Common Name
and Description

Feijoa sellowiana

Feijoa, Pineapple Guava - Oval shaped green fruit with highly aromatic, perfume smelling flesh tasting like a combination of guava, strawberry, pineapple, and mint. Eaten fresh or in salads and drinks. Small shrub produces an abundance of fruit and beautiful edible flowers. Hardy to 15F, prefers cool winters and moderate summers. more info... #108

Flacourtia inermis

Louvi, Rukam, Batoko Plum - Dark purple fruit looking much like a large grape. Fruits are often cooked into desserts or used to make preserves. The tree is ornamental and new growth spurts are quite pretty. 6 seeds per pack. #190 more info...

Fuchsia boliviana

Bolivian Fuchsia - Beautiful red-pink flowered fuchsia with edible fruits once popular with the Incas, now occasionally sold locally in South America. This fuchsia is best known for its long, trumpet-like flowers which form in large clusters all over this small, shrubby tree. Hardy to about 25F. Grows very well in cool climates. #770 more info...

Fuchsia boliviana 'Alba'

White Bolivian Fuchsia - Beautiful white and pink flowered fuchsia with edible fruits once popular with the Incas, now occasionally sold locally in South America. This fuchsia is best known for its long, trumpet-like flowers which form in large clusters all over this small, shrubby tree. Hardy to about 25F. Grows very well in cool climates. Fruits ripen to a white color. #773 more info...

Fuchsia brevilobis

Fuchsia - A moderately rare Fuchsia characterized by its graceful, tubular flowers and a moderately vining habit. Makes for a gorgeous landscape plant as its bright pink-purple blooms adorn the bush for many months. Small dark purple, edible fruits follow. Hardy to the 20's, great in shade. #1524

Fuchsia denticulata

Fanfare Fuchsia - A variant of F. denticulata. Beautiful red-pink flowered fuchsia with edible fruits. This fuchsia is best known for its long, trumpet-like flowers which bear some resemblance to Bolivian Fuchsia, although generally more ornate. Hardy to about 25F. Grows very well in cool climates. #798

Fuchsia paniculata

Shrubby Fuchsia- Spreading, shrubby Fuchsia, to about 6-12ft. This type produces large clusters of small, pink-white flowers, followed by blueberry-sized, juicy, edible, dark blue colored fruit. Hardy to about 28F. #911

Fuchsia ravenii

Fuchsia - Small flowered, native cloud forest fuchsia. Small dark purple berries follow and are reportedly edible. Has a handsome, bushy growth habit and is quite ornamental. Hardy to the mid 20's (F). more info... #772

Halleria lucida

Tree Fuchsia - Shrubby tree, to 10-25ft, native to South Africa. Bears 1", soft, fleshy fruits with a bland flavor. The tree is notable for its pretty fuchsia-like flowers, which are born from the trunk and branches (cauliflory). Hardy to about 20F. #796

Harpephyllum caffrum

Kaffir Plum, Wild Plum- Small, red fruit with a nice, tart-acid flavor. Fruits are eaten fresh or used in jellies. Tree is hardy to the mid 20's, grows to 15-25ft. A native of South Africa. Leaves are glossy and form in multiple leaflets. Limited supply, 3-5 seeds/pack. #751

Hylocereus polyrhizus

Magenta Dragon Fruit - This dragon fruit species has magenta-pink colored pulp, with an excellent sweet flavor. The fruit has recently become a popular flavoring for beverages and there is much interest in growing the fruit as a commercial crop. The plant is a vining cactus growing either out of the soil or as an epiphyte, with aerial roots. Plants are tolerant of short frosts and can be grown in subtropical climates. Can be grown as a house plant. #960 more info...

Inga edulis

Ice Cream Bean - Long, podded fruit up to 2ft long. Pulp is very soft, creamy white, with a flavor resembling vanilla ice cream. Tree is subtropical, hardy to short freezes and can be kept in a container. more info... #156 Seeds are pre-germinated and perishable.

Laurus nobilis

Bay Leaf, Bay Laurel - The beautiful and fabled Bay Leaf tree provides the bay leaf of culinary fame. The leaves are highly fragrant and impart a delicious flavor to numerous foods and seasonings. The tree also has an ancient history and tales of its use date back to the Greek and Roman periods. The berries are also highly fragrant and have some edible and various medicinal uses. Hardy to 10F. #1502

Leucaena leucocephala

Koa Haole, Leadtree - Short, shrubby Acacia relative native to the West Indies. Often used as a fodder plant, young pods can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable, and seeds used as a coffee substitute. Very easy grower, is susceptible to frosts and does very well in arid climates. Can be weedy in certain climates like Hawaii and should not be grown there. #696 more info...

Luffa cylindrica

Loofah Sponge - Grow your own sponge! Vining melon that produces 12-24" long edible gourds. Fruits can also be dried and the inside membrane used as a sponge, the luffa. Grow as an annual. more info... #510

Luffa sp.

Additional Loofah Varieties - Please see our gourd & squash page.

Lycium barbarum

Wolfberry, Goji Berry - An important, traditional Chinese fruit and medicinal plant, the wolfberry is a small, red berry born in abundance on a low-growing shrubby tree. Hardy to about 10F. Fruits have a sweetish, slightly licorice flavor. The shoots and leaves are also eaten, and have a wide range of purported medicinal benefits. #943

Lycium chinense

Goji Berry, Chinese Wolfberry - An important, traditional Chinese fruit and medicinal plant, the goji berry is a small, red berry born in abundance on a low-growing shrubby tree. This species and L. barbarum are extremely similar, with this species being grown in Southern regions and L. barbarum grown in cooler, Northern regions. Fruits have a sweetish, slightly licorice flavor. The shoots and leaves are also eaten, and have a wide range of purported medicinal benefits. #1543

Lycopersicon cheesmanii

Galapagos Island Tomato - A wild tomato, native to the Galapagos Islands, purported to be a popular food source of the famous Galapagos Island Turtles. Fruits are small, similar to a small cherry tomato, and ripen to an orange. Flavor is fairly typical for a standard cherry tomato. Plants are ornamental, shrubby, with prolific fruit. This species is of particular interest for cross-breeding with garden tomatoes as plants grow well in salty-poor soils and have a number of other useful traits. Annual. #1944

Lycopersicon glandulosum

Wild Tomato - One of the most ornamental of the tomato species, this rare wild tomato hails from the mountains of Peru. The plant has a shrubby and spreading growth habit to 3-4ft, distinct from garden tomatoes. The cherry-sized fruits ripen to a greenish-white and it is unknown if they are edible. This tomato is quite ornamental in bloom, with hundreds of flowers appearing in large clusters. Annual. #1992

Lycopersicon melanocarpa

Wild Striped Tomato - A beautiful striped, wild tomato. Fruits grow to 2-3oz and ripen to a red, with orange and yellow striped. Flavor is much like normal tomatoes, but rich and sweet. Plants grow to 4-6ft and can bear dozens of fruits in a season. Annual. #1934

Monstera deliciosa

Mexican Breadfruit, Fruit Salad Plant - A decorative and edible vining member of the philodendron family. While adapted to tropical environments, it is particularly easy to grow as a houseplant and can grow outside in areas with minimal frost. Does best in shade. Bears close to foot-long fruits that when ripe have an edible pulp that tastes a bit like pineapple and jackfruit. 10 undried seeds per pack. #1542

Morinda citrifolia

Noni - White knobby fruit growing on a small tropical shrub or tree. The fruits are extensively used for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. Can be container grown. more info... #196

Moringa oleifera

Drumstick Tree, Horseradish Tree - A widely cultivated an extremely useful tropical tree. Many parts of the tree are edible, from leaves--which contain vitamin C, to the long, immature pods which are eaten as a vegetable. Edible oil is obtained from the seeds and the flowers have a mushroom-like flavor. The tree also has variety of alleged medicinal benefits. Hardy to about freezing and also grows well in hot, arid climates. #1509

Morus nigra

Black Mulberry - Deciduous tree bearing black berry fruits similar in appearance to a blackberry. Fruits are sweet and quite tasty. Tree is hardy to the 20's. more info... #638

Musa acuminata

Wild Banana - The original wild banana, seeds are from a wild form found in Thailand. Plants are similar in growth habit to common cultivated banana's, growing to 10-20ft, with huge leaves. Fruits are variable, often seedy. The wild banana is uncommon in cultivation and the closest wild relative to the common banana. #1545

Musa paradisiaca

French Banana, French Plantain - A beautiful edible and ornamental banana producing a type of sweet plantain fruit. Grows to 10-20ft with huge, cylindrical leaves. This species is sometimes crossed with the more common banana species to produce various edible variants. #981

Musa sikkimensis

Darjeeling Banana - A rare and beautiful banana from the Himalaya's. The Darjeeling Banana bears sweet edible fruits but is best known for its spectacular cold tolerance, able to survive temperatures to 10F! Huge ornamental leaves are green with red and purple mottling. It is a beautiful plant and can provide an unmistakable tropical look to both tropical and temperate gardens. Limited. #986

Musa x sikkimensis

Darjeeling Giant Banana - A naturally occuring hybrid and rare and beautiful banana from the Himalaya's. The Darjeeling Giant is a much larger variant of the standard Darjeeling Banana, that can reach 20ft! Huge ornamental leaves are green with red and purple mottling. It is a beautiful plant and can provide an unmistakable tropical look to both tropical and temperate gardens. Unknown hardiness, probably similar to M. sikkimensis. Limited. #1557

Musa velutina

Pink Velvet Banana - An amazing banana species that can flower and fruit in a year from seed and at only a few feet tall! Bears very ornamental, pink-skinned bananas and has beautiful, large pink banana flowers. Has some hardiness, but needs a warm climate or to be wintered indoors. Fruits are edible, but rarely eaten. 5 seeds per pack. more info... #1539

Musa violacea

Violet Banana - With its strikingly beautiful, multi-colored blossoms, this unusual banana is sure to be a conversation piece in the garden or greenhouse. Beautiful, large green foliage accents the flowers. Grows to several feet. Native to the jungles of South America. #1554

Musa zebrina

Blood Banana - One of the most beautiful banana's, the Blood Banana has fiery red and green spotted foliage. Its large banana leaves combined with the beautiful foliage create a striking appearance. Also bears small fruits which are edible, though only occasionally eaten. This banana is easy to grow and hardy to about 15F. 5 seeds per pack. #984

Musella lasiocarpa

Chinese Yellow Banana - An amazing and fairly rare ornamental. The Chinese Yellow Banana produces huge, bright yellow blooms that persist on the plant for up to 9 months! Small fruits follow, with sources differing on their edibility. This banana grows to only 5ft and is also quite cold hardy, surviving to 10-20F. This species is truly one-of-a-kind and an incredible ornamental with a tropical look. #998

Opuntia joconostle

Xoconoxtle - Orange-red cactus fruit, popular in Latin America. The fruits of this variety are spineless. Hardy to 15F, needs little or no water when established. Fruits have extensive uses, from flavorings for drinks, garnishes, salads, and much more. #901