J. L. HUDSON, SEEDSMAN, BOX 337, LA HONDA, CALIFORNIA 94020-0337 USA
2009 SEEDLIST - La - Le
LABICHEA (la-BI-chee-a)
LEGUMINOSAE. Little-known Australian plants.
NEW—Labichea lanceolata var. lanceolata. (10,h) LABI-15L. Packet: $3.00
'SPINY BUTTERFLY BUSH'. Yellow, four-petaled poinciana-like flowers with a red eye winter and
spring. Dense rounded shrub to 3 - 10 feet with narrow, light-margined leaves. Coastal west
Australia. Try it in California. Nick and soak to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
LABURNUM (la-BUR-num)
LEGUMINOSAE. Spectacular hardy small trees and shrubs valued for their pendulous yellow racemes
and graceful habit. Hardy to at least Massachusetts (Zone 4) and standing poor rock soil. Pest free.
Nick and soak seed to germinate in about 3 weeks.
—Laburnum alpinum. (b,h) LABN-2. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 90% Tested: 9/08, Oz: $7.00 (about 1100 seed)
'SCOTCH LABURNUM'. Bright yellow 1/2" flowers in long slender pendulous 15" racemes in
summer. Hardy tree to 30 feet, with shiny deep green foliage. Mts. of S. Europe. Zone 3. Nick seed
to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
LACTUCA (lak-TOO-ka)
COMPOSITAE. Tall annuals, biennials & perennials grown for ornament, food, seed oil &
medicine.
—Lactuca virosa. (b,h) LACT-24. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 9/08, Gram: $7.50, 10 grams: $25.00
Click for photo »
'WILD LETTUCE'. Light yellow 1/2" flowers in large airy clusters. Hardy biennial to 3 - 6
feet. Europe. Sow any time, spring to late summer. Crosses of this with L. scariola sometimes
show enlarged leaves more like garden lettuce than either of the parents. A re-domestication of
lettuce might be an interesting project. The bitter milky juice was formerly used in medicine.
Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
LAGENARIA (la-je-NAR-ee-a)
CUCURBITACEAE. 'GOURD'. Tender long-running tropical vines. Easily grown musky-scented plants.
Give warm rich soil and full sun. Start indoors early in the North, and grow like squash.
Pantropical and independently domesticated in both hemispheres. Includes the hard-shelled, white
flowered Calabash Gourds, Cucuzzi Squash, Snake Gourd, and New Guinea Bean. Some lots more or less
dormant. Warmth and GA-3 improves germination.
—Lagenaria siceraria Bushel Gourd. (10,h) LAGS-6B. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF
STOCK
Very large round gourds, sometimes up to 4 - 5 gallon capacity. Used for containers, drums, etc.
—Lagenaria siceraria Legendary Bottle. (e,g) LAGE-6LB. Packet: $3.00
Large gourds to 15 - 20" long and 10" wide at the base, & 5" wide at the
neck. Very thick shell (up to 3/4" thick).
LAPIDARIA (la-pi-DAR-ee-a)
AIZOACEAE. A single species.
NEW—Lapidaria Margaretae. (d,h) LAPI-4. Packet: $2.50
Thick, chunky, succulent green leaves resembling chips of rock. Golden yellow flowers to 2"
wide almost hiding the plant. Form smalls mats with age. SW Africa. Easy from seed, 1 - 2 weeks,
GA-3 helps.
LATHYRUS (LATH-ee-rus or la-THY-rus)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'PEAVINE'. Showy climbing and upright annuals and perennials, including the
familiar 'Sweet Pea'. Grown for their lovely, often fragrant flowers of many shades of blue, violet,
red, white or yellow. Excellent, quick-growing plants, perfectly adapted to trellises, fences, or
allowed to sprawl as a colorful groundcover on sunny slopes. The perennials are easily grown in any
garden soil, giving a good display year after year without attention. The annuals need a deep, rich
moist soil and full sun. Pick pods to prolong bloom. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Lathyrus latifolius Mixed. (d,h) LATH-16X. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'PERENNIAL PEA', 'EVERLASTING PEA'. A free bloomer, with large clusters of rose, red or white
flowers from June to September. Strong vine to 9 feet. Europe. One of the hardiest and easiest
species to grow, thriving almost anywhere. Excellent to naturalize in waste places or rough areas; a
rampant grower that will scramble over bushes and stones in shade or sun. A beautiful display
trellised. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks at warm temperatures.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus America. (e,h) LATH-36A. Packet: $3.00
Red to near red flowers striped and streaked white. Very fragrant. To 4 - 5 feet tall. Nice.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Black Knight. (d,h) LATH-36BK. Packet $3.00
Old-fashioned highly scented sweet pea, with dark maroon-purple blooms. Introduced in 1898, the
flowers are smaller than the modern types, but are deliciously fragrant. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Blues Brothers. (e,h) LATH-36BB. Packet: $3.00
A collection of blue shades, scented flowers.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Cappucino Mixed. (e,h) LATH-36CX. Packet: $3.00
Highly scented flowers in various coffee-colored shades. To 6 feet. Unusual and attractive.
—Lathyrus odoratus Old Spice Mix. (d,h) LATH-36SX. Packet $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 7/08, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
'SWEET PEA'. A mix of classic, old-fashioned varieties whose intense, spicy fragrance will not
be found in the newer types, where it has been sacrificed to color and size. Vigorous hardy annual,
with red, rose, blue, violet and white flowers, smaller than the modern types. Italy. Introduced
into cultivation over 250 years ago. Amazingly strong, sweet and long-lasting scent. Excellent
cut-flowers, their color and fragrance will fill a room for a week or more. Needs a rich, deep soil,
plenty of water, and full sun. Sow in spring when the soil is still cool. Will bloom from June to
September if pods are picked. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Painted Lady. (e,h) LATH-36PL. Packet $3.00
A lovely heirloom sweet pea with rose and white bicolored blooms. Introduced in 1737. Smaller
flowers and intense fragrance. The modern types have sacrificed scent for large flowers, and the
fragrance of these older varieties is beyond compare.
—Lathyrus odoratus Royal Family. (c,h) LATH-36RF. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $6.00
'SWEET PEAS'. Lovely mix of fragrant large flowers in bright colors- reds, pinks, oranges,
whites and purples. Withstands heat. Long-lasting cut flowers. This mixture is now difficult to
find.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Wild Italian. (e,h) LATH-36W. Packet: $3.00
Purple bicolored flowers, smaller than the modern types, but said to be incredibly fragrant.
Small plants to only 32" tall.
NEW—Lathyrus odoratus Wiltshire Ripple. (e,h) LATH-36WR. Packet: $3.00
White fragrant flowers, mottled, striped, and flushed with burgundy and chocolate, often edged.
"Live as if you are going to die tomorrow, garden as if you are going to live forever."—Joan
Kipling
LAVANDULA (la-VAN-du-la)
LABIATAE. 'LAVENDER'. Aromatic perennials & shrubs grown for their attractive bloom,
handsome foliage and delightful fragrance. They prefer full sun, & light, dry, limey soil, rich
soil reducing yield. South facing slopes are best. Clip frequently to induce bushiness. Hardy to
about zone 5. Sow in fall or spring, as they germinate best at cool temperatures. Or prechill 3 - 6
weeks to germinate in 1 - 12 weeks. Seed viable 5 years. Cut flowers in morning or evening, and dry
in a cool, shaded place.
—Lavandula officinalis (=vera). (b,g) LAVA-7. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $8.00
'TRUE or ENGLISH LAVENDER'. Lavender 1/2" flowers with purplish calyces, in long-stemmed
spikes. Narrow grey green 2" leaves. Rounded shrub to 1 - 3 feet. Mediterranean region. An
ancient herb, used by the Romans in their baths, and in their salads. It is mentioned by
Shakespeare, and is much used to this day for strewing, perfume, scenting clothes, medicine, etc. A
good honey source. Good cut flowers. The flowers were candied in former times, and they are good in
salads, wine, and vinegar. Germinates best with 6 weeks prechill.
—Lavandula officinalis rosea. (c,f) LAVA-7R. Packet: $2.50
'PINK LAVENDER'. A nice variety with light pink flowers, To 14" tall. Prechill 6 weeks.
—Lavandula Stoechas. (b,h) LAVA-22. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
'FRENCH' or 'SPANISH LAVENDER'. Tight spikes of tiny dark purple flowers, each spike tipped with
purple bracts, in summer. Shrublet to 2 feet, with narrow grey leaves. Mediterranean. Zone 7 or 8.
Source of an exceptional honey, and the oil is used in perfumery. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Organically grown.
LAVATERA (la-va-TER-a)
MALVACEAE. Easily grown herbs and shrubs with showy Hibiscus-like flowers, and often maple-like
leaves. Best in full sun and average soil, giving profuse bloom all summer. Curious disjunct range.
—Lavatera cachmeriana. (c,h) LAVT-6. Packet: $2.00
Click for photo »
Gram: $6.00, 10 grams: $40.00
'KASHMIR TREE MALLOW'. Bright pink 2" flowers with darker veins, July to September. Tall
branching perennial to 8 feet. Endemic to the Kashmir Himalayas, 7500 to 10,000 feet. Medicinal.
Hardy to Wisconsin. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Lavatera trimestris Mont Blanc. (c,h) LAVT-15MB. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 79% Tested: 10/08, 163 s/g, 10 grams: $8.00
Large pure white four inch wide flowers on a dwarf compact annual to 1 1/2 feet, with dark green
foliage. Hardy annual. Fleuroselect Bronze Medal. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Lavatera trimestris Silver Cup. (c,h) LAVT-15C. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 80% Tested: 9/08, 175 s/g, 10 grams: $9.00
Salmon rose flowers with dark rose veins. Hardy annual to 2 feet. Fleuroselect Silver Medal.
Excellent annual.
LEGOUSIA: see Specularia.
"All civilization does is hide the blood and cover up the hate with pretty words!"—U. K. LeGuin.
LEONTOPODIUM (le-on-to-PO-de-um)
COMPOSITAE. Low woolly hardy alpine perennials of Eurasia and the Andes, with star-like floral
bracts. Best in light, well-drained soil and full sun.
—Leonotpodium alpinum. (a,h) LEOT-1. Packet: $2.50
'EDELWEISS'. White woolly flowers on a creeping hardy perennial to 12". High Alps.
Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks.
LEONURUS (lee-o-NOO-rus)
LABIATAE. Hardy Eurasian herbs, good in the back border or wild garden. Easily grown from seed
which germinates readily in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Leonurus artemisia. (b,h) LEOR-1. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
5 Grams: $7.50 BULK OUT OF
STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'YI-MU-CAO', 'CHINESE MOTHER WORT'. Reddish purple flowers in spikes. Hardy biennial to 3 - 4
feet. Eurasia. Used in Chinese medicine as a uterine stimulant and for heart palpitations. Germinates in
1 - 2 weeks. Organically grown.
NEW—Leonurus Cardiaca. (b,h) LEOR-3. Packet: $2.00 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Germination: 88% Tested: 9/08, 5 grams: $7.50
'MOTHERWORT'. White-woolly flowers on a hardy perennial to 5 feet, with palmately divided lower
leaves. Good bee plant. Medicinal. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
LEPTOSPERMUM (lep-to-SPER-mum)
MYRTACEAE. Valued for their profusion of flowers, these mostly Australian evergreen shrubs &
trees are easily grown if given good drainage. Good outdoors in mild climates (some are hardy to
10°F or more), or in the cool greenhouse. Good on dunes. Sow on the surface of a peaty, sandy mix,
to germinate in 1 - 12 weeks. Smoke treatment may help germination.
—Leptospermum Petersonii (=citratum). (a!,v) LEPT-34. Packet: $2.50
'LEMON TEA-TREE'. White 1/2" five-petaled flowers in spring & early summer. Rounded
bushy shrub to 10 - 20 feet. with narrow, deep green 2" leaves that are strongly lemon-scented.
E. Australia. The leaves are used as tea, and it is grown in Kenya & Guatemala for commercial
production of citral.
NEW—Leptospermum polygalifolium. (a,h) LEPT-36. Packet: $2.50
'TANTOON TEA-TREE'. Masses of white five-petaled 1/2" flowers that range into pale yellow
or pink, in summer. Rounded shrub to 6 feet, up to a small tree to 20 feet, with narrow, aromatic
inch-long leaves. E. Australia. Used for tea. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Leptospermum scoparium v. scoparium. (a!,v) LEPT-40S. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF
STOCK
'MANUKA', 'NEW ZEALAND TEA-TREE'. White 1/2" wide five-petaled flowers abundantly produced
in spring and summer. Compact shrub to 3 - 12 feet. with needle-like 1/2" leaves. SE Australia
to New Zealand. Easily grown and one of the hardiest. A tea of the aromatic leaves was drunk by
Captain Cook to prevent scurvy, and is medicinal.
LESPEDEZA (les-pe-DEE-za)
LEGUMINOSAE. 'BUSH CLOVER'. Floriferous shrubs & herbs which are easily grown in full sun
and almost any soil, best in uplands. Most are fairly hardy in the North, and they are extensively
planted here and abroad for ornament and reclamation. Drought resistant. Sow in early spring,
1/4" deep, to germinate in 1 - 6 weeks. About 25% are hard and need nicking. Best inoculated
with group 4 or garden bean inoculant. Seed viable 20 years or more.
—Lespedeza bicolor (=Desmodium bicolor). (b,h) LESP-2. Packet $2.00
Germination: 76% Tested: 9/08, Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00, lb: $30.00
Bright rose-purple flowers profusely borne in racemes along the branches, bending them with
their abundance from July to October. Graceful shrub to 4 - 10 feet, with slender arching branches
and oval trifoliate leaves. Japan, introduced in 1856. Hardy to Boston. Excellent ornamental,
erosion control, and the seeds are good quail food. Extensively grown in Korea, where it is called
the 'miracle plant' since it controls erosion, enriches the soil with its prolific nodules, provides
protein-rich livestock feed, and especially for the stems which are a high quality firewood. Yields
2.9 metric tons of fuelwood per hectare cut one year after planting, and 6.1 mt/ha after 2 years (=
11,000 lb/acre). The blooms give high quality honey. Good deer browse. Young leaves and flowers
eaten boiled or fried, seeds occasionally boiled with rice, and mature leaves used as a tea
substitute. Leaves and root used in Japanese medicine. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.
LEUCAENA (lew-SEE-na)
LEGUMINOSAE. Trees and shrubs with pinnate leaves and white puff-like flowers. Native to warm
areas. The leaves, pods and seeds of some species are edible. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Leucaena pulverulenta. (c,h) LEUA-34. Packet: $2.50
'TEPEGUAJE', 'GREAT LEADTREE'. Fragrant white puff-like 1/2" flower balls. Straight-trunked
tree to 60 feet, with feathery bipinnate foliage. Eastern México and Texas. "Highly
decorative. A very lovely tree."—Sartin. Salt tolerant, but frost sensitive, this lot
collected from the extreme northern limit of its range near Galveston.
"Busy, curious, thirsty fly, Drink with me, and drink as I."—William Oldys, On a Fly
Drinking out of a Cup of Ale, (1696 - 1761).
LEUCHTENBERGIA: See Reserved Access page.
LEUCOPHYLLUM (loo-ko-FEE-lum)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Showy Southwestern shrubs, good for landscaping in desert areas.
NEW—Leucophyllum frutescens. (d,g) LECP-9. Packet: $2.50
'TEXAS RANGER', 'CENIZA', 'BAROMETER BUSH'. Abundant showy purple inch-wide flowers. Compact
white-felty shrub to 8 feet, with inch-long leaves. Texas & Mexico. Hardy to about 10°F. A tea
of the leaves was used by the Indians for fevers. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
LEVISTICUM (le-VIS-ti-kum)
UMBELLIFERAE. 'LOVAGE'. A single species of hardy perennial herb grown for the seeds used as
flavoring. Best in rich moist soil and full sun. Sow in fall or early spring to germinate in 2 - 3
weeks. Space 1 - 3 feet apart. Seed viable 3 years.
—Levisticum officinale. (b,h) LEVI-1. Packet: $2.50
'LOVAGE'. Tall perennial with shining dark green leaves in mounds to 2 - 3 feet. Tall 6 foot
flower stalks topped with umbels of small yellow flowers in June and July, followed by strongly
aromatic seeds. Alpine Europe. The fresh chopped leaves are an excellent addition to salads, stews
and soups. The thick leafstalks can be eaten fresh like celery or candied like Angelica. Dried
leaves make a nice tea. Seeds and root used for flavoring cordials & in perfumery. Germinates in
2 - 3 weeks warm.