Links: Suppliers

Plants For A Future does not run a catalogue. We have compiled this list to help people find plants, however it is rather out of date and some of the nurseries may no longer be running.

You can also try our Forum or yahoo group to ask questions about plant supplies.

Favorites

Plants For A Future is not currently running a catalogue, we are however working with partner nurseries who can supply many of the plants mention on this site. If you would be interested in becoming a partner nursery then please get in touch.

Cool Temperate Nurseries
45, Stamford Street, Awsworth, Notts NG16 2QL
Tel & Fax: 0115 916 2673 Email: phil.corbett@cooltemperate.co.uk
Supply many trees supplied on their own rootstock

B & T World Seeds
Paguignan, 34210 Olonzac, France
An amazing list of over 45,000 species and varieties downloadable from the web.

Edulis Nurseries
Phone: 01635 578113 / 07802 812781. (UK)
Email: info@edulis.co.uk
Perennial veg and Forest Gardens

Where to look for suppliers

In a ideal world we would have our catalogue up and running and you would be able to get all the plants you want from us. Unfortunately we're looking for people to run the catalogue right now. In the meantime here are a few few starting points.

Have a look at the list of groups running Heritage Seeds/Seed Saver programs on the main links page.

Cornucopia an excellent book which lists lots of suppliers of every type of plant you could imagine. US only. Available from Yankee Permaculture Publications (see below) and lots of other sources.

In the UK try the Royal Horticultural Society's The Plant Finder will tell you all you need to know. This is available as a book on CD-ROM and also on the web.

Also in the UK the Henry Doubleday Research Association publish The Fruit and Veg Finder which complements the plant finder and concentrates on hard to find varieties. (HDRA, National Centre for Organic Gardening, Ryton on Dunsmore, COVENTRY, CV8 3LG. Tel. (01203) 303517)

And then theres The Seed Search has details of where you can get 43,000 different seeds. Worldwide but UK based. (UPDATE: The link does not work anymore. A book is available here.

The Permaculture Activist has a big list of Seed Resources and Plant Nurseries. US only. Includes Open Pollinated and Organic seeds.

University of Minnesota's Plant Information Online has a database of US nursaries which supply each plant.

Permanent Publications Classified Adverts Have a few UK based seed and plant suppliers.

The The Garden Seed Inventory editor, Kent Whealy, of which the Essential Whole Earth Catalogue says "This is an alphabetical listing of each and every variety of non-hybrid vegetable seed for sale by seed houses in the US and Canada. That's 5,785 varieties from 239 wholesale and retail seed companies". unfortunately it's now out of print, but you might be able to find a copy.

New Plant Page Put together by the New Ornamentals Society, this list a whole stack of new cultivars of ornamental plants, with links to of suppliers and links to articles about the plants.

ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organisation) is a Christian group who supply small quantities of seeds which are normally not commercially available. They only supply to third world development organisations though, but they do have a list of other seed sources.

Seed and Plant Sources A host of emails compiled from various mailing lists about places to get seeds and all sorts of exotic plants.

Yankee Permaculture Publications publish a database, available on disk or as print-out called the Permaculture Supplier List with 887+ entries. About 2/3 of which suppliers of plant propagation materials such as seeds, root-stocks, container plants, bare-root stock, etc. Lots of other more specific info as well.

GardenNet has a large list of US based garden catalogues.

Other organisations which may be worth trying to contact include the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX), Northern Nut Growers Assn (NNGA) and the Temperate Bamboo Quarterly (TBQ) Bamboo Yellow Pages. (Thanks to Yankee PP for this).

A possible place to start is: The Andersen's Horticultural Library's Source List of Plants and Seeds. Andersen Horticultural Library, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive Box 39, Chanhassen, MN 55317 Lists approximately 59,000 plants and seeds from 450 retail & wholesale outlets in the US and Canada willing to ship interstate. Book costs dollars 39.95 (Thanks to S.C.Webb for this).

Not quite plants but Suppliers of Beneficial Organisms in North America list 143 commercial suppliers of 130 beneficial organisms, soon to be searchable on the web.

In Holland try Flowerweb which has lots of dutch importers exporters and growers, who all have web sites. Didn't spot any interesting plants though.

Gardening-uk Big list of on-line catalogues.

HerbNET's SOURCE list Info on a few suppliers of herbs.

www.backyardgardener.com has a plant finder facility on their website

Catalogues

Heres some catalogues which people have recommended, and others I have found on the web and some thaken from the PFAF book. All this information is unfortunately rather out of date.

UK

Note if you live in the US and are thinking of ordering plants from the UK its best to check if they have a licence to export to the US, otherwise they will need to jump through all sort of hoops and get Phyto-sanitry certificates and such like.

Chase Organics: Everything for the Organic Gardner UK based, organic seeds & plants. Linked to the HDRA.; The Organic Garden Catalogue, Coomland Hoses, Addlestone, Surry, KT15 1HY. Tel 01932 820958
Agroforestry Research Trust: Have lots of plants and seeds of interest to the permaculturalist.
Future Foods: Fairly good range of roots, fruits, mushrooms, greens and grains.
Nutwood Nurseries: Have many nut trees including Monkey Puzzle; School Farm, Onneley, Nr Crewe, Chesire, CW3 9QJ England. Tel +44 1782 750913.
Thomas Etty Esq Heritage Seedsman & Bulb Merchant.: The new seed catalogue contains over 500 heritage vegetable varieties listed from medieval times until 1950. They also list flowering plants for the same period. Their list of heritage flowering bulbs also covers the period 1440 to 1950.
Jekkas Herb Farm: Herbs: Complete Herb List.
The Willow Bank: Lots of willows, plus some information about all their uses.

Buckingham Nurseries: Seem to have a good range. Especially good for hedging plants/Trees.
Terre de Semences: 1400 varieties of Organic Seeds, very committed to organics and bio-diversity.

Plant Sources

The following are mentioned in the Plants For A Future book.

Arbor Exotica: The Estate Office, Hall Farm, Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire, CB1 5PE. (01223) 290328.; Many Trees including Juglans ailanthifolia cordiformis and Zanthoxylum americana.
Burncoose and South Down Nurseries: Gwennap, Redruth, Cornwall, TR16 6BJ. (01209) 861112.; Very good general range with many unusual species.
Cally Gardens: Gatehouse of Fleet, Castle Douglas, Scotland, DG7 2DJ.; Unusual perennials and some rare shrubs including Aralia cordata and Cyperus esulantus
Drysdale Gardens Exotics: Bowerwood Road, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1BN. (01425) 653010.; A good range of Exotics, including Ephedra spp. and a huge range of Bamboos.
Greenway Gardens: Churchston Ferrers, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0ES. (01803) 842382.; Smilax aspera plus many unusual trees, especially from South America.
Hall Farm Nursery: Harpswell, Gainsbrough, Lincolnshire, DN21 5UU. (01427) 668412; Wide range of shrubs and trees including Berberis lycium and Crataegus arnoldiana.
Hardy Exotics: Gilly Lane, Whitecross, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8BZ. (01736) 740660.; A good range of plants for mild countries, there is also a more limited range for gardens nationwide.
Hartshall Nursery Stock: Hartshall Farm, Walsham-le-Willows, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 3BY. (01359) 259238.; Wide range of trees and shrubs including Malus baccata mandschurica and Pinus cembroides.
Hoecroft Plants: Severals Grange, Wood Norton, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 5BL. (01362) 844206.; 170 species and cultivars of grasses including Elymus canadensis.
Jacques Amand Ltd: The Nurseries, Clamp Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 3JS. (0181) 954 8138.; Rare and unusual bulbous plants including Dentaria diphylla, Lilium species and Streptopus roseus.
Jungle Giants: Jungle Giants Ferney Nurseries Onibury Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 9BJ tel: 01584 856200.; An excellent range of bamboos.
Kenwith Nursery: The Old Rectory, Littleham, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5HW. (01237) 473752.; Good range of conifers including Pinus albicaulis.
Kingsfield Conservation Nursery: Broadenham Lane, Winsham, Chard, Somerset, TR20 4JF. (01460) 30070.; Native plants and seeds inc. Conopodium majus and Glyceria fluitans.
Langthorn's Plantery: High Cross Lane West, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1TD. (01371) 872611.; A wide range of plants inc. Fagopyrum dibotrys and Lycium barbarum
Mallet Court Nursery: Curry Mallet, Tauton, Somerset, TA3 6SY. (01823) 480748.; A wide range of trees and shrubs inc. Cephalotaxus harringtonia nana.
Mickfield Fish and Watergarden Centre: Debenham Road, Mickfield, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5LP. (01449) 766425.; Pond and bog garden plants inc. Zizania aquatica.
Mount Pleasant Trees: Rockhampton, Berkeley, Gloucestershitre, GL13 9DU. (01454) 260348.; An excellent range of trees inc. Crataegus azerolus and many cultivars of Ginkgo biloba. This nursery produces very high quality native trees for woodland planting.
Mrs Susan Cooper: Firlands Cottage, Bishop's Frome, Worcestershire, WR6 5BA. (01885) 490358.; Many rare and unusual trees inc. Gleditsia japonica, Pinus armandii and P. cembra edulis.
Poyntzfield Herb Nursery: Balblair, Black Isle, By Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland, IV7 8LX. (01381) 610352.; An excellent range of herbs, medicinal plants and seeds.
Read Nursery: Hales Hall, Loddon, Norfolk, NR14 6QW. (01508) 46395.; Excellent range of Citrus fruits and other uncommon plants inc. Bomarea edulis.
Salley Gardens: Flat 3, 3 Millicent Road, West Bridgeford, Nottingham, NG2 7LD. (01602) 821366.; An excellent range of herbs and medicinal plants inc. Asclepias species and Osmorhiza claytonnii.
Spinners: Boldre, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 5QE.; A wide range of plants, their list has included a hermaphrodite form of Actinidia deliciosa, Dioscorea japonica, Diospyrus lotus, D. virginianna, Hydrangea serrata amagianna and Smilax china.
Stone House Cottage Nurseries: Stone, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4BG. (01562) 69902.; A good range of climbing plants which can be seen growing in their gardens.
Thornhays Nursery: St. Andrew's Wood, Dulford, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 2DF. (01884) 266746.; A good range of fruiting trees including Crataegus arnoldiana, C. durobrivensis, C. schraderiana, Sorbus devoniensis and many West Country apple varieties.
Trevor Scott: Thorp Park Cottage, Thorp-le-Soken, Essex, CO16 0HN. (01255) 861308.; A good range of grasses inc. Beckmannia cruciformis, Elymus canadensis and Hierochloe odorata.
Westwood Nursery: 65 Yorkland Avenue, Welling, Kent, DA16 2LE. (0181) 301 0886.; Hardy orchids.
The Royal Horticultural Society's Plant Centre: RHS Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surry, GU23 6QB. (01483) 211 113.; A wide and constantly changing range of plants.

Seed Sources

These seed sources have also been taken from the Plants For A Future book.

B & T World Seeds: Paguignan, 34210 Olonzac, France; Also a UK office: Sally Holt, Little Whitnell, Nether Stowey, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 1JE.; An amazing list of over 45,000 species and varieties downloadable from the web.
B & D Davies: 2 Wirrel View, Connah's Quay, Deeside, Clwyd, Wales CH5 4TE.; An execllent range of coniferous trees.
Chiltern Seeds: Bortree Stile, Ulverstone, Cumbria, LA12 7PB.; Over 4,000 species of plants in a descriptive catalogue.
Chris Chadwell Seeds: 81 Paraunt Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL3 8BE.; A botanist who can supply a range of seeds from various countries in the world. It is also possible to obtain wild-collected seeds by subscribing to one of his expeditions.
Future Foods: PO box 1564, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4DP.; This company specialises in alternative food plants and have an excellent range of seeds and tubers.
Alpine Garden Society: AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3JP.; An excellent seed list available to members.
Hardy Plant Society: Little Orchard, Great Comberton, Near Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3DP.; An excellent seed list available to members.

USA

Richters Herbs: Have been doing mailorder herbs for 40 years and we publish an annual catalogue, approved to ship herb seeds and plants throughout both Canada and the U.S.
Pure Land Ethnobotanicals: Pure Land, 2310 S. Green Bay Rd., Suite C-PMB-163, Racine, WI 53405-4954,; A large herbarium supplying seeds, including over 200 rare species. Also supply extracts and essential oils.
Future Forest Nursery: 60 odd trees suitable for agroforestry. Lots of seeds as well.
Perennial vegetables Seed Company: P.O. Box 608, Belchertown MA 01007 | (413) 529-0678
Has a good selection of about 100 Perennial vegetables seed.
Oregon Exotics Nursery: 1065 Messinger Road, Grants Pass, Oregon 97527 USA
Tel: 1-(541) 846-7578 Fax: 1-(541) 846-9488
Lots of unusual fruits including Chinese fruit trees, Himalayan food crops etc.
American Rock Garden Society: PO Box 67, Milwood, New York, 10546; An excellent seed list available to members.
Horizon Herbs: Lots of Medicinal/Ayurvedic/Chinese herb seeds
Abundant Life Seed Foundation: Open Pollinated seed, inc heirlooms, medicinal herbs, Pacific North West Natives. Non-profit and into seed saving.; P.O. Box 722, Port Towsend, WA 98368. Tel (360) 385-5660
Nichols Garden Nursery: Herbs, Rare Seeds and Wildflowers; 1190, North Pacific Highway, Albany, Oregon, 97321-4580. Tel (541) 928-9280
Burpee Heirlooms: Hairloom Vegtables & Flower seeds; 300 Park Avenue, Warminster, PA 18991-0008. Tel 1-800-888-1447
River View Herbs: Lots of Herbs; Maitland Greenhouses, P.O. Box 92, Maitland, Hants County, NS, BON 1TO. Tel (902) 261-2274
One Green World: 28696 S Cramer Rd. Molalla, OR 97038-8576 Phone # 503-651-3005 FAX # 800-418-9983; has several different varieties of Sea Buckthorn (they call them Sea Berry), Medlars, Quinces, Pawpaws, Persimmons, Aronias, Cornelian Cherries, Goumis, Honeyberries (Lonicera kamchatika), Kiwis, Magnolia Vine, and so on.
Seeds of Change: provide organic open-pollinated seeds for veg, herbs and edible flowers. Nothing particularly exotic though.
St Lawrence Nurseries: Offer Northern Climate Fruit and Nut Trees, again useful for US visitors.
The Great Exotic Seed Company: This seed company has all sorts of unusual varieties that are hard to find anywhere else; P. O. Box 37 Mt. Mourne, NC 28123 Phone: (704) 559-5978
Stokes Tropicals: Banana's, Ginger, Pineapples. More concentration on ornimental rather that edible uses.
Lewis Bamboo Grove: Cold Hardy Bamboo.
Forestfarm Plants: A good range of edible and medicinal plants including many of our favorites and plants for erosion control, ground cover and hedging.

Elsewhere

New Zealand PlantFinder: Lets you search many different NZ plant catalogues for plants.
Ben Gaia: New Zealand supplier who's got some interesting trees and New Zealand native rain-forest plants.
Native Nursery: Has a good selection of Australian Native Plants
Daley's Nursery: Offers "one of the largest and most diverse ranges of Subtropical Fruit and Nut trees in Australia. The stock line also includes rainforest and regeneration tubestock and ornamental flowering trees."
Magic Garden Seeds: Mit unserer Website möchten wir Ihnen interessante Pflanzen vorstellen, die in verschiedenen Kulturen eine bedeutenden Rolle spielen und spielten. Das können Heilkräuter aus dem Amazonasgebiet sein oder eine bedrohte regionale Kohlsorte aus Norddeutschland. In unsere, Online-Shop finden Sie eine Vielzahl ethnobotanischer Raritäten - Heil- und Zauberpflanzen rare Gemüsearten...

Herbs and Spices

The following sell the end product rather than the plants or seeds. Hambleden Herbs Court Farm, Milverton, Somerset. TA4 1NF. United Kingdom Tel : (01823) 401205 Fax : (01823) 401001 E-mail : info@hambledenherbs.co.uk

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