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Genus: A

Acanthus: bear's breech
Achillea: Yarrow
Acorus: sweet flag
Actinidia: hardy kiwi fruit; bower vine; kolomikta vine; tara vine
Adiantum: northern maidenhair fern
Aegopodium: variegated bishop's weed
Agastache: Giant hyssop
Ajuga: Bugleweed
Akebia: five-leaved akebia
Allium: onion; chives
Amphicarpaea: hog peanut
Amsonia: Arkansas blue-star; blue star; thread-leaf blue star; willow amsonia
Andropogon: big bluestem; turkey-foot
Anemone: Canada anemone
Anthoxanthum: sweet vernal grass
Apios: Indian potato; groundnut
Aquilegia: Columbine
Aralia: sarsparilla
Arctostaphylos: bearberry; kinnikinick
Arenaria: irish moss
Aristolochia: Dutchman's pipe
Armeria: sea pink
Aruncus: Goatsbeard
Arundinaria: canebrake bamboo; large cane; small canebrake bamboo; southern cane; switch cane
Arundo: giant reed; Italian reed; cana brava
Asarum: Wild ginger
Asclepias: butterfly weed; swamp milkweed
Asimina: pawpaw
Asplenium: ebony spleenwort
Aster: aster
Athyrium: Japanese painted fern; lady fern
Atrichum: (moss)

Next: B

Catalog as of April 01, 2008

Acorus

(Araceae - arum family)

Two species of perennial marsh herbs.

calamus

peren • ht 2-4' • zones 3-10

sweet flag

native, fragrant, moist - wet, sun
Northern Hemisphere

Has an iris-like growth habit,with unusual but inconspicuous flowers in summer. The strongly aromatic leaves were, in former times, strewn on the floor of cottages to serve as an air freshener. Roots are said to produce an exudate which prevents mosquite larvae from developing. It may be possible to control mosquito larvae in small bodies of water by planting sweet flag around the edges. We do not have information on the quantity of plants required to achieve control, although after a sweet flag plant was placed in a mosquito larvae-infested tub of water, the larvae disappeared and did not return. For moist to wet soil or shallow water.

cat # 7V1A
$7.95 each / 3-9, $7.50 ea / 10+, $6.95 ea

calamus variegatus

peren • ht 2-4' • zones 3-10

variegated sweet flag

native, moist - wet, sun

Like the species, above, but with leaves attractively striped with white.

cat # 7V1C
$9.95 each

gramineus 'Licorice'

peren • ht 12" • zones 6-9

licorice flag

container, edible, native, moist - wet, sun - part shade
e Asia

A handsome, evergreen, grass-like aquatic or wetland perennial. The shiny, deep green leaves grow in a circular clump of broad, upright fans. The foliage, when rubbed or bruised, brings forth a pleasant scent of licorice or anise. The insignificant flowers, shaped like little horns, are produced in midsummer on hollow, upright stems. Usually only plants grown in water produce flowers. Spreads by rhizomes, eventually forming a seamless turf which can serve as a beautiful groundcover. Tolerant of some shade. May be grown in moist to wet soil, or in water to 3-6" deep. Used in Thai cuisine for flavoring rice dishes, or may be eaten as a fresh nibble from the garden

cat # 7V1G
$7.95 each / 3+, $7.50 ea