Salamander: I have a few small cardamom seedlings and I have the red malabar spinach and I can easily purchase seeds for the green....... The "leaves of the gods" I would be interested in. My lilly pilly is 'Blue Lilly Pilly' (there is also a 'Lilly Pilly' and several other lilly pillies) Lilly Pillies are from Australia where they are better known. They are still a bit small - I can send now or wait a bit with one reserved for you if you wish to trade - I have several plants since the seeds are polyembryonic and I had 100% of the seeds germinate with more than one plant each. chemocurl: thank you for the info on setting up email link / trade pages

I obtained some seeds for Puya Alpestris and Puya Berteroniana and well ... got a few to sprout, but they died. A couple things you should learn from my experience ... 1) Puya seeds are very small and if you decide to germ them, start indoors using a flat thin medium, even consider using paper towels. Let the roots get started and then transplant them into something soft and more nutrient packed. 2) Be careful watering. Seeds are so small that a rain drop can wash them away, even the sprouts are incredibly tiny and not well rooted at first. 3) Keep them out of very hot temperatures - another reason to germ them indoors at first. I bought a few Puya Alpestris plants in 1/2 Gallon containers. They are doing well in direct sun, planted in a sandy soil medium raised above ground level to keep the soil well drained. I don't expect them to flower any time soon as Puya need time to mature, but you may find that you can cut that time down by using hormone stimulants. Good Luck.

The topic of this thread "A Lesson Learned from Cactus Seed" alludes to the fact that direct Sunlight is harmful to new seedlings, particularly the succulants and bromeliads. The lids on Stephania's food containers obviously cut back on the sunlight, but I think there is also a reliance on shade there. The pictures of Stephania's nursery above suggest a kind of shady alcove, but some direct sunlight is evident. My success with Puya Seedlings seems to have increased due to three factors, (1) indoor temperature control, (2) reduced sunlight due to the indoor environment and (3) increased humidity due to a sealed container. Now that I've had a bit of success with a few seeds under these controlled conditions, I feel more confident to plant the remainder of the seeds I have been holding in reserve and perhaps to try some other broms besides Puyas. :)

I've always had some doubt about paying $70 for a four head Cryptanthus warasii,when its usually hard to find just one plant,and it can go for $30 to $50. Now I feel a LOT better,considering someone paid $82 for only 7 seeds,on a hard to germinate plant. There were 9 bidders,5 bid $50 or more,2 bid the last minute,and I think the price could have gone higher,but they just ran out of time. Hmmm,anyone going to Strybing soon? I need a favor ! ;) Bob