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CSM Seed Library

Learn more about the CSM Seed Library program.

Seed Binder

Here is the digital version of the Seed Information Binder that is on the Seed Box table in the Library. We update this occasionally with new resources and information. This version updated as of 6/16/25.

Plant Information

Here is some information we think you will find useful in selecting and growing plants. The information has been compiled from multiple sources and is a general guideline for best practices.

 
Fruit / Veggie Name Description / Notes Days to Germination Days to Harvest Planting Depth (in inches) Plant Spacing  Sun / Shade Outdoor Planting Time
Beet, Detroit Dark Red
  • Most popular all-purpose red beet.
 14-21 days 55-60 days 1/2" 1 seed every 4" x 12" Sun Early Spring
Bell Pepper, Color Mix
  • An assorted mixture of crunchy bright Rainbow peppers. 
 10-12 days 70 days 1/4" 12-18" Sun  after danger of frost
Bell Pepper, Orange
  • Classic, versatile sweet peppers.
 14-21 days 60-90 days 1/4" 12-18" Sun after danger of frost
Bell Pepper, Red
  • Classic, versatile sweet peppers.
 14-21 days 60-90 days 1/4" 12-18" Sun  after danger of frost
Bell Pepper, Yellow
  • Classic, versatile sweet peppers.
 14-21 days 60-90 days 1/4" 12-18" Sun after danger of frost
Fruit / Veggie Name Description / Notes Days to Germination Days to Harvest Planting Depth (in inches) Plant Spacing  Sun / Shade Outdoor Planting Time
Cantaloupe, Sierra Gold
  • Delicious, golden flesh melon, an excellent variety for home gardens.
 7-14 days 85 days 1" Hills 3' apart/ 3 seeds per hill Sun after last frost and soil warms
Carrot, Chantenay
  • Sweet, plump, and crunchy carrots.
  • Great for heavy soils and container gardens.
 10-21 days 70 days 1/2" 1"-2" apart Sun after danger of frost
Carrot, Little Finger
  • Extremely tender and sweet baby carrot.
  • 3" long x 1" wide.
  • Great for container gardening!
 10-25 days 60-65 days 1/8" 1" x 6" Sun as soon as soil can be worked
Corn, Peaches & Cream
  • A white and yellow bicolor hybrid sweet corn.
  • Plants must be kept well watered for productive yield due to shallow roots.
 7-14 days 83 days 1/2-1" 6-7" apart Sun after danger of frost
Cucumber, Poinsett 76
  • Smooth, cylindrical fruits.
  • Best harvested when 7-8" long.
  • Resistant to several common diseases
 5-10 days 65 days 1/2" a group of 2 seeds every 12", 3' rows Sun 1-2 weeks after last frost date
Cucumber, Straight Eight
  • Straight, dark green slicing cucumber.
  • Can be grown on a fence, trellis, or garden bed.
  • Keep an 1" of moisture per week.
  • Pick when 8" long.
 7-14 days 58 days 1/2" Hills of 3-4 plants, spaced 4-6' apart Sun after danger of frost
Fruit / Veggie Name Description / Notes Days to Germination Days to Harvest Planting Depth (in inches) Plant Spacing  Sun / Shade Outdoor Planting Time
Kale, Dwarf Siberian
  • Hardy and productive plants with slightly frilled leaves.
  • Full of nutrients.
 6-9 days 50-60 days 1/4" 8" apart 6-12 hours sun Spring or mid/late Summer
Lettuce, Green Salad Bowl
  • Tender, sweet lettuce commonly used for baby leaf production.
  • Grows quickly and is heat tolerant.
 7-10 days 50 days 1/8 - 1/4" continuous band, thin to 8-12" Sun after danger of frost
Pumpkin, Jack O' Lantern 
  • A great pumpkin for cooking and carving!
  • About 10" tall and 10" in diameter. 
 7-14 days 105 days 1" Mounds, 2-3 seeds per mound, 4-6' apart Sun 2-4 weeks after last frost date
Squash, Acorn: Mammoth Table Queen
  • A tasty acorn squash variety. 
 10-14 days 85 days 1/2"-3/4" Mounds about 1', 5-6 seeds per hill, 3' apart Sun after danger of frost
Squash, Spaghetti              
Squash, Zucchini, Black Beauty
  • Best picked at 6-8" long.
  • Good for container gardening.
  • Harvest frequently to increase yield!
 5-10 days 55 days 1/2-1" Mounds, 2-3 seeds per mound, 3-4' apart Sun 1-2 weeks after last frost date
Fruit / Veggie Name Description / Notes Days to Germination Days to Harvest Planting Depth (in inches) Plant Spacing  Sun / Shade Outdoor Planting Time
Tomato, Bush Beefsteak
  • Large, delicious slicing tomatoes.
  • A popular choice for their versatility in the kitchen.
 7-14 days 62 days 1/8" 2-3' Sun after danger of frost
Tomato, Chadwick Cherry
  • Sweet cherry tomatoes with huge yields and general disease resistance. 
 7-14 days 80-90 days 1/8-1/4" 24" Sun after danger of frost
Watermelon, Allsweet
  • Large oblong fruits about 17-19 inches in length and 7 in diameter.
  • Few seeds and bright, super sweet. 
 5-14 days 80-90 days 1/2" Hills of 3-4 seeds, spaced 4-6' apart Sun Spring, after soil has warmed
Watermelon, Sugar Baby
  • A very sweet and small fruit with juicy red flesh.
  • Grows to around 8-10 pounds. 
 5-10 days 76 1/2-1" Mounds, 2-3 seeds per mound, 4-6' apart Sun 1-2 weeks after last frost date
               
Herb / Spice Name Description / Notes Days to Germination Days to Harvest Planting Depth (in inches) Plant Spacing  Outdoor Planting Time
Basil (common)
  • Classic, flavorful basil
  • Can be purple or spicy
 5-10 days 85 days 1/4" 10" x 10" April-July
Basil (flavored)
  • Variety of flavors, including anise, cinnamon, and citrus
  • Great for teas
 5-10 days        
Basil (sweet)
  • Aromatic and flavorful
  • Leaves are perfect for pesto, tomato sauces, and salads
  • Annual
 7-14 days 60-90 days 1/4" 6", thin at 12" April-June
Chives (Dolores)
  • Use as onion-like flavoring for recipes
  • Harvest entire leaves
  • Perennial
 7-14 days 80-90 days 1/4" thin to 3" April-June
Oregano (Greek)
  • Perfect for tomato sauces, vegetable stews, meat, and chicken dishes
  • Perennial
 10-21 days 90-200 days Barely cover thin at 12" April-June
Parsley
  • Mild, all-purpose herb
 21-28 days 75 days 1/4" 10" by 10" April-June
Parsley (Plain or Single Italian)
  • Use in salad dressings, poultry, soups, and as an ingredient of pesto
  • Annual
 14-21 days 60-80 days 1/4" thin at 6" April-June
Rosemary
  • Enhances marinades, salad dressing, sauces, soups, and stuffing
  • Start indoors 10 weeks before last frost
  • Perennial
 14-20 days 90-400 days 1/4" 18" April-June
Thyme
  • Best for use with meats, stews, and for drying as spice in a wide variety of dishes
  • Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost
  • Perennial
 14-21 days 180-200 days 1/4" 12" April-June
 
Botanical Name Common Name Lifespan Max Height (ft) Bloom Time Bloom Color Light Soil Moisture Cold Moist Stratification Outdoor Planting Time Suggested Garden Uses Notes
Agastache foeniculum Anise Hyssop Perennial 3ft June-September Purple Full sun to part shade Dry to moist 30 days Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • top plant for pollinators
  • deer resistant
  • licorice-like scent
Aquilegia canadensis Eastern Red Columbine Perennial 3ft April-June Red and yellow Part shade, shade Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • hummingbirds
  • bees
  • butterflies
  • moths
Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed Perennial 3-5ft June-August Green, pink, white, or purple Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Butterfly, Native, Pollinator
  • host plant for monarch butterfly
  • pollinator favorite
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Milkweed Perennial 3ft June-September Orange Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • host plant for monarch butterfly
  • deer deterrent
Baptista australis Blue Wild Indigo Perennial 3-4ft May-July Blue, Purple Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • deer resistant
Callicarpa americana American Beautyberry Perennial 6ft May-July White, Pink Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • birds and deer love
  • butterflies
  • understory shrub
  • purple fruit
Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats Perennial 2-5ft June-September Green Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • rain gardens
  • host plant
  • deer resistant
  • best in shaded areas
Conoclinium coelestinum Blue Mistflower Perennial 1-3.5ft July-October Purple Part sun, part shade Dry to wet 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • bees
  • birds
  • late season butterflies
  • good border plant
  • colonizing ground cover
  • can be a pest
  • spreads quickly
Coreopsis verticillata Threadleaf Coreopsis Perennial 2-3ft June-September Yellow Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Spring Native Garden
  • pollinators
  • deer resistant
  • tends to sprawl
Botanical Name Common Name Lifespan Max Height (ft) Bloom Time Bloom Color Light Soil Moisture Cold Moist Stratification Outdoor Planting Time Suggested Garden Uses Notes
Echinacea purpurea
 Purple Coneflower Perennial 4ft July-September Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist No Spring-Summer Native Garden
  • butterflies
  • hummingbirds
Eryngium yuccifolium Rattlesnake Master Perennial 4-6ft June-August White, Blue Full sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • butterflies
  • pollinators
  • deer resistant
Eupatorium hyssopifolium Hyssop-Leaved Thoroughwort Perennial 1-4.5ft July-October White Full sun, part sun Drry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • host plant for moth
Eupatorium perfoliatum Common Boneset Perennial 3-6ft August-October White Full sun to full shade Moist to wet  30 days Fall Native Garden
  • deer deterrent
  • used in herbal medicine to cause sweating
Eurochium purpureum Purple Joe Pye Weed Perennial 6ft July-September Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • butterflies
Hibiscus moscheutos Swamp Rose Mallow Perennial 3-6ft July-September White, Pink, Red Full sun, part sun Moist to wet  60 days Fall-Winter Butterfly, Native, Pollinator, Rain
  • attracts pollinators
  • native bees
  • hummingbirds
  • butterflies
Liatris spicata Marsh Blazing Star Perennial 4ft July-August Purple Full sun, part sun Moist to wet 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • hummingbirds
  • pollinators
Lobelia siphitica Great Blue Lobelia Perennial 1-5ft July-September Blue Full sun to full shade Moist to wet  60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • poisonous
  • toxic in large quantities
  • attracts birds, hummingbirds, bees
Ludwigia alternifolia Seedbox Perennial 1.5-3ft May-July Yellow Full sun Moist to wet  60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden

 
Botanical Name Common Name Lifespan Max Height (ft) Bloom Time Bloom Color Light Soil Moisture Cold Moist Stratification Outdoor Planting Time Suggested Garden Uses Notes
Monarda punctata
 Spotted Bee Balm Perennial 2ft July-September Pink, Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist No Spring-Summer Native Garden
  • butterflies
  • hummingbirds
  • songbirds
  • bees
Penstemon digitalis Foxglove beardtongue Perennial 3-5ft April-July White Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • pollinators
  • birds
  • deer resistant
Penstemon digitalis Husker Red Perennial 3-5ft April-June White Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • Maroon stemmed Beardtongue variant
  • rain garden
  • hummingbirds
  • butterflies
  • deer tolerant
Penstemon hirsutus Hairy Beardtongue Perennial 1-2ft May-July White, Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • attracts pollinators
  • hummingbirds
Physostegia virginiana Obedient Plant Perennial 1.5-5ft August-November White, Pink, Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • can be aggressive, but easy to remove
  • attracts hummingbirds, butterflies
Pycnanthemum incanum Hoary Mountain Mint Perennial 2-3ft June-September White Full sun to part shade Dry to moist 4-5 months? Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • spreads slowly
  • pollinator favorite - bees, butterflies, and moths
  • deer resistant
Rudbeckia fulgida Orange Coneflower Perennial 1.5-3.5ft July-October Orange Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • attracts pollinators
  • birds
  • deer resistant
Rudbeckia hirta Black Eyed Susan Perennial 2.5ft May-August Yellow Full sun Dry to moist 30 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • attracts bees, birds, caterpillars
Botanical Name Common Name Lifespan Max Height (ft) Bloom Time Bloom Color Light Soil Moisture Cold Moist Stratification Outdoor Planting Time Suggested Garden Uses Notes
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
 Blue-Eyed Grass Perennial .5-1.5ft March-July Blue, Purple Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Spring-Summer Native Garden

 
Solidago caesia Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod Perennial 1-3.5ft August-October Yellow Full sun to full shade Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • birds, pollinators, deer resistant
Solidago nemovalis Gray Goldenrod Perennial 3ft June-October Yellows Full sun-shade dry 60 days Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • butterflies
  • birds
  • good in wildflower meadow
Solidago odora Sweet Goldenrod Perennial 1.5-5ft July-October Yellow Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • attracts pollinators
  • birds
  • deer resistant
Solidago speciosa Showy Goldenrod Perennial 2-6.5ft August-October Yellow Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • pollinators
  • birds
  • deer resistant
Symphyotrichum laeve Smooth Blue Aster Perennial 4ft August-October Blue, Purple Full sun, part sun Med wet to med dry no Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • good in pollinator or rain garden
  • drought resistant
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New England Aster Perennial 6ft August-November Purple Full sun, part sun Moist to wet  60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • butterflies
Botanical Name Common Name Lifespan Max Height (ft) Bloom Time Bloom Color Light Soil Moisture Cold Moist Stratification Outdoor Planting Time Suggested Garden Uses Notes
Verbesina Occidentalis
 Yellow Crownbeard Perennial 3-8ft August-October Yellow Full sun, part sun Dry to moist 60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • attracts bees
Veronia noveboracensis New York Ironweed Perennial 3.5-8ft August-October Purple Full sun, part sun Moist to wet  60 days Fall-Winter Native Garden
  • birds
  • butterflies
Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's Root Perennial 5ft June-August White  Full sun, part sun Med wet to med dry no Spring or Fall Native Garden
  • butterflies
  • pollinators
  • deer resistant
 
                      Common Name                                             Lifespan                                             Max Height (ft)                                             Bloom Time                                             Bloom Color                                             Planting Depth (inches)                                             Plant Spacing                                             Outdoor Planting Time                                             Notes                      
                        Marigold                                                 Annual                                                 2-3ft                                                 June-October                                                 Yellow, Orange, Red                                                 1/4in                                                 2" by 3"                                                 April-June                                                          
            Sunflower, Large Greystripe