| Terms |
Images |
Definitions |
| accent plant |
 |
a plant which complements another plant in
the landscape |
| acidic |
|
having a pH of less than 7 |
| acorn |
 |
the fruit of oaks (genus Quercus); a
thick walled nut with a woody cup-like base |
| acuminate |
 |
the leaf tapers to a point at the tip or apex |
| alkaline |
|
having a pH of more than 7; basic;
calcareous |
| alternate |
 |
term usually applied to the arrangement of
leaves or branches on a stem being arranged one above the other; parts are situated one at
a node on different sides of a stem |
| anenome centered |
|
chrysanthemum blooms that are similar to
single blooms with the exception of a raised cushion of tubular florets in the center |
| angled
branching |
 |
the angle formed by a leaf or branch with the stem |
| annuals |
|
a plant that completes its life cycle of seed
germination, vegetative growth, flower set, and seed production in one growing season |
| aphids |
|
small, often wingless insects that suck sap |
| axil |
 |
the upper angle that a petiole or peduncle
makes with the stem that bears it |
| background
plant |
 |
refers to a tall plant used in mass to
provide a backdrop for shorter more showy plants in front of it |
| bacterial
leaf spot |
|
bacterial disease of leaves; kills the tissue in
leaves causing that tissue to fall out and form holes in the leaf |
| bagworms |
 |
caterpillar larvae eat foliage, moths lay
eggs in unsightly bags |
| barrier
plant |
 |
plant material used to restrict sight or sound
i.e. to cover an unsightly fence, or to filter traffic noise. May also refer to plant
material used to restrict the movement of people or animals |
| basal leaves |
 |
leaves at the lower base of the plant
only |
| beards |
 |
located in the throat of the falls on some
iris, act as pollen vector guides |
| bedding
plant |
 |
a plant used in mass filling an entire flower
bed |
| bi-color |
 |
inflorescence consisting of two separate
colors |
| biennials |
|
plants that complete their life cycle in two
growing seasons |
| borer |
|
an insect larva that tunnels into stems &
trunks of shrubs, trees, etc |
| Botrytis |
|
fungal pathogen which affects many types of
plants. |
| budding |
|
Vegetative method of propagating woody plants. A
single bud is physically cut out of one variety (called the scion). This bud is then
combined to another related variety (called the rootstock). The scion and rootstock become
one living organism. Budding produces a plant that keeps a desired characteristic for the
scion while adding a vigorous rootstock |
| bulb beds |
|
a flower bed primarily used for bulbs;
usually has some type of ground cover in place so the bed does not appear empty during the
bulbs dormancy |
| calyx |
 |
the outer set of perianth segments or floral
envelope of a flower, usually green in color and smaller than the inner set |
| canker |
|
unsightly wound on woody plants caused by fungal
or bacterial pathogens |
| capsule |
 |
dry, dehiscent fruit composed of two or more
united carpels |
| catkin |
 |
dangling spike-like inflorescence of
unisexual flowers |
| central
leader |
|
upward growing branch that dominates all
other branches; plants without a central leader tend to have more spread |
| chlorotic |
 |
yellowing of the leaves; may be caused by
waterlogged conditions, nutrient deficiency (often iron), or viral infections |
| ciliate
margins |
|
having tiny hairs on the margins of the leaf |
| clusters |
 |
a group of many |
| companion
plant |
 |
a plant that complements other plants through
contrast in color, texture, or shape |
| compound |
 |
a leaf of two or more leaflets |
| cone |
 |
fruiting structure of a pine |
| container
plant |
 |
a plant which does well in a container
(confined root space ) |
| cool root
zone |
|
micro climate of soil or planting media -
plants that prefer cool root zones perform best during cool seasons, early spring and late
fall |
| cordate |
|
heart-shaped |
| cork cambium |
|
secondary area of cell division in the stems
of woody plants that produces bark |
| corolla |
 |
refers to the petals of the flower; generally
differentiated from the calyx in being colored |
| corymbs |
 |
an inflorescence appearing to have a flat
top; consisting of many individual flowers on pedicels |
| crenate |
 |
rounded teeth on leaf margin |
| crown |
 |
the upper outline form of a tree |
| cultivar |
|
cultivated variety of a species of plant usually
bred for exceptional qualities |
| cultivated |
 |
land tilled and otherwise prepared for
healthy growth of plants |
| cut flowers |
|
flowers that can be cut and used in
arrangements; usually will last 4 to 8 days in water alone |
| cuttings |
 |
vegetative propagation of plants (through means
other than sexual fertilization); plant material used for vegetative propagation may be
leaves, buds, stem sections or roots; new plants are genetically similar to the parent
plant |
| cymes |
 |
an inflorescence in which each floral axis
terminates in a single flower |
| daisy-like |
 |
looking like a daisy; usually ray and disk
type flowers; characteristic of members in the Compositae (Asteraceae) family |
| damping off |
|
soil borne fungal pathogen which attacks the stems of small
seedlings at soil level |
| dead-heading |
|
process of removing dead or spent flower blooms |
| deciduous |
|
not persistent; A tree losing its leaves at the
end of the growing season; non-evergreen. |
| dentate |
|
teeth on the leaf margin whose apices are
perpendicular to the margin and do not point forward; tooth-like notches to the margin |
| dicot |
|
An angiosperm with two cotyledons |
| dioecious |
  |
unisexual, with male and female flowers on
separate plants |
| division |
|
Vegetative propagation of plants (through means
other than sexual fertilization) where plants with clumping characteristics are divided
into sections and replanted; genetically similar to parent plant |
| downy mildew |
|
a fungus forming grayish downy patches, usually on
the underside of leaves |
| dripline |
|
the area of ground beneath the outer edge of
a tree's canopy where water shed falls from the tree |
| drought |
|
a period of dryness; especially one that causes
extensive damage to plants |
| drupe |
 |
fleshy fruit with seed enclosed by a hard
endocarp; examples of stone fruits are nectarines, peaches and plums |
| edging plant |
 |
a plant used all along the edge of a bed to
frame the plants within; creates a formal appearance |
| entire
margin |
 |
margins of leaves with no teeth nor
crenations |
| erect |
 |
non-weeping upright growth, reed-like |
| evergreen |
 |
A plant which holds foliage throughout the year.
An evergreen plant does drop its older leaves each year, although this may occur at any
season and over a long period of time. Foliage may be of several types: needles, scales or
broad leaves. |
| exfoliates |
 |
sheds or strips away outer layer; often
refers to bark on woody plants that sheds or flakes (i.e. Lacebark Elm) |
| falls |
 |
the drooping or reflexed parts of the outer
whorl of the perianth in iris |
| fire blight |
|
bacterial disease often affecting trees and shrubs
belonging to the Rose Family; pathogen enters plant through wounds or flowers; plants
infected characteristically look as if scorched by fire |
| fleshy |
 |
succulent or juicy |
| floret |
|
one of several small flowers when combined create a single
inflorescence |
| foliage
plant |
 |
a plant grown for its showy leaves |
| foundation
plantings |
 |
plant material planted near or around a
structure |
| funnelform |
 |
the corolla tube gradually widens as in a
funnel |
| glabrous |
 |
having no hairs, no pubescence; smooth |
| glaucous |
|
waxy, white coating |
| grafted |
|
vegetative propagation referring to the
joining of two pieces of living tissue (scion and rootstock) |
| groundcover |
 |
short, usually spreading plants that will
cover an area of soil surface; often used to prevent erosion of soil or provide weed
control; useful for low maintenance areas |
| hanging
basket |
 |
a pot that hangs from above by a wire, chain,
or plastic hook; trailing plants do well in these |
| hardwood
cuttings |
 |
vegetative propagation where a cutting is taken
from a mature woody stem |
| hedge |
 |
a fence or boundary formed by a dense row of
shrubs or low trees and often given a formal appearance by frequent trimming |
| hybrid |
|
a plant that is selected through breeding from a
particular species generally for having superior qualities over the parent
species |
| incurved |
 |
chrysanthemum blooms where the petals curve
inward often forming a sphere |
| inflorescence |
 |
arrangement of flowers on a plant, flowering
part of a plant, or the flowering habit of a plant |
| interior
plants |
|
plants used indoors; often are plants originating
in the tropics requiring warm temperatures and which tolerate low light conditions |
| intermediate |
 |
chrysanthemum blooms that are in-between incurved
and reflexed |
| internode |
 |
the sections of stems between nodes |
| iris borer |
|
an insect larva that tunnels into stems &
trunks of shrubs, trees, etc. |
| iron
deficiency |
  |
A yellowing of the newer leaves, reflecting a
deficiency of iron in the soil; to correct, treat soil with iron sulfate, iron chelate, or
foliar sprays containing iron |
| juniper
blight |
|
a disease which appears as small, irregularly
shaped black spots on the leaves and petioles |
| lanceolate |
 |
much longer than wide, tapering to the apex,
like a lance |
| lateral |
 |
leaf, spine, branch, side
shoot, or bud that has branched off of a larger stem |
| leaf miners |
 |
the larvae of miscellaneous insects that tunnel in
leaves leaving whitish blotches or trails |
| leaf spot |
 |
caused by any of a variety of plant diseases that
produce well-defined areas of tissue to die creating noticeable spots in the leaves |
| leaflet |
 |
a foliar part of the compound leaf |
| lenticels |
 |
pores in bark for gaseous exchange |
| linear |
 |
long and narrow, as in blades of grass |
| lobed |
 |
refers to the margin of a leaf, calyx, or
petals; possessing a "wavy" margin |
| manganese deficiency |
 |
An intravenal yellowing of the newer leaves, reflecting a
deficiency of manganese in the soil; to correct, treat soil with a fertilizer containing
manganese |
| margin |
 |
the perimeter or outer edge of the leaf |
| mass
planting |
 |
a bed completely planted with large numbers
of one particular plant |
| mealybugs |
   |
soft scaled insect with small segmented bodies
covered with a white powdery wax; feeds on sap |
| midge galls |
 |
an abnormal swelling on a plant part caused by
the midge insect |
| monocot |
|
A subclass of the Angiospermae; plants have one
cotyledon in their seeds; parallel venation; flower parts in threes. |
| monoculture |
|
when a single plant is over planted over a long period of time |
| monoecious |
|
a plant that bears separate female (pistilate) and
male (staminate) flowers on the same plant |
| mottled |
 |
colored spots or blotches on leaves |
| mounding |
 |
a rounded growth habit |
| needles |
|
long, thin leaf type of conifers |
| nitrogen |
|
an essential element of plants promoting vegetative growth |
| node |
|
a point of a stem at which a leaf or leaves are inserted |
| oak wilt |
|
complex pathological disease which results in
rapid death of oak species |
| oblique |
 |
lopsided, slanting, with unequal sides |
| oblong |
|
longer than broad; rectangular; sides nearly
parallel |
| opposite |
 |
the arrangement of leaves or branches on a
stem being arranged on opposite sides of one another |
| ovate |
 |
somewhat oval in appearance being broadest
below the middle |
| panicles |
 |
indeterminate, branching inflorescence; the
individual branches are either raceme or corymb-like |
| perennial
border |
|
a garden spot similar to a bed, but
generally including more than one perennial plant type and often flanked by larger plants
or walls; perennial border plants often have a rangy, irregular appearance making
them difficult to use in mass plantings |
| perennials |
|
complete their cycle in three or more growing
seasons; persistent for many growing seasons |
| perianth |
 |
a collective term that includes both the
corolla and calyx as a unit; used when it is difficult to differentiate one series from
another |
| phloem |
|
nutrient conducting tissue in woody plants |
| phosphorous deficiency |
 |
A purpling of the leaves, reflecting a deficiency of
phosphorous in the soil; to correct, treat soil with a fertilizer containing phosphorous
(P) |
| Phytophthora |
|
a fungus which causes the terminal buds and leaves
turn to brown, roll up, and droop as though in a winter condition; a canker is formed, and
the infected areas quickly die |
| pine
bark aphids |
|
a sap-sucking insect which can be up to 1/4"
in length, and attacks the branches and twigs of trees |
| pine tip
borer |
|
caterpillars that burrow down the center of the
lateral shoots in pine and related species causing them to wilt and to die back |
| pinnate |
 |
consisting of several leaflets arranged on each
side of a petiole; generally refers to compound leaves |
| Pythium |
|
soil-borne fungi that causes damping-off |
| pod |
 |
a general term which refers to a dry,
dehiscent fruit |
| pome |
 |
a type of fleshy fruit represented by the
apple, pear, and related genera, resulting from a compound ovary |
| pompons |
 |
chrysanthemum blooms that are small
ball-shaped with tightly packed florets |
| potassium deficiency |
    |
A yellowing and speckling of the leaves, which actually burns
the leaves, reflecting a deficiency of potassium in the soil; to correct, treat soil with
a fertilizer containing potassium |
| powdery
mildew |
 |
fungal disease that produces spots or white
patches on leaves, shoots and other plant parts |
| pubescent |
|
covered with fine hairs |
| raceme |
 |
simple, indeterminate inflorescence with
pedicelled flowers |
| reflexed |
|
chrysanthemum blooms with petals that overlap
and fall or are curved outward |
| reniform |
|
kidney-shaped |
| rhizome |
 |
an underground stem that bears nodes, buds,
or scale-like leaves |
| rock gardens |
|
sunny, sandy, or dry garden spots having
either a natural or placed rock outcropping |
| root rot |
|
soil borne pathogens that attack the roots and
lower stems, particularly young plants that are over-watered or overcrowded |
| rosette |
 |
a crown of leaves radiating from a stem
at or close to the surface of the ground |
| rust |
|
fungal disease occurring mainly on leaves;
characteristically has orange coloration hence the name rust |
| samara |
 |
an indehiscent winged fruit |
| sandy loam |
|
a soil containing much sand, but which has enough
silt and clay to make it somewhat coherent |
| scale |
 |
sap-feeding insects that live under shell-like
scales on stems, bark and leaves |
| scalloped |
 |
one of a consecutive series of circular
protrusions; often refers to the margins of leaves or flowers |
| scape |
|
specialized leafless and node less stem supporting
flowers; usually from a bulb |
| screens |
|
shrubs grown as a tall hedge to form a
barrier |
| seedlings |
 |
a young plant grown from seed |
| semi-evergreen |
|
green for only part of the winter, or only
part of the foliage fully evergreen |
| serrate |
 |
saw-toothed; teeth pointed forward |
| simple |
 |
usually refers to a leaf that is not compound
or an inflorescence that is not branched |
| single |
|
chrysanthemum blooms with rows of ray florets
surrounding a center of disc florets as in a daisy |
| slugs |
|
mollusks which are related to the common land
snail, but worm-like and with a rudimentary shell, or no shell at all |
| softwood
cuttings |
 |
vegetative propagation where a cutting is taken
from a green, or immature, stem of a woody plant and is genetically similar to the parent
plant |
| sooty mold |
|
black, powdery, fungi which is supported by
honeydew produced by aphids, spidermites, whiteflies, and mealybugs |
| species |
|
a natural group of plants composed of similar
individuals which can produce similar offspring; usually including several minor
variations |
| specimen
plants |
 |
plants that can stand alone, acting
individually as a focal point |
| spines |
|
modified leaf or stem forming a woody, sharp
point; may also refer to points on a leaf |
| spidermites |
 |
tiny relatives of spiders, 1/50";
weakens plants, sometimes causing leaf drop; damage first appears as yellow specks on
leaves, later leaves are bronzed or turn yellow or white with brown edges; webs may also
cover leaves |
| spikes |
 |
unbranched, elongated, simple, indeterminate
inflorescence with sessile flowers |
| spreading
growth habit |
|
growth habit of a plant where the stems or runners
spread laterally across the ground; vegetative propagation takes place if stems become
rooted when touching the ground |
| spur |
 |
a tubular or saclike projection from a
flower; usually from a sepal or petal |
| stalks |
|
a supporting unit of a leaf, flower, or fruit |
| standards |
 |
a part of the inner whorl of the perianth,
usually upright |
| stem rot |
 |
a soil borne disease which attacks mature stems
and results in the stems literally rotting away |
| stem-tip
cutting |
|
a cutting taken from an herbaceous plant tip for
the purpose of propagation |
| stippled |
|
speckled or flecked color on leaves |
| succulent |
|
fleshy, usually thick and juicy |
| sulfer deficiency |
 |
A yellowing of the newer leaves, which overtime may appera as
a pale yellow to almost green, reflecting a deficiency of sulfer in the soil; to correct,
treat soil with a sulfate |
| tender
perennials |
|
perennials which are not temperature hardy
and die like an annual in colder temperatures |
| terminal |
|
distal or at the tip |
| terminate |
|
come to an end |
| thrips |
|
very small, thin insects that feed on sap and
cause damage to foliage and flowers |
| tomentose |
|
densely woolly; the hairs soft and
matted |
| toothed |
|
refers to a margin that is broken up into
small, regular segments |
| topiary |
 |
ornamental pruning or hedging of plants into
various shapes (generally refers to shrubs) |
| trailing |
|
prostrate and not rooting |
| twig
girdlers |
|
beetles which eat through a branch or removes the
bark of a tree or shrub |
| upright |
|
vertical growth |
| umbel |
 |
indeterminate inflorescence having a rounded
or flat top, with the pedicles and peduncles arising from the same point; resembles the
stays of an umbrella |
| unlobed |
|
not possessing a lobed
margin; smooth margin |
| variegated |
|
having two or more colors; may appear as
marks, patches, or streaks |
| variety |
|
subdivision of a species having a distinct
though often inconspicuous difference, and breeding true to that difference |
| vascular
cambium |
|
cylindrical area in stems, branches and trunks of
woody plants where cell division occurs causing radial growth; xylem and phloem are
produced here as well |
| viral infections |
|
infections caused by viruses are untreatable and may produce
any of a number of symptoms including yellowing of leaves, stunted and malformed growth;
generally transmitted by insect vectors |
| waxy |
 |
a thin film or covering |
| webworms |
|
communities of caterpillars that form large webs
or "tents" |
| well-drained |
|
soil that infiltrates water readily |
| wheel-like
petals |
 |
round petals having the appearance of a wheel |
| whitefly |
|
small, sucking, winged insect |
| xylem |
 |
water conducting tissue in woody plants |
| zonal |
 |
having a form of zone or boundary on the
leaf |
