Rare Harry Potters Mandrake Root Atropa Mandragora officinarum

Mandrakes are stemless, perennial herbs with dark green leaves, resembling somewhat the leaves of chard and a have large taproots that can grow up to two feet in length, resembling somewhat a human.
The pale to vibrant bluish purple flowers emerge in a cluster from the center of the plant. The fruit, orange to red berries, resembling tomatoes, ripen by late summer. The fruit is highly fragrant, one ripe fruit placed in the middle of the room will perfume the whole room with a pineapple like scent.
It requires good drainage for best growth and is not too picky about soil types.
This plant gets dormant in the summer times. Every autumn the root grows a new rosette of leaves. The leaves grow fast and in only a month they are fully developed. Zone 5-8.
It's one of the oldest and most famous plant in witchcraft, rituals and medicinal use. It's also mentioned in several references in the bible. According to the legend, a dog had to pull up the man-like roots as their scream reputedly killed all who heard it! Today the plant is best known from the movie "Harry Potter".
This plant belongs to the nightshades family (Solanaceae) and all parts are poison.


Rare Seeds found here: Mandragora officinarum Seeds

Other Names: Atropa mandragora, Mandrake, Devil's Apple, Dudaim, Love Apple, Harry Potter Root, Harry Potter Plant

Rare Fothergills Calceolaria Sand Lady Slipper Flower from the Falkland Islands

The most sought after Calceolaria. Native to the Falkland Islands, Calceolaria fothergillii is a hardy little plant, forming a rosette of tiny, spoon-shaped, pale-green hairy leaves. From this rosette a single stem bears a lady’s slipper flower in yellow with red or violet spots and a white bar across the ‘toes’. Wonderful choice rarity for rock garden and containers.

For best results grow in moist but well-drained soil in a cool spot in partial shade. Never allow the soil to dry out and deadhead plants regularly. Likes a moist but well-drained acidic soil mix Perennial, zones 5-9. Counterfeit seeds are already on the market. Beware of "bargains" from China.
Note this is not Calceolaria Uniflora, which is shorter.

 
Also called Slipperwort, Darwin' slipper flower, Chamber Maids, Darwin's Slipper. Syn: Fagelia fothergillii, Fagelia bellidifolia, Calceolaria bellidifolia, Calceolaria cavanillesii, Calceolaria neeana

Seeds are available here: Calceolaria fothergillii 

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Pinhão Monkey Puzzle Chilean Pine Araucaria araucana

  Very unusual, rare and exotic looking prehistoric specimen Tree.  

The Monkey Puzzle Tree is an exotic South American evergreen tree that will grow from the warmest parts of zone 6 to zone 10. It will grow in any soil that is well-drained and typically grows to around 50 feet tall in gardens, although in the wild it can reach 130 feet. This tree grows in a symmetrical conical shape with a strong central trunk and the leathery leaves clasp the stems and persist for many years. The leaves have a sharp point and the way they are wrapped around the stems is almost like a strange kind of snake. The symmetrical shape and dense growth makes this an unusual and attractive tree for larger properties and it is always a conversation piece.

The name "Monkey Puzzle" comes from the fact that the branches have consistent 

 diameters and curve around like a long monkey's tail, where the scaled leaves make the branches look hairy. The scaled leaves look like pieces of a puzzle with their even and angular shape.

In their native range, Monkey Puzzle Trees are prized for their edible pine nuts which are large and delicious. Seeds germinate easy and plant grows zone 6-10.

 

• USA Seeds: Rare Seeds COTW
• USA Plants: Conifer Kingdom Plants
• UK Plants: Jacksons Nurseries
  
  
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Real or not Real? Regal Birdflower Crotalaria cunninghamii

It's real, however real seeds are hard to get to. 

Called a green birdflower or regal birdflower, this stunning plant belongs to the legume family (chickpeas and alfalfa). Scientifically known as Crotalaria cunninghamii, named after the 19th century botanist Allan Cunningham, the small green shrub is native to Northern Australia. According to the Australian Native Plants Society, aboriginal people often used the plant's sap to treat eye infections.

Looking directly at the entire plant, it’s as if a dozen green hummingbirds gathered together to enjoy a feast of flower nectar—beautifully suspended in mid-air. And when holding one of these flowers in your hands, it's easy to think it's the real thing.

This hummingbird-shaped flowers originate from Australia and plant lovers can not easily purchase seeds. While some seeds appear to be available in the US on a_mazon and a few other market places, one must be very careful to find a reputable source. Most seeds are offered from China are actually Crotalaria spectabilis seeds according to several of my plant collector friends, which is a yellow invasive rattlebox, toxic to some wild life, and the seeds look similar to Crotalaria cunninghamii. Be aware of this.

Below are a few reputable sources listed:

• Australia: Australian Seeds
• USA: Centerofthewebb Seeds

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Rare and Unusual Roundleaf Star Creeper

The Star Creeper Lobelia nummularia is a herbaceous perennial ground-cover, native to Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Demure, white to pale purple flowers with pointed lips bloom in June and July on this small trailing herb. Large, purple-red berries follow that stand up curiously and ornamental on delicate vines. Small, toothed, and rounded light green leaves line the trailing branches and cascade if given a chance. Growing 3-4" tall in light shade and moist conditions.
The relatively large purple fruits are very ornamental and fruits and young shoots were wild collected, eaten cooked by local people. Has medicinal properties. Hardy to 15F.  Rare, unusual, different. 

Seed and Plant Sources:

• Plants: (no resources found - let us know if you have one!)
• Seeds: for sale found here

The unusual Waratah from Australia

Waratah is the Aboriginal word for the NSW Waratah Telopea speciosissima.

Telopea is from the Greek telepos meaning "seen from afar". It is a spectacular slender, erect shrub, to 6' tall and about 3' across. It has stiff, wedge-shaped and usually coarsely toothed, dark green, leathery leaves to 6" long.
The large, bright crimson flower heads consist of many small flowers densely packed into conical or peaked dome-shaped heads to 6" across, and surrounded by a collar of large red, smooth bracts. The ‘flower’ is in fact a conflorescence that comprises, depending on the species, as many as 240 individual flowers.
It flowers during spring, October to November. Makes an excellent long lasting cut flower. Hardy to 25 F. Needs well drained soil.


Plant and Seed Sources: 

• Plants found here
• Seeds found here
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Wonderful Perfume Flower Bush Fagraea Ceilanica

Fagraea ceilanica, the perfume flower bush, is classified under the Loganiaceae family. This evergreen plant can be pruned back to maintain it as a manageable small shrub but if it is left alone, it can grow into a small tree with a height of about 10ft. When not in flower, the perfume flower tree still makes a very attractive shrub because it has very attractive foliage.
The perfume flower tree is said to be a plant that can be grown in large containers. It has average water needs and hence its roots should be kept moist and not allowed to dry out. Like most other flowering shrubs, to ensure that a perfume flower plant grows healthily and blooms, each specimen should be grown in an area with at least filtered sunshine (semi-shade), although it can tolerate full, direct sunshine outdoors.  Sought after by collectors. 

•  Seeds found here: Seeds for Sale
  
•  A couple of plant places

• 1) Plants for Sale and also
• 2) variegated Plants for Sale  

Grow some Tasty Asian Water Chestnut Eleocharis dulcis in the Backyard

Off we go, starting our own water chestnuts again. In case you ever had them in stir fry, the fresh bulbs are 100 times better than the canned. Delicious. Plus, I know in what water they are growing  (clean water) ;)

Eleocharis dulcis is tropical Asian aquatic sedge having an edible corm and cylindrical leaves. The succulent corm of this plant ist used in Asian cooking.  

This is NOT to be confused with the aquatic invasive European water chestnut (Trapa natans)!

Asian water chestnuts (Eleocharis dulcis) and European water chestnuts (Trapa natans) are two unrelated water plants that carry the same name.
The Asian water chestnut resembles a small muddy tulip bulb and is sweet and crunchy; the European water chestnut resembles a tiny horned bull’s head and is quite starchy. 

Americans are most familiar with the Chinese water chestnut. Chinese water chestnuts grow underwater in mud, have brown or black scale-like leaves, and are round, though somewhat flattened. They are the roots of an aquatic plant that grows in freshwater ponds, marshes, lakes, and slow-moving rivers and streams in Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Australia. They are difficult to harvest, explaining their generally high price. Chinese water chestnuts have mildly sweet, crisp, white flesh and are excellent raw on skewers with dip/

The European water chestnut or water caltrop has seed capsules with four spikes and is named after the caltrop, a vicious medieval weapon with four iron points. This hard-shelled ebony black fruit has two prominent, down curved horns resembling a bull’s head and a woody, sculptured surface that looks like a face or a bat. It grows abundantly in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, southern China, Japan, Italy, and tropical America. Its Chinese name, ling ko, means “spiritual horn.”

Storage: Store water chestnuts, unwashed and unpeeled, in a loosely closed paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper for up to 2 weeks. Keep water caltrops in a cool, dry place.

To Grow: Easy to grow in a tub filled with dirt about 4" high . Water to 2" above soil level. Consider appropriate spacing as each corm produces quickly about 8-10 new corms. The closer they sit the harder it is to separate them.

To Buy: 

1. Tricker Aquatics: Water Chestnuts
2. COTW Rare Seeds: Fresh Asian Water Chestnuts