Wildflower Species P to S from Nickys seeds

Wildflower Species P to S

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Wildflower Pansy, Wild or Heartsease Annual
Viola tricolor - Garden violet, Bonewort, Heartsease, Hearts ease, Love idol
Hgt 15 - 30cm Flowers April to September.
Wild pansy petals are violet yellow pink or white with face markings. Found on grassland, uncultivated areas and gardens. Young flower buds and leaves are used either raw or cooked. Used to thicken soup, a tea can be made from the leaves and the flowers can be used as a garnish or added to salads. Heartsease is best sown in the autumn, but can be sown all year round. Medicinal herb used for cleansing toxins, relieves pain and a healing herb used internally and externally. A magical herb with the powers of magic rain and love. Approx 1,400 seeds per gram

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Pepper Saxifrage Perennial
Silaum silaus
Hgt 30 - 90cm Flowers June to August.
Yellow scented flowers a caterpillar food plant and bee attractor. Habitat full sun in hay meadows and damp grassland. Best sown during autumn for nature to break the seed dormancy. 1 gram packet av 200 seeds.

Av 1 gram pkt

Poppy Field Annual
Papaver rhoeas - Field Poppy, Flanders Poppy, Corn Poppy, Common Poppy
Hgt 20 - 60cm Flowers May to August
Common poppy, Corn Poppy or field poppy have solitary scarlet flowers, they were once a common site in cornfields. Habitat Cultivated and waste ground. During the setting of flowers the plant is mildly toxic.
1 gram approx 7,000 seeds
Av 1 gram pkt

£4.50 Av 10 gram pkt

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Poppy Prickly Annual
Papaver argemone
Hgt 40cm Flowers May to July
The rare Prickly Poppy gets its name from the bristles down the seed pod, scarlet flowers, a smaller plant than the field poppy.
It was common in cornfields in Victorian times but now rarely seen in the North.
1 gram approx 8,000 seeds

Av 0.5 gram pkt

Poppy, Welsh Perennial
Meconopsis cambrica - Welsh Poppy
Hgt 20 - 60cm Flowers June to September
Solitary yellow flowers. Habitat damp areas, shady sites. Of the same family as the blue Himalayan poppy.
An excellent addition to the cottage garden.

Av 1,000 seeds

Prickly Lettuce annual
Lactuca serriola
Hgt can grow to over 1m Flowers July to September
Habitat waste ground, road verges and cultivated beds. A medicinal and edible wildflower or herb. The leaves were once used raw or cooked when young but they become bitter with age. Small yellow flowers, spiny stem that contains a milky sap.

Av 500 seeds

Primrose Perennial
Primula Vulgaris
Hgt 10 - 20cm Flowers December to May
Pale yellow flowers. Habitat hedgerows damp soils and woodlands. A medicinal and culinary herb that relieves pain, relaxes and promotes healing. Magical herb of love and protection.

Av 50 seeds

Purple-Loosestrife Perennial
Lythrum salicaria
Hgt 60 - 120cm Flowers June to August
Redish purple flowers in dense spikes. Habitat A waterside plant, marshes, fens and wetland areas.

Av 2,000 seeds

Ragged-Robin Perennial
Lychnis flos-cuculi
Hgt 25 - 100cm Flowers May to July
Ragged Robin, deep pink flowers. Attractive wild flower of the old damp meadows, now seen more frequently in cultivated gardens. Habitat marshes and wetland areas.
1 gram approx 4,000 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Restharrow Common Perennial
Ononis repens
Hgt 30 - 60cm Flowers June to September
Wild Liquorice
Common Rest Harrow grows in rough grass areas, scented pink flowers attract wildlife. Habitat meadows and walls. Roots used to be used cooked or raw as a liquorice substitute, young shoots used as a vegetable. Herbal uses for kidney disorders and gallstones.
Scarify or pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow the seed in the middle of spring in situ. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in the autumn Prefers a sunny spot in well drained neutral to alkaline soil.
1 gram approx 200 seeds
Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Ribwort Plantain Perennial
Plantago lanceolata
Hgt up to 45cm Flowers April to August
Habitat grasslands and cultivated ground.

Av 600 seeds

Rose Dog Shrub deciduous
Rosa canina - Dog Rose, Wild Rose, Brier Rose
Quite a useful herb the fruit is used raw or cooked, the syrup as a nutritional suppliment, the dried leaves as a substitute for tea. Petals are used either raw or cooked. Medicinal uses for treating colds, diseases and infections. Sow seed in autumn, cold stratification (10-12 weeks) is required the seed is slow and erratic to germinate, one not to give up on.

Av 50 seeds

Rough Hawkbit Perennial
Leontodon hispidus
Hgt to 0.5m Flowers June to September
Yellow flowered similar to the dandelion, good for attracting wildlife. Prefers full sun.

Av 1,000 seeds

Sainfoin Perennial
Onobrychis sativa - Cocks head, Cocks comb
Hgt to 100cm Flowers May to July
Plant forms clumps with tall stems, conical spikes of bright pink flowers. Habitat meadows and banks normally on chalk and limestone.

Av 55 seeds

Samphire Sea Perennial
Crithmum maritimum - Rock Samphire, Sea Fennel, height 15-30cm
Flowers from June to August. Leaves and seed pods are used, leaves used in salads and pickled in vinegar and spices, or often cooked in butter. The plant has a reputation for helping weight loss. Medicinally used for treating obesity and kidney complaints also aids digestion. Sow seed in cold frame autumn or spring, lightly cover the seed, grow on in pots and plant out in the summer. Prefers a dry well drained soil in full sun sheltered from cold winds, benefits from a salty soil. Habitat grows in rock crevices, rocky shores, shingle beaches.

£2.35 Av 45 seeds

Scabious Devils-Bit Perennial
Succisa Pratensis - Devils Bit Scabious
Hgt 25 - 100cm Flowers July to September
Bluish Purple rounded flower heads. Habitat marshes and wet grassland. Butterfly nectar plant and caterpillar food plant. A medicinal herb used to make an infusion to treat coughs and the herb has also been used as a diuretic. The raw leaves can be added to salads or cooked but it can cause problems, as the plant contains saponins, tannin and glycoside.
1 gram approx 700 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£10.00 Av 10 gram pkt

Scabious Field Biennial/Perennial
Knautia arvensis - Field Scabious
Hgt 30 - 100cm Flowers July to October
A biennial plant or short lived perennial. Flowers Bluish lilac. Old herbal remedy to treat scabies. Habitat grassland, open woods and hedge-banks.

Av 125 seeds

Scabious, Small Perennial
Scabiosa columbaria - Small Scabious, Pigeon's Scabious
Hgt 50 - 80cm Flowers July to September
Lilac flowers. Habitat dry pastures and banks. The flowers are a good nectar food for bees.
1 gram approx 500 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£9.25 Av 10 gram pkt

Scarlet Pimpernel Annual
Anagallis arvensis subsp.arvensis
Hgt 6 - 30cm Flowers June to August
Origin Somerset. Scarlet Pimpernel, beautiful coloured scarlet flowers with a purple eye in pairs that close in the afternoon. Also known as poor mans weather glass as the flowers only fully open in sunshine. Habitat waste ground cultivated ground and sand dunes. One of the few scarlet wild flowers.

Av 500 seeds

Sea Holly Perennial
Eryngium martinum
Hgt 40cm Flowers June to September
Wildflower modern day herb. Spiny leaved clump forming evergreen perennial from coastal areas, blue green leaves veined silvery white, purple flowers on a teasel like head. Habitat coastal areas and is now more common in the rock garden. The plant is used for herbal remedies. Attracts butterflies and bees. Sow autumn in cold frame or early spring, slow to germinate.

£2.75 Av 15 seedst

Self Heal Perennial
Prunella Vulgaris - Heal All, All Heal, Selfheal
Self heal a small perennial with blue-violet flowers appearing during summer at the top of the stems. Has a long history as a Chinese medicinal herb, known mainly as a wound herb in Europe. Medicinal uses include treatment for wounds, cuts, bruises, sores, ulcers, diarrhoea and fevers. Culinary uses include salads, stews, casseroles and soups and a drink can be made from the leaves.

£1.45 Av 500 seeds

Shamrock Located here

Shepherds Needle Annual
Scandix pecten veneris
Hgt 0.5m Flowers April to July
Shepherds Needle was once a common species in our hedgerows, but now rarely seen. The name comes from the needle like fruits. The plant is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Seed has not been collected from the wild. Seed is long light brown and shaped like a curved needle, at the blunt end the seed is black and striped up to 1cm long with very fine barbs that attach to animals and clothing.
1 gram approx 50 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

Shepherds Purse Annual
Capsella bursa-pastoris - Witches pouches, Pick-pocket
Hgt 0.3m Flowers April to July
Shepherds purse named due to the delicate purse shaped seed capsules. The plant is used in domestic remedies. The leaves are rich in vitamins, used as a medicinal herb and also in Chinese medicine.
1 gram 5-7,000 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Skullcap Perennial
Scutellaria galericulata
Hgt 30 - 50cm Flowers June to September
Seed origin Norfolk. Blue flowers with a white spotted lip. An elegant plant whose natural habitat is riversides marshy places, damp woods, margins of rivers and streams.

Av 350 seeds

Sneezewort Perennial
Achillia ptarmica - Sneeze-wort, pearlwort, pearl yarrow, Sneezeweed
Hgt 60cm Flowers June to October
Attractive white to cream scented flowers, ideal for the garden border. Leaves of sneeze-wort were once ground and used for sneezing powder. Habitat meadows.
1 gram approx 5,000 seeds
Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Snowdrop Perennial
Galanthus nivalis - European
Hgt 20cm Flowers February to March
Snowdrops 'The Flower of Hope' may or may not be a British native wildflower but it has been around for a very long time probably naturalized here, growing in moist areas in woodlands, woodland edge and by streams. Snow drops are now seen in many gardens and they prefer a moist loamy soil and a shady site, likes to grow in grass under shrubs and trees.

£1.50 Av 20 seeds

Soapwort Perennial
Saponaria officinalis - Bouncing Bet
Hgt 30 - 100cm Flowers June to September
Pale pink flower, spreads readily by runners. An old cottage garden plant was once used for washing prior to soap. Habitat Hedgerows, waysides and damp woods.
1 gram approx 650 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Sow Thistle Edible
Sonchus Oleraceus - Smooth Sow-thistle, annual sowthistle
Hgt to 1m Flowers June to August
Wildflower with bright yellow flowers, habitat moist soils in sun on cultivated ground, roadsides and waste areas. Medicinal and culinary herb that was once used as a pot herb and edible parts include root, leaves and stem and also used in Chinese cookery.
1 gram approx 3,000 seeds

Av 0.5 gram pkt

Sow thistle perennial Perennial
Sonchus arvensis - Corn Sow-thistle, Creeping sow thistle, field sow-thistle
Hgt to 1.4m Flowers late July to October
Bright golden yellow flowers with prickly oblong to spear shaped leaves, cultivated ground, field margins, river banks. The large flowers are loved by bees, bumble bees and many insects.
1 gram approx 2,500 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Spear Leaved Orache Perennial
Atriplex prostrata - Thin Leaved or Triangle Orach
Hgt medium tall to prostrate. Flowers July to September
Spear shaped leaves, green stems that redden with age. Habitat waste ground, arable land, shingle, cultivated land, roadsides, coastal areas. Sow throughout the growing season.

Av 40 seeds

Speedwell Common Perennial
Veronica officinalis - Heath Speedwell, Veronica
Ornamental herb, Flowers from May to August. A popular herb from the middle ages. Not used in herbal medicine today but was once used for many ailments from infections to the throat, colds, liver and stomach complaints. Leaves used to make a tea and dried leaves are added to tea blends. Sow autumn in cold frame. Grow in well drained soil in full sun to partial shade.

£1.35 Av 1,000 seeds

St.Johns-Wort
common or perforate Harmful if eaten Perennial
Hypericum perforatum - Makes the skin sensitive to sunlight.
Hgt 30 - 90cm Flowers June to August
St. Johns-Wort has deep yellow flowers in spreading clusters. Is still used today in some medicines, homeopathy for inflammation and pain. Magical powers of divination, health, strength and love. Habitat grassland, woods and waste land. Grow in sun or partial shade.
1 gram approx 9,000 seeds

Av 1 gram pkt

£8.50 Av 10 gram pkt

Strawberry, Wild Perennial
Fragaria vesca - Wild Strawberry
Hgt 5 - 30cm Flowers April to July
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca White flowers and small red juicy fruits. Low spreading the fruits are small sweet and juicy with a delicate strawberry scent a great delicacy, smaller than the garden strawberry, juicer and tastier. Habitat woodland and hedgerows. Erratic and slow to germinate.

Av 550 seeds

Sweet Vernal Grass Perennial
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Sweet scented grass can be used in the wildflower garden. An aromatic herb used medicinally to relieve pain and spasms, the aromatic leaves used in pot-pourri. Sow spring onwards.
1 gram approx 1,400 seeds

£1.55 Av 1 gram pkt

Sweet Violet Perennial
Viola odorata - Native European
Hgt 5 - 10cm Flowers February to May
Fragrant flowers of white, violet, lilac or pink. A favourite in cottage gardens. Habitat hedges and woodlands. A medicinal, culinary, aromatic and Magical herb. magical powers include luck, love, lust, peace, healing and wishes. Young leaves and flower buds used raw or cooked, leaves have a mild flavour best used young in salads, thickening soups. Flowers used raw, as a decoration for deserts and salads having a sweet delicate perfume. Sweet Violet prefers partial or dappled shade.

Av 500 seeds

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Cultural information for Individual wild flower species

Sowing time all year round with best results sowing either March to early May, or from August to September, for autumn establishment of most species).
Most wild flowers can easily be sown in one of two ways:
1/ Broadcast directly onto a carefully prepared, weed free seed bed. Germinate fine seeds on the surface: lightly rake in larger seeds. After sowing the area should be firmed to ensure the seed comes into contact with the moisture in the soil. Water with a fine spray to avoid disturbing the surface of the soil. Keep the area well watered and free from grass and weeds. As the seedlings grow some thinning out will be necessary, especially with the more vigorous species. Use the area as a source of plant material by transplanting to other beds.
2/ Sow into pots or trays of seed compost, place outdoors or in a sunny room. cold frame or cool greenhouse. Prick out and pot up into potting compost when large enough to handle. Pot grown plants develop excellent root systems which enable them to establish rapidly when planted out in their final position at the end of the growing season.

Special treatment for wild flower seeds

Scarification :- The germination of some seeds is greatly improved by rubbing the seeds lightly between two sheets of sandpaper. this enables the moisture in the soil to penetrate the seed coat.
Species that benefit from this treatment are:- Burnet, Salad; Clovers; Crane's-bills; Liquorice Wild; Medic Black; Melilots; rock Rose; Restharrows; Trefoils; Vetches and other members of the pea family.

Stratification :- A number of seeds have to be subjected to a period of cold during winter before germination takes place in the spring. You can provide the period of cold by adding the seed to damp sand and putting it in a plastic bag in the fridge for 6-8 weeks. Or sow them in a cold frame in the autumn.
Species that benefit from this technique are :- Bellflower clustered, Bluebell, Burnet-Saxifrage, Carrot Wild, Cowslip, Honeysuckle, Lords & Ladies, Mignonette, Ramsons, oxlip, Primrose, Violets, Weld and all Sedges.