Exotic Seeds: Rare Veg, Ethnobotanicals and Desert Plants

You've got one greenhouse shelf, six trays of space, and no interest in growing another beefsteak tomato. That's the job this part of the seedshop does. Half of these 23 packs are kitchen-garden seed from Mexico, Japan and West Africa, the other half is ethnobotanical seed for growers who keep a species because it's rare, slow and odd to look at.

So What Makes a Seed "Exotic" Around Here?

Nothing mystical. It means the plant isn't a rack staple in Europe, and it usually wants more warmth and better drainage than a courgette. Four rough groups sit on this page. Fruit and veg you can eat, like Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) seeds and Kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus) seeds. Asian leafy greens like Amsoi Red mustard seeds, komatsuna and the Mixed Asian Greens pack. Ornamentals, which here means the Japanese Flower Carpet mix, sown in April for a summer show. And ethnobotanical and desert species: green Mormon tea, ma huang, khat, kanna, peyote seed, Nicotiana rustica and Nicotiana tabacum, all grown here for the plant itself.

Strange Fruit and Peppery Leaves for the Veg Patch

The kiwano is the one people remember: spiny orange shell, green jelly inside that tastes somewhere between lemon and banana. Bitter gourd earns its name, so treat it as a cooking vegetable and put it with fish or meat instead of eating it raw. Tomatillo comes in papery husks and wants full sun plus regular organic feeding. Pumpkin on a Stick gives you fruit you can cook or drop into a vase, and Artichoke 'Violet de Provence' keeps coming back as long as you cover the crown in winter. On the tomato side there's Cocktail 'Thai Pink Egg' and Indigo Rose. If you'd rather grow a striped heirloom, Tigerella is red with orange streaks and ready in 55 to 60 days. Stevia, Garlic Chives and Lemon Apple Cucumber cover the flavour end. Not sure where to start? The Zammi's Farm Exotic Seed Pack bundles Pumpkin on a Stick, Kiwano, Lemon Apple Cucumber, Tomatillo, Garlic Chives and Indigo Rose in one box.

Ephedra and Ma Huang: Same Genus, Two Different Shrubs

Plenty of people search for ma huang seed and land here, so plainly: both Ephedra species are on this page. Ephedra sinica (ma huang) is the Asian one. Green Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis) is the American Southwest one, found wild on rocky slopes and gravel terraces between 800 and 2500 metres. Both come as 20-seed packs. Sow no deeper than 5 mm in well-drained soil cut with sand, keep it warm, and expect sprouts in around two weeks. Watch out for how uneven that germination is, some seeds turn up late, so don't write off a quiet tray after a fortnight. Ephedra is dioecious, so each plant is either male or female. Grow several from the pack if you want a mixed group. Mature plants are broomlike evergreens, 0.3 to 1.5 metres, with rigid yellow-green jointed stems doing the photosynthesis instead of leaves.

Desert Seed and the Slow Stuff

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) seed sits at the patient end. It wants a mineral mix, roughly 50% sand, 25% grit or bims and 25% potting soil, a minimum of 10°C and as much direct sun as you can hand it, and it stays low and globular for years. If you'd rather watch a cactus actually gain height, San Pedro (Echinopsis pachanoi) is the faster columnar option. Khat is a different job: seeds sprout inside a week in a free-draining cactus mix, but the seedlings are prone to fungus, so water only once the mix has dried out and keep them bright but out of harsh sun. Repot at 5-10 cm into compost and perlite.

Where We'd Start

First tray of your life, Tomatillo and Amsoi Red. Building a collection, the two Ephedra packs.