Echinacea angustifolia  (nNarrow Leaved Purple Coneflower)
Highest quality Echinacea angustifolia seed, confirmed true to species both botanically and chemically.  New harvest material is of superior germinability, as per our ongoing tests of material originally sourced from a relatively remote, northerly source.  Highly recommended.  For information on growing this herb, see our book "Growing at-risk medicinal herbs, cutivation, conservation and ecology," which has a whole chapter on Echinacea.  The second photo is of fresh Echinacea angustifolia roots as they looked harvesting them from our farm after 3 years of growth.  They turned out very nicely and were in high demand from medicine makers, who often prefer angustifolia over other species.  We grew these by preparing a fine seed bed in the early spring and direct-seeding the seeds, allowing the plants to grow close together, as one would carrots, perhaps, and found that we had a very good yield that way, about 5 lbs fresh per 20 row feet. 
Organically grown 100 seeds/pkt.

Echinacea laevigata              Smooth Purple Coneflower                  

Herbaceous perennial native to the Southern Appalachias .  The plant is somewhat similar to E. purpurea in that it has a spreading root system, but the leaves remain low on the rosette, are very smooth and elongated, and the flowers are somewhat smaller and very late maturing.  E. laevigata is a federally listed endangered plant, with the total wild population probably less than 10,000 individuals.  We are cultivating this plant for seed production, and our seedstock does not come from the wild. Plant prefers full sun to part shade and rich soils. Sow seeds in the fall or early spring for germination in the spring.

Echinacea sanguinea                        Sanguin purple coneflower       

Herbaceous perennial.  The most southerly ranging of all Echinacea species, E. sanguinea grows in acidic, sandy soils in the open fields and pine woods of the West Gulf Coastal Plain.  The plants are not very cold hardy in comparison to other species in the genus.   This species is similar to E. pallida, with long, thin ray flowers that occur on slender, swaying stems.  The disk corolla of E. sanguinea is characteristically blood red in color, as are the seeds.  Sow in spring—stratification not necessary.   

10 seeds/pkt $3.95, Organic

(Tennessee coneflower)
Echinacea tennesseensis

This plant is on the federal endangered species list and growing it from this cultivated seed is an act of conservation.  This is a powerful plant, with a higher alkylamide content than any other species.  It is easier to grow than Echinacea angustifolia, withstands a more acid/clay type soil, and has (like all the Echinaceas, really) an incredible and unique coneflower.  The ray flowers on Echinacea tennesseensis reflex backward.
Organically grown 100 seeds/pkt.

Eclipta (Eclipta alba)
(Bhringaraj)
Family:  Asteraceae
Annual.  A creeping and moisture-loving herb.  Good subject for around the hose bib or used as a low-lying bedding plant.  In Ayurvedic practice, the juice of the plant is used both as a hepatic tonic and as a hair tonic.  Makes the hair black.  Sow seed just below soil surface, tamp in well and keep warm and in the light.  Germ in 12 days.  Space plants 1 foot apart.  Grows to about a foot tall. 
Organically  grown 100 seeds/pkt.

Elderberry Set (1 packet each of elderberries black, blue and red).  
Family:  Honeysuckle  (Caprifoliaceae)
Perennial, deciduous, multistemmed bushes to small trees.  Native to temperate zones worldwide and hardy to -30 degrees F.  Branches used in magico-religious ceremony.  The root and bark are best avoided for internal medicine, as they tend to make you puke.  The fresh leaves make an unparalleled bright green infused oil, cooling and soothing to mucous membranes and skin.  The flowers are diuretic and diaphoretic and are used mainly in teas or tinctures.  The berries are healthily endowed with antiviral procyanadins; excellent for treating the flu or dommon cold in the form of tincture, glycerite, syrup, jam, wine or cordial (avoid eating or extracting the fresh, uncooked seeds, as they too will make you puke!)  Elders prefer rich, moist soil and grow best as an understory to taller trees.  Once established they are extremely tough, pretty drought-tolerant, and will withstand poor soils, sun and abuse. In the fall, seeds are prestratified and delivered fresh and in moist medium, but will be delivered as dried seeds on toward summer.  International customers may expect to receive dried seeds. Plant the seeds in moist, shady area--it is best to plant in flats or in gallon pots, as they take a long time to come up, and control is needed.  The fresh, prestratified seed should be sown as soon as possible after receipt--it is best to plant them in the fall for germination in the spring (red elderberry) to germination in the midspring (black elderberry) to germination in the summer (blue elderberry).   The dried seed can be planted anytime in cool, moist, shaded pots and will emerge in ensuing cycles (the seed takes on greater dormancy once dried).  We take great care with our elderberry seeds as it is a significant medicinal herb, very good in permaculture, and in high demand throughout the world.  Too much selection has produced varieties that are pretty of leaf and pretty devoid of medicinal activity, or juicy of berry which certainly makes a fine juice but not that great for herbal use.  We are offering the native land races unaltered by human selection.  We pick and process our seeds every autumn to assure the best chances for your success.  We also carry all the elderberries in PLANT form if working with the seeds seems a bit much, but the seeds are a good way to get a lot of plants going without much expenditure.  3 packets seed--the black elderberry are certified organic from our farm and the red and blue are wild harvested by us from their native habitat.  We leave lots for the birds.  Richo

Note on planting the moist, fresh, Elderberry seeds: 
We wash the seeds out of the fruits, then put the seeds in moist coir and refrigerate.  When you receive these moist, pre-stratified seeds you must plant them right away.  The best method is to plant them in a deep propagation flat or in a gallon pot (plant all the seeds from the packet in a furrow in a flat or in the gallon pot).  Barely cover the seeds and tamp securely, then keep them evenly moist.  The flat or the pot MUST BE PLACED IN COOL, MOIST, SHADY CONDITIONS (shade house, outdoor shade situation) or it is possible that a greenhouse setup will work, although this tends to be too hot for Elderberry.  Germination is NOT RAPID.  Germination occurs as the days lengthen and the spring melds into summer.  PATIENCE and the right conditions will yield results.  Please feel free to order the plants from us if all this seems too complicated.  Once you learn to produce the correct forest understory conditions for germination of these and other whade loving species, it will no longer seem difficult.  Richo

Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
(Black Elder, Elder Berry, Black )
Family:  Honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae)
Hardy to -30 degrees F
Perennial, deciduous, multistemmed bush to small tree native to Europe.  Wild form.  This is the most tried-and-true species for medicinal use, and the berries are very tasty, and about twice as big as the berries of other species.  Elder berries are rich in anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, vitamins and antioxidants. The syrup, tincture or glycerite of the berries is excellent for treating the common cold and for overall increase in immunity.  The fresh green leaves may be infused in olive oil to make an emollient embrocation for treating sunburn, rough skin, age spots, and/or diaper rash (assumedly individuals will not have both age spots and diaper rash, but it can happen). Truly, all parts of the plant may be used in herbal medicine, and this is much expanded upon in my book "Making Plant Medicine." Cultivation: This is prestratified, moist seed in coir.  Sow as soon as possible after receipt, in outdoor conditions, in pots or flats, and expect germination in the spring.  The best conditions for germination are cool, moist shade.  We find that this method is pretty reliable, especially when using the fresh (undried) seed.  Elder will not grow properly in sterile soil. Sow seeds in very rich and composty soil medium. The breakdown of fungi in the soil will produce gibberellic acid, a growth hormone which is helpful for the germination of Elder. Once germinated, grows very rapidly into a handsome bush or small tree.  Grow out in a shaded place in pots for a year before transplanting to final location.   Flowers generally appear in year 3. Flowers turn rapidly into heavy clusters of fruits.  Its probably a good idea to grow 3 trees for pollination purposes, although we have certainly seen good crops of fruit from a single tree grown in isolation.  Elderberries are best placed as an understory to a higher tree canopy. Will also grow in full sun if the roots are kept cool and moist.   
50 seeds/pkt, organic

Note on planting the moist, fresh, Elderberry seeds: 
We wash the seeds out of the fruits, then put the seeds in moist coir and refrigerate.  When you receive these moist, pre-stratified seeds you must plant them right away.  The best method is to plant them in a deep propagation flat or in a gallon pot (plant all the seeds from the packet in a furrow in a flat or in the gallon pot).  Barely cover the seeds and tamp securely, then keep them evenly moist.  The flat or the pot MUST BE PLACED IN COOL, MOIST, SHADY CONDITIONS (shade house, outdoor shade situation) or it is possible that a greenhouse setup will work, although this tends to be too hot for Elderberry.  Germination is NOT RAPID.  Germination occurs as the days lengthen and the spring melds into summer.  PATIENCE and the right conditions will yield results.  Please feel free to order the plants from us if all this seems too complicated.  Once you learn to produce the correct forest understory conditions for germination of these and other shade loving species, it will no longer seem difficult.  Richo

(Blue Elderberry, blue elder)(Sambucus caerulea)
Deciduous shrub to small tree native to Western US. Easily acclimatizes to cold or warm climates. The bright blue, deliciously edible berries are tonic to the vascular system and eyes. Elder berries are rich in anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, vitamins and antioxidants. Truly, all parts of the plant may be used in herbal medicine, and this is much expanded upon in my book "making plant medicine." Blue elder does well in protected and shady spots, but also in sunny and severe spots, but in either case likes plenty of water. Fresh, undried seed comes packed in moist coir. Sow immediately or refrigerate and sow in spring. Elder seed takes on dormancy when it is dried, and this is why we are keeping the seed fresh and undried from the start--to improve germination rates. Germ is in the spring. Flowers milky white. Cut back in fall or early spring. 100 seeds per packet

Note on planting the moist, fresh, Elderberry seeds: 
We wash the seeds out of the fruits, then put the seeds in moist coir and refrigerate.  When you receive these moist, pre-stratified seeds you must plant them right away.  The best method is to plant them in a deep propagation flat or in a gallon pot (plant all the seeds from the packet in a furrow in a flat or in the gallon pot).  Barely cover the seeds and tamp securely, then keep them evenly moist.  The flat or the pot MUST BE PLACED IN COOL, MOIST, SHADY CONDITIONS (shade house, outdoor shade situation) or it is possible that a greenhouse setup will work, although this tends to be too hot for Elderberry.  Germination is NOT RAPID.  Germination occurs as the days lengthen and the spring melds into summer.  PATIENCE and the right conditions will yield results.  Please feel free to order the plants from us if all this seems too complicated.  Once you learn to produce the correct forest understory conditions for germination of these and other shade loving species, it will no longer seem difficult.  Richo

Red Elderberry Seed (Sambucus racemosa)
Deciduous shrub to small tree native to North America and Eurasia.   The plant can grow as tall as 25 feet, and a typical spread is about 12 feet.  The yellowish-white flowers are highly aromatic (really the best smelling of all the elder species).  Flowering is in late spring, and all other factors being equal, fruiting occurs before other elder species, usually in June.  The berries are high in vitamin C and quite tasty, but the seeds have the highest toxicity of all the elder species, so either you have to spit the seeds, or juice the berries and throw out the seeds, or cook the berries, which renders the seeds harmless to ingest (see my book Making Plant Medicine for the finer details of all this.)  Red elder makes a fast-growing shrub for landscape, shelterbelt or edible hedgerow.  I rate this plant with very high marks for habitat diversification, as it is a popular food of many species of birds.  Medicinally, this is not the species I would choose for treating the common cold (black elder would be better for that), but the leaves are used in making salves and the fruit is nourishing. Typified by rapid growth, red elder prefers sun to part shade and moist, well drained soil.  What we offer here is freshm, undried elderberry seed stored in moist coir.  Sowing the seed in the fall will result in dependable germination come spring.  We don't sell dried seed because the seed takes on heavy dormancy once dried. 
100 seeds per packet $3.95, fresh and undried, open pollinated

Note on planting the moist, fresh, Elderberry seeds: 
We wash the seeds out of the fruits, then put the seeds in moist coir and refrigerate.  When you receive these moist, pre-stratified seeds you must plant them right away.  The best method is to plant them in a deep propagation flat or in a gallon pot (plant all the seeds from the packet in a furrow in a flat or in the gallon pot).  Barely cover the seeds and tamp securely, then keep them evenly moist.  The flat or the pot MUST BE PLACED IN COOL, MOIST, SHADY CONDITIONS (shade house, outdoor shade situation) or it is possible that a greenhouse setup will work, although this tends to be too hot for Elderberry.  Germination is NOT RAPID.  Germination occurs as the days lengthen and the spring melds into summer.  PATIENCE and the right conditions will yield results.  Please feel free to order the plants from us if all this seems too complicated.  Once you learn to produce the correct forest understory conditions for germination of these and other shade loving species, it will no longer seem difficult.  Richo