool off. The Goldenseal plants by the creek are in full green berry right now, some of them going to red. The water in the creek has warmed a little, in coordination with the melting of the snowfields up on Grayback. We've shut down plant shipping until second week of September. It is the SUMMER BREATHER. We remember to sniff the flowers (actually some of them insinuate themselves upon us--what IS that chocolate smell I keep whiffing, anyhow!?) and sometimes I swear they sniff us. The Tiger Lilies in particular are suspect of sniffing. They are glorious this year! (see photo, below) For dinner, Mayche and I had a 2 lettuce bunch salad with plenty of crimson sprinter tomatoes in it. I made a green Corriander and tahini dressing with fresh Garlic, Lemon juice and Mrihani Basil. WOW!
The Fall/winter 2010/11 catalog is in production, What's new on the website? Quite alot, actually. We've added a whole array of fall vegetables. Right about now through September is when one sows these Vitamin-rich greens and other winter hardy vegetables. We're growing all of them here on the farm, and the new plantings are just now sprouting, undersowed in the corn. To see your options in summer and fall planted vegetables, click "Vegetable Seeds" on the purple bar, above.
Stay in touch, Seeders, the time for self sufficiency in food and medicine has arrived. We are here to keep you supplied, informed and inspired. Keep the love strong and nourish your kinship. Richo
True Rubber Tree Seeds (Hevea brasiliensis) now in stock. Viability guaranteed, and we do reserve the right to ship sprouted seeds, securely encased in moist medium.
Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis) seeds now available as fresh (undried) seed from the new harvest. Plant immediately in cool, moist shade and let the weather work on them. Germ time is 8 months. Germ rate will exceed 70% if seed is put in reasonable conditions. Limited harvest on these this year. Please specify fresh seed when ordering. Fresh seed not available internationally (instead we will send dried seed from the new harvest--sorry customs folks don't like to see seed in moist coir, they like nice dry seed in clean packets). Anyhow for the rest of you in the US this is a prime opportunity to attain quick and high germ on one of the rarest and most coveted plants of all time. MANDRAGORAMANDRAGORAMANDRAGORA (first accession came to 13 g on 7/7/10). aaaieeeee!
Autumn Mandrake seed just in. Get it while the gettin's good, this never lasts for long. Excellent spring germinator, relatively easy as mandrakes go, and a choice and rare species.
Goldenseal seeds from the new harvest now in stock. Ranunculacea generally require a warm/cold/warm stratification which is best attained by sowing in summer or fall, overwintering, with germ in spring. We've done this successfully every year and this year the goldenseal seed is exceptional, so we recommend you follow this method as the most inexpensive way to establish this valuable plant in your shade garden or woodlands.
Chacruna Plants (Psychotria viridis), the much desired companion plant to the Yaje vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) now in stock! (will ship starting Sep 13)
Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) seed is in cold/moist stratification. Upon receipt, plant in cool moist shade. Germ begins after 10 days. We've confirmed this and are quite stoked.
Clove Trees just now listed. A unique find that you just found on this website and we are prepared to ship these anywhere in the US, starting Sep 13.
NEW BOOK! "The Medicinal Herb Grower, A Guide for Growing Plants that Heal" by Richo Cech and illustrated by Sena Cech is now available. We would appreciate your POSITIVE REVIEWS on AMAZON.COM. This helps us more than you can know!
NEEM OIL SOAP FORMULATED BY HORIZON HERBS. An excellent antifungal bar soap that works hard against athlete's foot, infections, and nasty skin lesions and doubles up as a strong antiparasitic shampoo for fleas and lice that infest fur and hair.
Ashitaba seed, organic, NOW IN STOCK. New Harvest (get it while the gettins good).
Comments: Just had to thank you. Of the 20 ashitaba seeds, 19 germinated
thanks to your good directions, and I have 18 happy seedlings. I''m very
excited to be growing this plant. cheers, Kathrine
Ashitaba PLANTS now in stock. These are growing fast and are at a prime stage for transplanting. Ashitaba is the best panacea we know for the creeping ills of body and soul. Eat it daily, it will grow more leaves, eat some more, live long and prosper, seeders! Shipping of ashitaba plants starts Sept 13.
New Cold Hardy True Lotus Seeds in Stock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nelumbo nucifera komarovii hails from Russia near Manchuria and it is the most cold-hardy of all the true lotuses. They withstand temperatures to -40 degrees F and they make flowers that are just as large and pretty as the tropical lotuses. We tested the seed to 70% germination in the first week, and the remaining seeds eventually did germinate with an end germ of 100%.
World Symphytum headquarters!
Check this link for Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) starts. This is one of the fastest growing plants in the temperate north
Check this link for True Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) seed. This is one of the top healing herbs of all time
What is our philosophy? We here at Horizon Herbs believe that gardeners can heal the world by growing diversity. It is a well-documented fact that we are living in a time of great loss of species, and it is our understanding that this loss of species is both a cause and an effect of the current ecological downturn. Therefore we propose that everyone engage in species rehabilitation toward a renewed blossoming of diverse gardens on planet earth. It may not be the only answer, but it is one of the best. It is our mission to provide certified organic seeds and medicinal herb plants directly from our farm to you. Our's is the largest selection of medicinal herb seeds available from the US, an alive, growing collection started way back in 1985 and tended up until--today! We know that its all about quality, and for this reason the vast majority of our seeds are grown by us, hand-picked, wind-winnowed, tested in a practical and rootsy manner, filled with love, in essence loaded with vibrant LIFE. Every year we change out our inventory to give you only newly harvested seeds.
As a way of fueling the rising up of a green, self-sufficient and non-violent revolution, lets grow the seeds of our children's future in our gardens NOW and teach by example. Please join us, beautiful people, in planting diverse open-pollinated and organic seeds. Richo Cech, founder
A note about ordering through this website: ***YOU MUST LOG IN FIRST!***
If you don't know what you want, use the purple bar (above) to bring up lists of seeds, plants or books. If you have a feel for what you like (eg. "Echinacea" or "Sage" or "Shade" or "Africa" or "China") then use the onsite search engine which is located just above the purple bar, to the left, and has the word "search" in it. This is an incredibly efficient feature for sorting through the many hundreds of plants and seeds available herein. I (Richo) use it exclusively when navigating this site. After you get results, remember to scroll down. The pictures can take up alot of room, and even a simple search such as "Drought Tolerant" or "Full Sun" or "Does Well in Pots" can produce more than a page of results.
Once you log on and finish putting items in your shopping cart, you can check out by giving your address and payment details, and after that you will be asked to choose a shipping option. If you have only seeds, then choose "seeds only." If you have only plants, then choose plants. We have put an asterisk (*) on all plants that will fit in a flat rate priority mail box. These ship inexpensively. If your plants are not marked with an (*) then they are too big to be shipped in a flat rate box. In this case, please choose "Combination or Custom" for shipping because we're going to have to figure your shipping for you. the plants will probably go via UPS and we'll get back to you with the charges. If you live in San Francisco or Seattle, shipping is going to be cheap and easy. If you live in PA or NY or VT, it isn't going to be cheap! If you have only books and/or incense or other things, then choose "things." If you have a combination of any of the above, then choose "Combination or Custom" and we will figure your shipping for you. If you are purchasing for instance a whole lot of seeds and just one comfrey root, please do not choose "seeds only" in the hopes that we will send the large, heavy root along with the seeds because "it looks like the shipping will be enough." It won't be. In this case, please choose the "Combination or Custom" option and we'll get back to you with the minimum shipping charges. We really, truly, really, truly need you to cover shipping and handling on any and all orders. It sounds silly, I know, but without careful assessment of shipping charges we cannot serve you. Please, please choose the correct shipping option. If the website charges you more for shipping than it should, we will take corrective action!
How to order BULK SEED. Bulk seed (by the gram, 10 gram, 100 gram, or pound quantity) is listed, when availaible, in our PAPER CATALOG only, not on this website. If you'd like bigger portions, please order them online by accessing the information in the paper catalog and putting the item and quantity needed in the "customer comments" field at checkout. Or, feel free to call us on the phone (541) 846-6704, or order by mail through the paper catalog. Don't be shy, we ship a great deal of bulk.
Vacuum packing: If you would like your order vacuum packed (dried seeds only, please) then let us know. There is a $3.00 charge per vacuum sealed envelope, and we can fit up to 30 packets of seeds in each vacuum envelope. Vacuum packed seeds will, on the whole, last 3 years when stored in a cool, dry place (like the fridge or the pantry).
We also strive to give good advice (although the garden is really the best of all teachers) and if you have gardening questions, please first run a search above, and if that doesn't do the trick, e-mail your question to us at . Our advice is sought-after by academics, government (yes, even FDA), manufacturers, farmers, home gardeners and hobbyists, and as long as it doesn't get too involved, our advice is free. This is a big offering and we do it for you. We keep it positive! May your plants thrive, may you have homegrown food and medicine, may you grow through growing, and may you receive through giving!
More on who we are: We are growers of organically certified medicinal herb seed and plants here in Southern Oregon. That right there is the main difference. We grow what we sell. And, we don't make our living from selling plastic doo-dads. We like things that are ALIVE! We are the seed company that we wanted to find back in the early 70's and 80's when we first seriously engaged learning the alchemy of seeds. Its been a long road and we want you to benefit from our work! We offer an extensive collection of organically certified seeds from the new harvest and plants grown on our own farm, including indigenous herb seeds from the African, Native American, Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions. We also grow or collect seed of significant medicinal and aromatic herbs from the deserts, forests, mountains, plains and shores of North America, Central and South America, Russia, China, Tibet, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Japan, Europe, the Mediterranean basin, East Africa (especially Zanzibar), Australia, the Canary Islands, New Zealand and beyond. From our rootsy and organic greenhouse and shadehouses, we offer plants of annuals, herbaceous perennials and woody perennials, common medicinals, cover crops, nitrogen fixers, shelterbelt and wildlife favorites, dye plants, medicinal trees, fruits, tubers, vines, roots, corms, bulbs, and water plants as well as sacred herbs. In the words of the Dalai Lama, "Diversity is both beautiful and necessary."
"HOEDOWN" 16 VARIETY ORGANIC VEGETABLE SEED COLLECTION!
follow this link to save with our special introductory price
Customer comment on Hoedown:This basic vegetable collection is brilliant--nearly everything I would ordinarily plant--and at a fabulous price. The simple, homey, intuitive planting guide you wrote for it is perfect. And vacuum-sealing it so I can keep it in my fridge and it's right there next spring whenever I need it--I can't miss early planting because I don't have time to shop for seeds! I am always delighted with Horizon Herbs!Thanks.
A note about seed starting. Many medicinal herb seeds like Echinacea and Meadowsweet take longer to come up than the perhaps more familiar garden plants like Peas, Beets and Corn. If you cannot provide standard greenhouse conditions then we suggest filling a gallon pot with good quality potting soil, sprinkling the seeds on the surface, barely covering with a little more potting soil, tamping securely, and keeping warm and in the light until germination. Please, please do not e-mail us saying that you put the seeds between wet paper towels and nothing happened. We already know that this method is responsible for a LOT of things not happening. Also, please do not tell us that you planted white sage seeds in peat pots. White sage needs a FAST DRAINING AND ALKALINE potting soil (use cactus mix). Peat is very acid and cloys to the seeds, killing them. You make us sad with these stories--its not what we had in mind when we carefully prepared the seeds and sent them to you. Don't be misled by those seed starter kits that you buy at your local nursery or online, the ones with the tiny trays of fake potting soil and the plastic bubble lids--a bad investment and no way to treat good seeds! Use the gallon pots for more control. Give those seeds plenty of room to send their roots down into some good nurturing potting soil. Water evenly and not too often. Leave the surface open to the air. Expansion and contraction, cool water and then a rest from water, sun and dark, these are the opposing conditions that swell seeds, awaken them, and bring them to vibrant life!
Richo went to the spice islands of ZANZIBAR and brought back seeds for over 70 rare, choice, previously unlisted medicinals and spices. The seeds will begin to show themselves on this website as soon as germination tests are completed. He also brought back a delightfully aromatic shipment of bulk dried spices, including black pepper, turmeric, cloves, cardamon, ginger, and fermented vanilla pods. All these completely fresh spices are now available in 50 gram packets (the vanilla alone is in 20 g packets, and its a really good deal) by typing the word "PEMBASPICE" in the on-site search engine, above. The spices are not certified organic, but are grown by indigenous people on the island of PEMBA, who use entirely organic techniques in a mixed crop system. Many of the photos show the spices growing in-situ on their luscious farm. It's worth a click!
!!!!INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE!!!!
We cannot ship live roots or plants outside the US.
We cannot ship fresh, undried seeds outside the US.
We do not ship tinctures (liquid herbal extracts) outside the US.
We do not accept responsibility for seeds sent to Malaysia, Italy, Greece, Spain, Australia or New Zealand. If you live in one of these countries, you may order, but there will be no replacements or refunds.
We DO ship seeds to every other country in the world.
Australian customers please note: Yes, we do put the Latin name on all packets. Yes, the seeds are cleaned to a very high level of purity. You are nonetheless advised to check with AQIS before making an order. We do not check AQIS, and disallowed species may be confiscated. We cannot accept responsibility for the actions of Australian AQIS and will not replace or refund any seed shipments sent to Australia. Period.
New Zealand customers please note: Yes, we do put the Latin name on all packets. Yes, the seeds are cleaned to a very high level of purity. You are nonetheless advised to check with MAFBNZ before ordering anything. We do not check, and your seeds may be confiscated. We cannot accept responsibility for the actions of New Zealand MAFBNZ and will not replace or refund any seed shipments sent to New Zealand. Period.
Yes, we definitely ship tinctures, seeds, roots and plants to Hawaii
Disclaimer: Although all cultures on earth use plant-derived medicaments, we cannot recommend self-medication with plant products. Rather, we offer medicinal information in the context of historical usage and from personal experience, augmented by our studies of current research. Please seek the care and advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner for all medical problems. We have endeavored to provide responsible and specific cautions and contraindications for the herbs and preparations described in this website. However, be advised that iatrogenic, idiosyncratic, and/or allergic reactions can occur, albeit rarely, regardless of the cautions employed. Furthermore, when we mention that a particular herb contains a unique molecule with known activity, this should not be construed to mean that we recommend, advise or endorse consumption of that herb. Many folks grow poisonous plants (e.g. poinsettias) or plants containing controlled substances (e.g. poppies) without harboring the intention of poisoning or sedating themselves or anyone else! These plants have been grown by vast numbers of gardeners in the us throughout our history--they have pretty leaves and wonderful flowers that are good in their own right, and growing them should not be construed to mean that you are manufacturing a poison or a controlled substance! Please do not order plants or seeds from us that are illegal in your state or country. We cannot be apprised of all local laws, so orders are the responsibility of the individual, not Horizon Herbs, LLC. We will not knowingly ship plants or seeds of plants that are illegal in your area, as is evidenced by our careful assessment of the noxious weed laws (e.g. we don't ship Hypericum perforatum to California). Furthermore, we do not accept responsibility for the use or misuse of any of the herbal information found in this website, or for any accident or injury caused by growing, handling, or ingesting plants or from attempting to follow the procedures described in this website. The difference between nourishing yourself with a pea and injuring yourself with a pea is known as prudence. May you all act prudently in the wonderful world of growing medicinal plants. Richo
11 REASONS TO CHOOSE HORIZON HERBS
Expertise - Growing native medicinal plant seeds as well as permaculture plant and tree seeds, cover crop seeds, vegetables common and rare, oil crop seeds, grains, seeds of plants of economic value, cacti, succulents, dye plants, strewing herbs and entheogenic herbs of the world in our own organic gardens since 1985. We know these plants intimately and provide specific cultivation advice based on our own experience and success.
Quality First - Correct identification, highest purity and dependable germination from the new harvest. Feel free to check what others say about us in "Garden Watchdog."
Organic - Open-pollinated, untreated, non-GMO and certified organic since 1985. We use organic, biodynamic & permacultural techniques; compost, cover-crops and pure mountain water to grow plants and seeds for you.
Service - Orders are expertly packaged and promptly sent. Rush orders and fast shipping options available on request. Call us between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time at
(541) 846-6704. Lets work together toward your success and lets keep it positive between us.
Farm-Direct - We grow the vast majority of our seed ourselves. Its hands-on from our garden to yours. Sounds simple, but we're one of the few seed companies that actually grows their own.
Lifeline Pricing - We give a price of $1.95/packet for foundational medicinal herbs such as Holy Basil (Tulsi), Echinacea purpurea, Calendula, German Chamomile, Burdock, Elecampane, Marshmallow, Yarrow, etc. to support you to grow your own medicine. Collections, sets and bulk seed are also nicely discounted.
Generous Packets - With the exception of very rare or large seeds, we give at least 100 seeds per packet and in most cases the actual counts far exceed the label claims. Check the online descriptions for exact seed counts per packet.
Diversity - In this catalog you will find over 700 species of medicinal herbs in seed, plant and live root form, including perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, grasses vines, dye plants, fibre plants, water plants... We believe that planting diversity will help heal the world.
Rare and Unusual Herbs - We carry the most extensive selection of rare and unusual medicinals you’ll find in the U.S., including in-depth collections of African, Ayurvedic, Chinese and Native American medicinal plants.
Common and Useful Herbs - Burdock, Chickweed, Dandelion, Milk Thistle, Nettles, Plantain, Purslane, etc. available here. For most applications these are the best!
Magical, Religious, and Entheogenic Herbs - We offer an extensive array of strange and fascinating plants used in ceremony by native peoples from around the world. Our prayers are in every seed.
Summer 2009 view of Horizon Herbs Seed Farm:
Richo explores Zanzibar, then,
Wind winnowing at Horizon Herbs Seed Farm
Picking Tiger Lily bulblets at Horizon Herbs seed farm:
Butterflies dancing at Horizon Herbs seed farm:
Buffalo Gourds and Woman (be careful where you nap!)
