Wild Plants Archives - Saratoga Seed

Wild Senna, senna hebecarpa, Seeds

admin — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:00:31 +0000

Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) is a robust perennial native to the eastern United States, known for its bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers that bloom from July to August. Reaching heights of 3 to 6 feet, this plant features finely textured, dark green, pinnately compound leaves that turn a brilliant golden yellow in the fall. In autumn, it produces long, flat seed pods that add visual interest and serve as a food source for birds. Wild Senna thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8, making it well-suited for a variety of garden settings.

https://saratogaseed.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/wildSennaSaratogaSeed.mp4

Seed Planting Instructions:

Seed Preparation: Wild Senna seeds have a hard coat that requires scarification to promote germination. Lightly rub the seeds with sandpaper or soak them in hot water (approximately 175°F) for 10 minutes, then continue soaking them overnight at room temperatu
Cold Stratification: To break seed dormancy, mix the scarified seeds with moist sand and place them in a ziplock bag. Alternate between refrigeration and freezing: one day in the refrigerator, followed by one day in the freezer. Repeat this cycle for a week.
Indoor Sowing: Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow seeds just below the soil surface in pots, maintaining consistent moisture.
Transplanting: Once seedlings have developed and the danger of frost has passed, transplant them outdoors, spacing plants 2 to 3 feet apart to accommodate their mature size.
Direct Sowing: Alternatively, sow scarified seeds directly outdoors in the fall, planting them just below the soil surface. This allows natural cold stratification over winter, with germination occurring in spring.

plants.usda.gov

Wild Senna prefers full sun to partial shade and thrives in rich, loamy soils but is adaptable to sandy, clay, and rocky conditions. It is tolerant of both moist and dry soils, making it a versatile addition to various landscapes. Beyond its ornamental appeal, Wild Senna serves as a host plant for several butterfly species and attracts a variety of pollinators, enhancing the ecological value of your garden.

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Tiarella Cordifolia, Wild Native Foamflower

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 04:19:44 +0000

Tiarella cordifolia, also known as foamflower or false miterwort, is a wildflower native to the eastern United States that blooms in the spring. It’s a perennial plant that can grow up to 14 inches tall and has heart-shaped leaves with sharp teeth. In late spring, it produces clusters of beautiful white flowers. This plant naturalizes well through underground rhizomes, and is a great choice for a ground cover in a woodland, or natural garden.

Botanical Name: Tiarella cordifolia

Common Names: Foam Flower, Allegheny foamflower, false miterwort, or coolwort.

Plant Information
Zones: 4-8
Ship Season: Mid-April through late Fall
Ships as: Bareroot 2+ year old plants
Soil: Well drained. Will tolerate poor soils.
Sun: Part or Full Shade
Bloom Time: Spring

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Wild Ginger Plants, Asarum canadense, Live Plants

admin — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 03:21:49 +0000

This handsome, fragrant plant creates a striking groundcover at the base of tall trees in woodland gardens, since the large heart-shaped leaves create a low, solid, dark green carpet. The flowers are barrel-shaped, nodding under the leaves with three reddish-brownish triangular petals. Like many other plants with attractive leaves, this famous wildflower is grown almost exclusively for its decorative foliage. As for the common name, this eastern woodland plant is no relation to the culinary gingers, which are tropical plants. Wild ginger spreads somewhat rapidly and is a favorite feature in fine, shaded wildflower collections, often used as a contrast companion plant for more showy species such as maidenhair, trilliums and violets.

Botanical Name: Asarum canadense

Striking, dark green heart-shaped leaves up to 6″ diameter
Unusual reddish flower in Spring, hidden beneath foliage
6″-12″ height, great groundcover
Naturalizes well
Evergreen leaves
Shipped as mature, live bareroot plants
Shipping Now!
Zones 4,5,6,7

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Wild Strawberry Plants, Fragaria vesca, ssp. vesca

admin — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 20:11:20 +0000

Wild Strawberry Plants for Sale: Fragaria vesca ssp. vesca

Live Plants Ship Spring 2026

Looking for a low-growing edible groundcover that’s genuinely worth eating? Woodland/alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is the “tiny fruit, huge flavor” strawberry—pretty white flowers and small red berries with a true wild-strawberry aroma.

What you’ll receive

Live bareroot plants (our listing: “bareroot 2+ year old plants”) ready for transplanting during the shipping window.
Plants that spread by stolons/runners over time to fill in, especially when you plant multiple starts.

Why gardeners plant wild strawberries

Edible groundcover: a living mulch that can edge paths and soften bed borders.
Ornamental value: trifoliate green leaves + white flowers with yellow centers.
Flavor tradition: wild strawberries are widely regarded as superior-flavored and used in culinary traditions like patisserie (even though they’re not grown commercially at scale because the berries are small).

Planting and care

☀️ Sun: Full sun to part shade (more sun = better fruiting for most gardeners).
🌱 Soil: Humusy/fertile, medium moisture, well-drained.
🪴 Planting bareroot: Set the crown correctly at soil level and spread roots out (avoid bending/crowding).
🌿 Spread: Expect runners; harvest fruit to reduce self-seeding.

Plant quick facts

☀️ Sun: Full sun → part shade
💧 Water: Medium
❄️ Zones: 3–8 (this listing)
📏 Height: 3–9 in
↔️ Spread: 9–12 in (plus runners)
🌸 Bloom: May–Aug; white

Our guarantee

If you’re not happy with the health and vitality of your plants, Saratoga Seed’s return policy describes replacement at no cost when notified within 14 days of delivery (no return or shipping charges).

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