Note: We recommend CAPE seed germination primer be used for these seeds. More info on this primer is at the bottom of this page

Seed Packet # Z2003
Seed Name: Louisiana Dwarf Cold Hardy Palmetto Palm ( Sabal Minor )
A short palmetto palm growing only about 6 ft. tall with large blue-green fan leaves. An easy to grow palm.
This palm can be grown much farther North than most palm species.
Young palms can be grown outside with ease and established palms, ( grown inside in pots the first few years, then transplanted outside ) can be grown in zone 6, and it has been suggested that established plants could even be grown as far North as zone 5 with foliage loss in Winter and re-growth in Sping.
20 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

P76 SAW PALMETTO PALM Serenoa repens
Sold Out..Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains below ground or runs just along the surface. In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2'-8' above ground. The palmate leaves are 2'-3' across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4'-6' high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 or more feet in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2' long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black and about an inch in diameter. An especially attractive form with silvery-white leaves occurs along the Atlantic coast in Florida.

Saw palmetto occurs naturally on the coastal plain from South Carolina to southeastern Louisiana. It grows in a wide range of habitats from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, pine flatwoods and even wetlands. Saw palmetto can be the dominant ground cover in certain southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres. Culture: Once established, saw palmetto is virtually maintenance-free.
Light: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate partial sun.
Moisture: Tolerates drought but can also tolerate moderately moist soils.
Hardiness: Fully hardy to zone 7, this palm has been seen growing in zone 6, but does suffer foliage damage at 10 degrees F. and complete foliage loss at 3-5 degrees F.

Saw palmetto is a beautiful little palm and richly deserves a place in the ornamental landscape. The silver form is especially attractive. Plant saw palmettos in front of clumps of larger palms, or even underneath large palms. They look good massed in clumps in mixed borders, or as framing hedges. Use as accents to trees or in foundation plantings.

Features: The berries of saw palmetto are used as a treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or enlarged prostate gland. They are also used as a diuretic to tone the bladder, improve urinary flow, and decrease urinary frequency. They may help prevent prostate cancer.

P76 Silver Saw Palmetto Palm. Beautiful silvery-white tinted fan-shaped leaves Package of 10 seeds $2.25

Seed Packet #Z2456
Trachycarpus wagnerianus - "Waggie" or Miniature Chusan Palm Sold Out..
Trachycarpus wagnerianus is the VERY BEST Trachycarpus for general cultivation. Its many attributes include the following:
- Small and very stiff leaves - only about 60cm (24in) across - and compact habit
- Jaunty and charming appearance from a very early age.
- Young plants have a gorgeous, bonsai-like appearance with enormous appeal!
- Ideal for the smaller garden, and for container use
- Adaptable to all kinds of climates, from cold temperate to dry tropical
- Great cold tolerance, down to -17°C (1°F)
- Great tolerance of wind, the major enemy of T. fortunei
- The perfect choice for coastal situations
- Tolerant of transplant at any size with zero set-back and practically no leaf loss
- Speed of growth: once in the ground it can grow more than 30cm/1ft of trunk per year
- Excellent resistance to all kinds of diseases and pests
Trachycarpus wagnerianus will grow almost anywhere. The toughest one we have seen grows in Iceland (!), and the most tropical ones grow in Costa Rica. In both places they were doing great.
We are 100% convinced that it will replace T. fortunei if it has a chance to become more widely available.
It is not known in the wild, only in cultivation, and Japan is generally considered to be its native country. Seeds have never been available in any quantity before, but we have managed to obtain the best and purest Japanese T. wagnerianus available.
[Americans please note: This plant is often incorrectly referred to as 'T. takil', especially on the West Coast. T. takil is in fact a much bigger palm, bigger even than T. fortunei. Trachycarpus wagnerianus is the small, stiff-leafed Trachycarpus.]
10 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

P41 SABAL PALMETTO. sabal palmetto.
The Florida state tree. This is an attractive palm whose use is mostly outside as lawn decoration. It grows to 80 ft. tall with stiff, green costapalmate leaves. Has a smooth trunk that will reach 18" in diameter. Very easy to grow from seeds. It can be raised inside, but it will require much bright light.
Easily grown in zone 7 ounce established, it is suggested that established, protected plants may survive in zone 6b as well. Package of 10 seeds $2.25

P52 JELLY PALM. BUTIA CAPITATA.
This beautiful feather palm has long fronds that arch and recurve towards the ground from atop a thick stout trunk. The trunk can grow to 20’, but normally reaches 12’-15’ with a diameter of 1’-1½’. Typically, the old leaf stalks persist for years, although specimens with clean trunks are not uncommon. Leaves range from light green to bluish gray. The palm produces light orange fruits (often called pindo dates in the deep south). These palms vary in form. Specimens raised in dry and/or infertile soils tend to be smaller in stature with smaller leaves. Light also affects the plant’s form -- those grown in full sun are more compact. The orange fruits are edible and widely used to make a delicious jelly, thus the name.
Grown regularly in zone 8, this palm has been proven to survive 0° F. when heavily mulched and protected. Generally considered safe to grow in zone 7 if heavily protected, it is suspected it could survive zone 6 under certain conditions.
Package of 2 seeds $2.50

P75 MEXICAN FAN PALM. ( SKY DUSTER ) washingtonia robusta.
This is the palm shown in the backgrounds of television shows shot in Los Angeles. It is a tall thin palm that grows to great heights very quickly. Outside, it can reach a height of 100 ft. or more. Remarkably, it also makes a great inside plant. Has fan shaped small green leaves and bears dark, glossy red seeds. It is drought tolerant and can be easily moved at any age.
Prefers full sun and tolerates 18 to 20 degrees F. Fairly fast growing and commonly available. 12 to 15 degrees will defoliate this species.
Package of 10seeds $2.25

Seed Packet #Z2504
Nannorrhops ritchiana - Mazari Palm
Nannorrhops ritchiana, the Mazari palm, one of the very hardiest palms in the world was, until recently, also one of the rarest in cultivation. Finally, after several years of work, literally hundreds of faxes and phone calls, and not least of all, a trip to Pakistan (not our favorite holiday destination), we located what we hope will be a regular source of seeds of this tough and attractive palm. Its high altitude desert origin in Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan (to about 1700m/5600ft a.s.l.) gives an indication of its requirements is: hot, dry, and bright. Mature Nannorrhops ritchiana are successfully cultivated in such diverse places as Florida, California, Texas, Italy, France, and Venezuela, indicating that it will thrive in temperate areas just as well as in the cooler tropics. In winter, if kept dry, it may resist temperatures as low as -20C (-4F). With summer heat it is relatively fast growing, and will develop into a large shrub with several short, erect trunks and very thick, blue-green, leathery fan-shaped leaves. It is a palm which surely everyone will want to have in their collections.
5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

P11 SILVER SAW PALM. acoelorrhaphe wrightii.
A palm widely used in Florida for street decoration. It grows to a height of 20 ft. It has a slender trunk covered with brown fibers. The leaves are fan shaped and a light green with a silver back. The seeds germinate quickly and easily. This is good outdoor palm for mild climate areas.
It will tolerate high moisture conditions and temperatures to about 20 degrees. It prefers full sun.
Package of 10 seeds $2.25

Seed Packet #Z1545
Dwarf Sugar Palm Arenga engleri
This dwarf palm is a very pretty, small, clustering, very tropical-looking palm from Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands with long, narrow leaflets that have silver backs. A wonderful palm for the sheltered garden in temperate climates, it will tolerate quite deep shade and, once established, several degrees of frost. Also useful in all warmer climates where its brightly colored fruits add to its charm.
The leaflets are irregular and tropical appearing. Tolerates filtered light or sun in most areas. Blossoms are fragrant. Can tolerated down to 15° F if protected.
10 seeds. Price per pack: $4.95

Seed Packet #Z1930
Dwarf Yatay Palm Butia paraguayensis Sold Out
An interesting and rare dwarf Butia, this palm rarely grows to more than 1.8m (6ft) tall. It has a short, slender trunk and strongly arching, blue-green leaves, with the leaflets held in a V-shape. This dwarf Butia is most useful as an ornamental palm in the temperate and subtropical garden where it will tolerate summer heat and extreme cold. Cold tolerant to 18-20° F.
Pack of 20 seeds $5.95

Seed Packet #Z2500
Caryota urens - Jaggery Palm, Toddy Palm Sold Out
Did you know that many cultivated trees labeled Caryota urens are actually misidentified? The true C. urens grows only in Southern India and Sri Lanka and, despite popular belief, it is not commonly cultivated. Therefore many cultivated trees are only called C. urens as it is the easiest name to apply to a large, solitary Caryota in a genus that is in desperate taxonomic confusion. What we believe to be the true C. urens is a large tree with a thick and comparatively short trunk; and huge, slightly ascending, rather flattish leaves (as opposed to more slender trunked species with shorter, strongly tumbling leaf habit, such as C. maxima and C. "Himalaya"). As our seeds come from C. urens' natural habitat in S-India you can rest assured that it is true to name. Taxonomic trouble aside, C. urens is a reliable and fast growing palm, well suited to tropical as well as warm temperate climates.
Cold tolerant to about 22° F.
5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

Seed Packet #Z2561
Chamaedorea radicalis
Sold Out..Another beautiful landscape palm from Mexico that clusters from the base to a height of about 10 ft. when grown outdoors. It flowers when young, with the inflorescence held high above the dark green foliage. It has orange-yellow flowers and orange fruits. It grows best in shady, moist areas outdoors, but can be grown inside if properly tended.
Cold tolerant to 18-20° F.
10 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

P28 CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM. phoenix canariensis.
From the Canary Islands off the Coast of Africa, this palm is widely grown as an ornamental tree. It is tolerant of cold and drought and can be easily raised from seeds if given heat. Outside, it will grow up to 60 ft. with a 3 ft. diameter trunk. Inside, its growth can be regulated by the size of container it is raised in. It has a distinctive spiky, architectural appearance that is a must for any home. It bears 2 in. long fruit that is orange when ripe. The old leaf scars on the trunk form diamond shaped patterns.
Tolerates cold to about 18 degrees and needs full sun. 12 to 15 degrees will damage the foliage.
Package of 10 seeds $2.25

#Z1995
Senegal Date Palm Phoenix reclinata
A beautiful, clump forming palm whose trunks tend to lean outward, hence the name. Easy to grow indoors or out, will reach 30 ft. outdoors when mature. Attractive, leaf scarred trunks and ¾" brown fruits. Also called the African Date Palm.
Demands full sun and tolerates temperatures to 20 degrees or slightly lower.
10 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

P16 QUEEN PALM. syagrus romanzoffiana.
An excellent palm from Brazil. It withstands a wide range of climates and can be raised outside in northern areas if protection is given. The first simple leaves of this palm can be up to 3 ft. long. It will grow up to 60 ft. outside. The trunk is long and slender and will bear distinctive old leaf scars that accents its tropical look. The leaves are long and curving. Can be raised as a houseplant inside.
The Queen palm can tolerate to about 20 degrees, 17 degrees or colder will kill this species. It demands full sun.
Package of 10 seeds $2.25

Seed Packet # Z2001
Seed Name:Sago Palm ( Cycas revoluta )
Sold Out..One of the most primitive living seed plants, are very unusual and popular ornamentals. A rugged trunk, topped with whorled feathery leaves has lead to the common name "Sago Palm", however it is actually related to conifer and Ginko trees - all cone bearing plants which trace their origins back to the ancient flora of the early Mesozoic era. Often called "living fossils", Cycads have changed very little in the last 200 million years.
Regardless of age or size, Cycas revoluta is one of the easiest plants to grow, indoors or out, by beginner or expert. This subtropical adapts to a wide range of temperatures from 15 to 110 degrees F (-11 to 42 degrees C), accepts full sun or bright interior light, thrives with attention, and tolerates neglect. In addition, Cycads are extremely long-lived. A 220 year old specimen of Encephalartos, a relative of Cycas revoluta, is on display at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew England; the restoration of the famous Palm House required it to be temporarily transplanted to a holding area for more than a year; the move was successful and is an example of the durability of these ancient "living fossils".
This is an excellent opportunity to raise these expensive plants yourself for less than a buck a plant.
These are fresh seeds that will germinate in a few months. If kept in the refrigerator, these seeds will remain viable for over a year.
Excellent container plant or outside garden plant for warm climates.
10 large seeds per pack. Price per pack: $7.95

Seed Packet #Z1507
Cold Hardy Mexican Cycad Dioon edule var. N. Mexico Sold Out..
Native to northeastern Mexico, a very cold hardy cycad, zone 8B as low as 19ºF without damage. Leaves are a little bit wider than the common D. edule. Drought tolerant. Very slow growing, but in time will form a dark trunk to 3 feet or more. Does not like soggy soils. Plant in partial sunny place with humusy and very well drained soil.
10 seeds. Price per pack: $5.95

Seed Packet #Z2450
Darjeeling Banana Musa sikkimensis (= M. hookeri)
Wow! A rare and little known large banana species, new to cultivation, that sports a massive pseudo-trunk to 4,5m (14ft) tall and 45cm (18in.) in diameter., tinged with red, and purple new leaves and leaf-midribs. A percentage of plants even exhibits beautifully dark red mottled leaves. The Darjeeling Banana is very hardy to cold (i.e. in the sense of Musa basjoo) coming, as it does, from mountain forests up to 2000m (6000ft) in the Himalayas of NE-India. It can easily be grown in zone 6.
First trials outdoors in the US, Britain, Germany and Switzerland have shown an excellent resistance to cold and frost. Like all bananas, it is extremely fast growing, given rich soil and an abundance of water. The fruits have a sweetish pulp but are hard and contain a few large seeds. An absolute novelty that shows great promise as an ornamental for the temperate as well as the cooler tropical garden. We think this plant that has more potential than any other cold tolerant Musa in cultivation at the moment.
5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

Seed Packet #Z2093
Cold Hardy Chinese Dwarf Banana Musella lasiocarpa
Musella lasiocarpa is an exciting banana relative that comes from high altitudes (to frosty 2800m / 9200ft!) in the Yunnan province in China. The maximum height of the plant is only about 1.5m / 5ft, half of which is a very stout, conical trunk, topped by a crown of handsome, slightly glaucous, broad leaves. From early age, the rhizome produces many suckers. The "flower", which is big and bright yellow, appears in its second year, and grows upright at the top of the trunk. As the inflorescence grows in size, tiny 'bananas' begin to appear under each bract which curls back to reveal the fruits. Unfortunately inedible, the 2" long bananas each contain dozens of small, shiny jet black seeds. The seed requires cool stratification (abt. 5°C) but then germinates easily, and subsequent seedling growth is as you might expect, very fast. Musella appreciates heavy watering and feeding and a place in full sun. It will flourish in all climates from cool tropical down to temperate, where it will be found to be root hardy, enduring even cold winters with its underground rhizome, just like the well known "Hardy Banana", Musa basjoo. It also makes a perfect conservatory plant which will be a true conversation piece that certainly will not outgrow its location.
Easily survives zone 6 winters when mulched heavily.
5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

Seed Packet # Z2306
Seed Name: Velvet Banana Musa velutina
Good container type of banana with dark green leaf blades to 3 ft. Produces erect spikes of white flowers, followed by softly hairy, pink fruit. Can easily be grown in zone 9 for fruits, but can survive zone 7, maybe even zone 6 for foliage plants..
Price per pack: $4.95
10 seeds

Seed Packet #Z2115
Giant Nepal Banana Ensete glaucum
This exciting but little-known banana relative is also known as Musa nepalensis and Ensete giganteum, hinting at the plants giant size. It grows in China (Yunnan 800-1100m a.s.l.), Nepal, India, Burma, Thailand and possibly also in Tibet, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. It has a thick, waxy and blue, solitary trunk, huge bluish leaves up to 10ft/3m long, and a huge nodding banana-producing inflorescence. It is extremely fast growing and so requires a good supply of fertilizer and water and is best planted in rich soil. In cold climates it would make an astonishing bedding plant during the Summer.
Hardy to zone 7 with heavy mulching.
5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $5.95

Seed Packet #Z1494
Blue Yucca Yucca rigida
A beautiful xeriscape plant growing 10-15 ft. outside or can be container raised. Hardy to zone 6b and withstands partial shade. Wonderful spikes of white flowers in spring. Excellent for rock gardens as it has very low water requirements.
Very similar to Y. rostrata except with broader leaves and slightly hardier cold tolerance. Stunning blue leaves from a dense rosette to create a most wonderful specimen. Extremely rare in cultivation
10 seeds. Price per pack: $3.95

Seed Packet #2068
Great Yucca Yucca toryeii Sold Out
A huge yucca plant growing 18 feet tall with 3 feet long leaves. Best for zones 6-8, makes a wonderful rock garden plant.
15 seeds per pack Price per pack: $3.95

Seed Packet #2069
Banana Yucca Yucca baccata
Rosettes of broad bluish grey-green leaves edged with white filaments, 1.2m. large purple-flushed cream bells in pendant panicles of flower half hidden in the nest of leaves and edible banana-like fruits, 1m x 1.3m. Very cold hardy to at least -30C but will need to be as dry as possible.
10 seeds per pack Price per pack: $3.95

Seed Packet #2070
Spanish Bayonet Yucca aloifolia Sold Out
Spanish bayonet has an erect trunk, 3-5" in diameter, reaching up to 5-20' tall before it becomes top heavy and topples over. When that happens, the tip turns upward and keeps on growing. The trunk is armed with sharp pointed straplike leaves each about 2' long. The young leaves near the growing tip stand erect; older ones are reflexed downward, and the oldest wither and turn brown, hanging around the lower trunk like an Hawaiian skirt. Eventually the tip of the trunk develops a 2' long spike of white, purplish-tinged flowers, each blossom about 4" across. After flowering, the trunk stops growing, but one or more lateral buds are soon formed, and the uppermost becomes a new terminal shoot. Any other buds become branches, but these are usually few, and the plant has an open, airy habit. Spanish bayonet also produces new buds, or offshoots, near the base of the trunk, forming a thicket.
Cold hardy to 6b with protection.
10 seeds per pack Price per pack: $3.95

CAPE "Super Smoke Plus" SEED PRIMERSold Out..

For treating seeds of many types of trees, cacti, palms, grasses, strelitzias, and many, many other varieties.

Cape Super Smoke Plus is an absorbent paper that is impregnated with fynbos-smoke-saturated water. The paper is then dried and sealed in a polythene packet. When dormant seeds require "smoking", a predetermined volume of water is added to the paper in a suitable container and the seeds are "smoke-primed" by soaking in the smoke-water solution for 24 hours. In order to have the maximum effect in breaking seed dormancy, a range of natural germination stimulators has been added to the smoke solution to overcome other forms of seed dormancy found in many species.

Each standard packet contains five papers, and 50ml water should be added to each paper. Each packet is thus sufficient to make up 250ml solution ( approx. 8½ oz. ) and enough to treat approximately 500 large seeds.

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