Family: Lamiaceae
These are the 3 main distinct tea basils we've found used in indigenous barefoot medicine in East Africa.  They are used for making a tasty and health-promoting tea, for treating dental woes, and in magic and ritual to rid the house of ghosts and promote a pure and healthy environment.  2 main types predominate.  The tall and woody "Mtule" is a perennial bush roadside in Zanzibar and inland in Tanzania.  Although I collected this as a unique type, I soon realized, on growing it out, that it was the same as our preexisting Basil, Kilimanjaro.The short and mintily aromatic "African" acts like an annual even in Africa.  In Zanzibar I found 2 types of this, one of which was our preexisting "Basil, African" and the other was similar, but with a pronounced fruity smell.  This one we named "Kivumbasi Lime." Sow in early spring indoors or in the greenhouse for an early start, or sow directly in the spring or summer garden.  Thin or transplant to 1 to 2 feet apart.  Average germ time 6 days.  If you desire to keep the Mtule as a perennial, then protect from frost.  

3 pkts, certified organically grown (Price shown is a discount.)

Family:  Ginseng (Araliaceae)
Hardiness:  All temperate zones.

Deciduous perennial shrub to small tree native to China  .  Highly ornamental, with narrow compound leaves and masses of fragrant, white flowers.  Leaves turn bright red in the fall.  Widely used in native medicine, the plant is known to treat everything from coughs to cancer.  Plant prefers full sun to part shade and moist soils.  We provide dried berries that preserve the germinability of the seed longer than if the seeds are cleaned out of the berry.  To use, soak the berries overnight, then smash them (it's easy) and float off the fruit and plant the seeds.  Sow seeds in the fall to early spring.  Slow and spotty germ is normal, so do not prematurely discard flats.  We've tested this seed and it is good! 

100 dried berries/pkt.,  Open Pollinated

(Siraitia grosvenorii) (Luo-han-guo)
Family:  Cucumber (Cucurbitaceae)
Hardiness: about 20 degrees F. 
Perennial dioecious vine native to southwestern China.  Cultivated in northern Kwangsi by the Miao-tze peoples who grow it in the mountain forests.  Rare in these parts, and one of the most desired cucurbits among collectors.  Like ginseng, this is one of the chinese herbs that tonifies the yin.  Household remedy for treating upper respiratory infection and gastric upset.  The medicine consists of the dried fruits.   The entire plant is gently pubescent, and the fruits are densely covered in down, ovoid or rounded and extremely sweet.  The leaves are somewhat heart shaped and entire, and the yellow flowers are somewhat atypical in shape for a cucurbit.  Soak seed overnight in warm water.  Sow in spring, in rich hills in the garden.  Provide trellis.  Traditional agricultural methods call for some shade in the cultivation of this unusual gourd, and cool/foggy conditions are well-tolerated.  (as in Santa-cruz, CA??)   

20 Seeds/pkt., Open Pollinated

Please note:  2010 accession of these seeds now in stock and wow is it a nice crop this year.  Bright and healthily aromatic seeds showed 96% germ on the cut test.  We received a nice quantity of these and have raised the seeds per packet to 20 so that people can have more seeds to play with for the same price.  Richo

Asparagus seed set (1 packet each of Asparagus Chinese, Garden, and Shatavari)
Family:  Liliaceae
Dioecious perennials.  Sow in spring and grow out for a year before transplanting to permanent bed.  The Asparagus bed is best placed near the edge of the garden as it must remain undisturbed and will last up to 20 years.  Add organic mulch seasonally to build soil and discourage weeds and grasses.  The Chinese and Ayurvedic species are very rare in the West.  The set consists of one packet each of:
Asparagus, Chinese (Tian-men-dong) 30 seeds
Asparagus, Garden (Asparagus officinalis) 100 seeds
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) 30 seeds

Set costs $7.90 (big discount over the additive cost of these packets)

Family:  Asparagaceae
Hardiness:  0 degrees
Dioecious herbaceous perennial native to China and Japan.  Long used in TCM, the dried roots are considered antibacterial, anitinflammatoru, antiseptic, a fertility medicine, and also used in treatment of cancer.  HArvest dormant roots and dry.  Also used as a food, the tubers washed in several changes of water to remove the bitterness, then boiled and eaten.  Plant prefers full sun and fertile garden soil.  Sow in spring.  Soak seed overnight and sow just under the surface, tamp down and keep evenly moist, warm, and in the light until germination.  Grow in pots for a year before transplanting to landscape. 

30 seeds/pkt $3.95

(Mvuma)
Native to Africa.  Protect from frost.  Perennial climbing asparagus growing in the wild to 20 feet.  In domestication, can be self-supporting or can be trellised.  Excellent choice for a houseplant--these are in high demand.  Also an African medicinal herb, the stems and leaves pounded and used as a fresh poultice on swellings.  In witchcraft, the plant is used "to make other people obedient and submissive." Plant prefers part shade and rich, moist soil.  Sow seed in warm soil--germination can take up to 3 months, so do not give up prematurely.  A good greenhouse or grow lights are useful. 

5 seeds/pkt

(Zi-wan, Tatarian Aster)
Family: Aster (Asteraceae) 
Hardy to all zones. 
Creeping herbaceous perennial native to Asia.  Sturdy, stoloniferous plants flower handsomely purple in the fall.  Good grass and rabbit competitor.  The flowers are by far the largest I've seen on an aster, measuring over an inch across. The dried root is used in Chinese medicine to relieve chronic cough and expel phlegm. Easily grown plant prefers regular garden soil and full sun to part shade and moist soil. These are indestructible.  Sow just under surface and tamp.  Germination in cool soils of fall or early spring, requiring about 3 weeks. 

50 Seeds/pkt., Open Pollinated

(Ourinhos cultivar)  (Yage Vine)
Family: Malpighiaceae
A rare accession of the "Little Gold" cultivar, given this name because of the golden color of the brew that it produces.  This is a powerful type used in the ceremonies of the Santo Daime, Uniao do vegetal, and Barquinha churches of Brazil.   Through a forutunate set of circumstances, we obtained fresh seed of this cultivar, from a grower in the Brazilian rainforest. The pharmacological activity of the visionary brew known as ayahuasca is actually a synergistic interaction between the bark of the Banisteriopsis vine, which is a potent MAO inhibitor, and the companion plant Psychotria viridis, which contains the molecule known as dimethyltryptamine. There is no known genetic precourser to the Banisteriopsis vine--the plant is completely unique--as if it dropped from outer space. . .
Sow warm. Place seeds flat on sandy medium and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Keep warm until germination. Protect from frost. In pots vines thrive in a shady greenhouse.
10 seeds/pkt., Open Pollinated

PS:  Here's the link to Chacruna seed

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)
Hardiness: to 20 degrees F--protect from frost as best you can!
Herbaceous perennial native to N. Africa and Canary Islands.  The leaves are uncharacteristic to the lamiaceae--compound and shiny, on sweeping stems.  The plants can be quite large and densely branched, rising up 2 to 3 feet and similarly wide.  Does well in pots, though.  Multiple flowering racemes.  The entire plant emits a camphoraceous odor that is at once refreshing and healing.  I was immediately entranced by this plant when first I saw it, managed to swipe a few seeds, grew them out, and continue to be entranced by the plant in all its various aspects.   The plant thrives in rich, moist soil in full sun or part shade and must be put in a pot and brought indoors to survive harsh winters.  You can make cuttings from the roots stem bases, or you can collect seed if you are lucky.  Sow in spring. 50 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown

(Mrihani Basil)
Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)
Annual, with leaf harvest in 60 days and seed harvest in 110 days)
This is a traditional cultivar grown in Zanzibar.  The leaves are ruffled, with a strong characteristic basil smell and flavor.  The flowers are purple.  In E African cuisine, the fresh or dried leaves are used as an ingredient in curries, stir fries, and the omipresent coconut-based sauces (yum!).  The plant is also an ingredient in handmade perfumes (manukato), often worn in a small cloth bag around the neck.  The scent is pervasive and pleasant, and is considered to be a charm against "getting hit by roots," the local terminology for bewitchment.  On a personal note, this has proven to be one of our most useful Zanzibari accessions.  The mother plants were grown by a woman named Fatima who lives in the countryside near Wete on the green island of Pemba.  When asked whether she would like a monetary gift for the seeds, she said no, "This is a gift from the heart," and held the little newspaper wrapped bundle to her chest.  When I explained that I wanted to bring the seeds to my farm in Oregon and grow them out and distribute the progeny worldwide, she gave me her permission, and said "This is a good thing!"  The love and attention she put into her plants (the photo is of her plant) was evident.  When we brought these home and grew them out, we realized that we had something special--there is no known equivalent available through seed companies anywhere.  When accessing germplasm in the tropics in order to bring new varieties to people in the temperate north, a significant and insufficiently trammeled path is to search for tropical annuals that will thrive in a short season.  Most tropical plants are perennials, and these are the ones that botanical explorers tend to concentrate on.  I did just the opposite, and tried to find short-lived plants that would grow and prosper in the temperate north.  This particular basil is probably my most significant find in this category.  Like Fatima in Pemba, I" offer it to you from the heart.  The seed is organic, it is true to form, it is unique, and it is now part of the public domain.  Plant prefers full sun and regular garden soil.  Plants are midsize and may be spaced at 1 foot apart.  Grow as per any other basil.  100 Seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown

Bleeding Heart, Pacific (Dicentra formosa)             

Family: Papaveraceae

Herbaceous perennial forest dweller native to the Pacific Northwest.  Does well in pots.  With its finely dissected, bluish-green foliage and rose colored, heart-shaped flowers, this plant is a striking focal point of shade garden or woodlands.  Large clumps, often situated at the base of coniferous trees, often spread luxuriously.  The fresh roots of bleeding heart were used by native peoples for treating toothache and as a vermifuge, but the plant is acrid and potentially poisonous at higher dosage.  Plant prefers moist, acid soils and part shade.  Sow seeds in the fall or very early spring for germination in cool soils in the spring. 

30 seeds/pkt $2.95, Open Pollinated

(Hungarian Black Seeded Broom Corn, Broomcorn)
Family:  Grass (Poacea)
Annual.  110 days to maturity. 
Native to Hungary, this is an heirloom variety of nonedible sorghum used for making brooms, for making mats and screens, for making growing fences or playplaces, for dried arrangements, and for feeding wildlife, expecially birds.  Growing up to 12 feet tall, the plant is impressive.  To make brooms, wait until the seed is fully mature, then cut down the stalk, strip the seed, and bind together several stalks, which makes a very functional broom.  These plants are easy and fun for kids and adults alike.  The possibilities are almost endless.  Plant prefers regular garden soil, full sun, and moderate watering.  Direct seed in the spring garden, thin to 6 inches apart, and stand back!
100 seeds/pkt, Certified Organically Grown