Blackbird's Wild Harvested + Organic Superfood Seed Collection includes 13 varieties of seeds carefully chosen for their rich nutrient content and strong life-force energy. Being wild, they are vigorous and easier to grow. So grow your own - and know that Blackbird is doing the same by using our profits to create Organic Garden Projects.
Box Set including all 13 Varieties -Certified Organically Grown $49.00
Jump Ahead into Spring with $5 Off to our Newsletter Members!
Individual Seed Packs - Currently 13 Varieties
'How To' Library - More Coming Weekly:
Vol 1 - All About Growing Goji Berries - Photos - Video
Vol 2 - All About Growing Holy Basil - Video
Storing Your Seeds - Video
Why Seeds - Article RawModel.com
Download - Superfood Planting Guide
Thousands of years of Chinese herbalism can’t be wrong. This perennial really shines in average soils with good drainage, so where the pickier plants won’t make it - astragalus has a good shot. Highly-prized for its medicinal and culinary benefits. We like to use it as a dried powder in teas, or better yet - using the whole root and making an “immunity soup”. Bees love the flowers and it will grow to about 4 feet tall.
AstragalusAstragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) seeds, organic:(Huang-qi) Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
Hardiness: -15° F Taprooted herbaceous perennial native to China. King of tonic herbs. It is an anabolic immunostimulant, that may be dried and ground up, then used for making tea, decoction, or tincture. As a fresh root, may be boiled in soup to release its life-supportive essence.
Plant is a sturdy survivor, and prefers full sun, average soil, and good drainage. Scarify seed lightly, and use rhizobium inoculant. Tiny seeds are pressed into the soil surface. Tamp securely and keep evenly moist, warm and in the light for germination. Direct seed in early spring. Good cold soil germinator and a poor warm soil germinator. Germ in 3 to 10 days. Thin to 6 inches apart. Plants flower yellow-white to 4 feet tall.
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 70°F
Days to Germ.: 14-21
Plant Spacing: 1'-2'
Days to Maturity: Perennial
Full Sun
Moderate Water
Burdock - 30 Seeds $5.00
One of the most under-valued plants that deserve gold medals all around, the burdock is a true winner when in comes to accumulating nutrients and providing ground cover in poor soil. The roots are highly medicinal. We like to use them in soups, stir fry, or even juices. We see it as a “medicinal carrot” and has been known for millennia for its blood-cleansing properties. Since it heals both our bodies and the soil, we are honored to be offering the seeds of this great plant.
Burdock, Gobo (Arctium lappa) seeds, organic: (Niu-bang)
Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
Biennial native to temperate Europe and Asia. Extraordinary nutritive and blood-cleansing properties, used in combination with dandelion as a treatment for staph.
Tiny seeds are pressed into the soil surface. Tamp securely and keep evenly moist, warm and in the light for germination. Sow seed in spring directly in regular garden soil and harvest for the nutritive and blood-cleansing root that first year--like carrots. If digging is not your thing, take an old bale of wet hay and knock together four 1 x 4s like an empty-bottomed flat to fit right on top of the hay bale. Then fill this with garden soil and plant your burdock seeds in there. They will germinate and send their roots down into the hay. To harvest, remove the boards and pull apart the hay to reveal perfectly formed and tender burdock roots.
Planting Depth: 1"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 60°F
Days to Germ.: 10
Plant Spacing: 10-20"
Days to Maturity: 110-130
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Moderate Water
Calendula - 80 Seeds $5.00
A true beauty in any garden, Orange Zinger Calendula offers both a stunning appearance, food for bees and other beneficial insects, and even medicine for humans. The high resin content of our favorite Calendula is great for teas, tinctures, and food for your skin. An all round superstar.
Orange Zinger Calendula
Calendula officinalis
Medicinal 18-24 in. plant height.
Hardy Annual - Bearing bright-orange doubled flowers, this is the longest stemmed and largest flowered calendula variety we have seen. With exceptional frost tolerance, calendulas make an excellent early and late season cut flower. Can be overwintered where winters are mild. Extremely high resin content also makes this variety a good choice for tinctures and salves.
Planting Depth:1/4-1/2"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 60-70°F
Days to Germ: 7-14, 93% germination
Avg. Spacing: 6-8"
Days to Maturity: 85-95
Full Sun
Moderate Water
Chicory - 100 Seeds $5.00 (Replaces Dandelion from time to time)
Therapeutic powers and health benefits of chicory have been known for centuries. Chicory root tea is considered to be one of the most effective natural remedies for body cleansing. In addition, chicory root tea can be used to reduce the risks of kidney stones, jaundice and other liver diseases, and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is a relative of both lettuce and dandelion, though it does not look like any of these plants.
Cichorium endivia
(45-60 days) French frisée endive (8-12" across) forms a heart of finely cut, frilly leaves that are mild, slightly bitter, and delicious. Largely adaptable to all soil types, though prefers cooler conditions, similar to lettuce.
Planting Depth: 1/4-1/2"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 55-75°F
Days to Germ.: 7-14
Avg. Spacing: 6-8 in.
Avg. Seeding Rate: 1 lbs./acre
Days to Maturity: 45-60
Partial Shade/Full Sun
Moderate Water
Dandelion - 200 Seeds $5.00
The everlasting foe of the uninformed, dandelion is a superstar of the forest garden. With a super strong life-force, mineral-accumulating capabilities, and loaded with nutrition, this leafy green is a sure winner in our garden. The flowers are great for feeding bees, making wine, or adding to salads. The roots are superb for teas and juicing. Remember - this is a wild green with all the strength and resilience lacking with domesticated plants, expect it to thrive. The ultimate all-purpose plant. We truly value this misunderstood gem and enjoy every bit of it.
Dandelion, Wild (Taraxacum officinale) seeds, organic:
Family: Aster (Asteraceae) Herbaceous perennial.
Native to and distributed throughout the temperate zones of planet Earth. This is a wild plant that prospers if you do not dig out the roots (even when we harvest the herb for spring greens or tincture) and no need to weed them out.
Tiny seeds are pressed into the soil surface. Tamp securely and keep evenly moist, warm and in the light until germination. Plant prefers part shade to full sun and richly composted soil, and much water.
Goji Berry - 15 Berries (1500 Seeds) $5.00
One of the most well-known superfoods available - and now you can grow it yourself. A small seed will turn into a shrub of 6-8 feet loaded with red berries. Get to them before the birds! Does well in heat and arid climates, so it can definitely take a beating. Don’t let it get too cold though - under 10F and its too cold. Growing your gojis will bring you to the next level of superfoods and give back exponentially - the freshest possible produce, grown with your care - this plant will thrive. We encourage everyone to actually grow their OWN superfoods - and the goji is a classic to start with.
Goji (Lycium barbarum) seeds, organic
(Syn. Lycium chinensis) (Chinese matrimony vine)
Family: Solanacea
Hardiness: to - 5 degrees F
Deciduous woody shrub to 9 feet tall. Native to Northern China. Goji berries are used fresh, juiced or (more commonly) dried and used like raisins. They are a yin tonic, immune enhancing, and excellent for the overall health.
Plant prefers full sun and fast-drying soils. High desert conditions are quite conducive. Goji plants are drought-tolerant. We provide dried berries. Do not plant the berry. You must remove the seed from the fruit and plant the seeds. Why do we make you do this, especially when the interior of the fruit is quite sticky and its a bit of a job to pick out the seeds and plant them? Because we've discovered that the seed maintains its viability and vigor very nicely in the dried fruit but quickly loses its viability if removed from the fruit. To make seed extraction easier, soak the berries in water overnight and remove the seeds from the softened fruits in the morning and plant them. Use a sandy potting soil medium. Sow the seeds just beneath the surface, tamp in, and keep in strong light. Water well to start, but back off on watering after germination, which occurrs in 1 to 2 weeks. Pot up seedlings and plant out to the landscape only after they are well-established. 100+ seeds (in fruit)
Holy Basil - 100 Seeds $5.00
Highly aromatic plant of the Ayurvedic tradition. Adaptogenic, immune enhancing, antifungal and antibacterial. Eat one fresh leaf daily, or pick the leaves and flowers and dry them and make the tea. Most excellent! Kapoor is easiest of all tulsi types to grow in temperate gardens and is highly aromatic.
Kapoor is the best Holy Basil for temperate gardens. Acts like an annual, and is even known to self-seed in temperate climate, which is quite unusual for basil.
To grow large, full, vibrant plants, start by sowing the seed directly in the garden, late in the spring, when the soil has truly warmed up. Or start early in pots, but give plenty of compost, light, and a large pot. Sow by sprinkling seed generously on surface of potting soil in pots or by seeding directly in the garden. Once the seedlings attain their second set of true leaves, thin or transplant to 1 foot apart. If the central leader runs right up to flower, pinch it back to encourage bushy growth.
Lamb's Quarters - 350 Seeds $5.00
The wild ancestor of spinach, Lamb’s Quarters can compete in the garden without much help. With the strength and resilience found lacking in spinach, this leafy green will give loads more minerals and antioxidants than any salad found at the supermarket. Growing it at home provides you with unparalleled leafy greens and the freshest product possible. Reseeds easily - you will find it growing around years after planting.
Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album) seeds, organic
(White Goosefoot)
Family: Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae)
Annual. Wild medicinal food. Soft, slightly downy, and mucilaginous leaves, like spinach—high in protein, calcium, and vitamin A. Dried herb good in soups. Seeds also edible and nutritious. Good bird feed. Native Americans used the plant to treat urinary infection, diarrhea, and stomachache.
Plant prefers full sun or partial shade and very moist soil. Good drainage not necessary. Tiny seeds are pressed into the soil surface. Tamp securely and keep evenly moist, warm and in the light for germination. Sow the seed in the spring--it germinates easily in 8 to 14 days. Plant 2 feet apart. Grows up to 9 feet tall.
Maca - 45 Seeds $5.00
This variety of maca does well at lower elevations, unlike red maca which thrives at very high altitudes. We love it for its strong life-force and all the power it has as a food. With fresh maca we have so many more culinary possibilities compared to just powder! And consider the freshness...the life-force of fresh maca to powdered is vast. The Incan warriors took the maca herb before they went to battle to keep their bodies strong and ready for rigorous physical activity. However, they realized that the herb also increased their libido so the warriors were forbidden from taking maca after battle to protect the women folk! It is a potent herb that can regulate the endocrine system. The nutrients found in maca encourage growth and hormone production, and stimulate metabolic functions.
Maca, Yellow (Lepidium peruvianum) seeds, organic:
(Syn. Lepidum meyenii)
Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae)
Hardy to all temperate zones. Biennial, radish-like, rosette forming plant native to the high Peruvian Puna. This is a select cultivar that gives high yields of firm, yellow roots and demonstrates a tolerance for low elevation.
Sow the seed on the surface of the seed bed, stir it around with your fingers, then tamp in securely. Germination is in 4 days at 65 degrees F soil temperature. Plant prefers fall, winter and spring conditions for growth. Full sun and a fast-draining soil is preferred. Maca likes a somewhat alkaline soil, such as decomposed granite or volcanic soils. Composted manures are a good fertilizer for Maca. Thin to 6 inch spacing, and harvest after the first year of growth. Best to direct-seed in September and harvest in May or so, unless winters are very snowy. With a little snow, the plant grows through the winter, which is preferred, as it encourages bulbing (the hypocotyl). If left in the field for 2 years, the root will become quite woody and the plant will go to seed. Probably the best regions for growing maca are high steppes in tropical or subtropical countries. The plant is very tolerant of high intensity sunlight and withstands drastic temperature fluctuations. The second photo is a germ test. New seed tests at 86% germination. Open Pollinated
Nettles - 200 Seeds $5.00
Probably the most misunderstood and undervalued plant of our collection - Stinging Nettle is a food forest winner on every level. It does well in both shade and full sun, has extremely high levels of iron in its leaves, and is an essential ingredient in biodynamic compost. Small hairs on the plant release an irritant that has been known to treat arthritis, and when cooked, the stinging feature goes away. A great addition to teas and smoothies, this wild edible green packs a major punch without asking for much in return.
Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica
3-4 ft. Hardy Perennial - Stinging nettle is an early spring tonic when used as a fresh tea or steamed, than eaten. Delicate hairs release a skin irritant when touched, though when cooked this feature goes away. One of the primary preparations for use in biodynamic farming, medicinally it embodies the iron element helping to combat arthritis, eczema, and anemia.
Tiny seeds are pressed into the soil surface. Tamp securely and keep evenly moist, warm and in the light for germination. Grows 3-5'. Use it to enliven a compost pile. Zones 4-9. 65% germination.
Stevia - 10 Seeds $5.00
The leaves of this now well-known plant are used to meals and beverages. Considered an annual in most areas, but can be brought inside or over-wintered in zones 8-10. Provides lovely flowers and is a great herb to have in any garden. Once you try the unprocessed leaf, you’ll be hooked.
Wild Chamomile - 200 Seeds $5.00
We love Wild Chamomile because it is strong and reseeds well, and has so many uses such as the tea for calming energy which can be made after harvest and drying. Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and anti-bacterial herb. Perfect for gentle bedtime sedation or for treating stomachache.
(Matricaria chamomilla) which is also known as Wild Chamomile and Hungarian or German Chamomile, is an annual herb originally from Europe which has now naturalized in many places around the world. It can now be found growing along wide open fields, gravel roads, and along fences. Wild Chamomile has a lovely pineapple scent, and when placed in a garden or food forest, it has been known to help weaker plants thrive. The somewhat erect branch is round, hollow, and can thrive to over 20 inches tall. The leaves are bipinnate in nature, finely divided, pale green and have a wonderful feather-like appearance. The flowers bloom from May to October and look like daisies...about 1 inch across. As soon as the flowers bloom they are ready for harvest, cut and enjoy, more flowers will appear.
Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
Hardy to all zones.
Annual or overwintering annual. This is the delightfully aromatic Chamomile of tea fame. Plant prefers full sun and regular garden soil, and cool soils for germination. Sow on surface and press in hard. Sow in early spring for flowers by early summer.
200 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown
