Plant Basics

Plants are usually divided into two categories: vascular and non-vascular. While these two types of plant have some different characteristics, such as having cells that transfer water from one...

Tropical palm plants are a popular choice for indoor planters. They require slightly more care and attention than other houseplants, but are still relatively easy to grow. However, palm plants...

Crimson clover is used as a cover crop, green manure, pollinator enhancement and forage crop for livestock. It is a short lived perennial, and can survive for two to four years, depending upon...

Edible fruit baskets have replaced the bouquet of flowers as the table centerpiece in many homes. With worldwide shipping and overseas fruit production, it is possible to have fresh tasty fruit...

Hanging plants are great for enhancing design and sprucing up a room. According to Umd.edu, they can add a great visual element that is lacking in conventional flora. You may have seen different...

Swedish ivy, or Plectranthus australis, propagates easily from cuttings. The lush, bright green foliage makes Swedish ivy a favorite among house plants. Take cuttings from Swedish ivy to replace a...

The lingonberry is a tough, easy to care for fruiting groundcover. They are perfect for areas of partial shade and acid soil, and are easy to grow and propagate.

Preparing bareroot nursery stock sets you on the path to growing a healthy garden. Bareroot stocks are popular among gardeners, because they are often less expensive then container grown plants....

A wide variety of fungi live in the soil and can take up residence in your plants. Infection can sometimes be prevented through application of chemical solutions early in the growing season. ...

From the day the dove returned to Noah with an olive branch (a symbol of peace), humans have had an ongoing love affair with the olive tree. Best suited to grow in Mediterranean climates, olive...

Succulents make an ideal house plant because most are resilient and require little care and attention. With over 60 families and 300 genera there are many different varieties to choose from, each...

If you own a home with a yard or garden, chances are good that you're anxious to spruce up that land with flowers, plants, vegetables or a lawn. Plants, flowers and vegetables can also be grown...

Every plant has different requirements and preferences as to soil type, moisture, sunlight and temperatures. Some plants are easier to grow and cultivate in sandy soil.

Mung beans are best known in their sprouted form, when they're referred to as bean sprouts. Mung beans are most commonly grown in in warm, arid environments such as India and Asia, and are used...

Taking stem cuttings is an efficient and inexpensive way to propagate a new plant, and is easy enough for beginning gardeners. With just a few basic tools, you can replicate a plant that you've...

Gardeners are always on the lookout for pests that can eat and destroy outdoor plants and flowers. The most common pests that can infect elephant ear plants are mites, mealy bugs and aphids....

The peat moss used in gardening is actually decomposed sphagnum moss. Peat moss retains moisture without becoming soggy. It is also sterile so does not harbor plant diseases, which makes it well...

You love gardening. What you don't love is organizing the many seeds you have for your garden. You buy seeds when they are on sale and sometimes you forget what you have at home. One way to...

Identifying a plant may seem like a daunting task. However, if you break the plant down into more manageable pieces you will begin to notice small features that can help you make a positive...

Geraniums are as beloved for their fragrance as they are for their attractive, often velvety leaves and colorful blooms. Many geraniums have a pleasant, rose-like odor that emanates from the...

Cane plants are also known as Massangeana cane, Fragrans cane, Dracaena cane or Arundinaria gigantean (giant cane). The Fragrans cane is variegated with yellow stripes. Fragrans occasionally...

Mold on houseplants is a problem that is important to overcome. Mold will grow on houseplants on a screened porch because the porch is prone to moisture, and excess moisture allows mold to grow...

Topiaries are small varieties of trees that are trained to grow into nontraditional shapes. Topiaries can range in size from small potted plants to larger outdoor trees. The practice of training...

Eastern redbud trees grow 20 to 30 feet tall with light to dark pink flowers blooming in the spring. The tree is particularly susceptible to the scale pest. Adult scales appear as little bumps on...

The color, shape and fragrance of a flower is important and even vital to its survival. This is because in order for the plant to make seeds and reproduce, male pollen has to be transferred in...

Warm season grasses are those that mature and go to seed during the warm seasons of the year, i.e., summer into early fall. Two dominant grasses in tallgrass prairie are big bluestem and Indian...

Double knock out roses are hardy, easy to care for shrub roses valued for their double flowers. They have a pleasing fragrance and are quickly becoming one of the more popular varieties of roses...

French lavender plants are perennials that thrive in warm climates, yet can be brought indoors during winters in zones outside of 8 through 10. Blooms begin in midsummer and produce gorgeous...

Skunk cabbage is a perennial plant that likes to grow at the edges of streams, ponds and marshes. It produces its own heat and as such is one of the first plants to bloom in late winter. The plant...

Save money by harvesting seeds for next year. Give gifts of seed packets to gardeners, or trade them for other types of seeds. Take the right steps to gather good quality seeds, pack them...

White licorice plants have long, green leaves, grow to 1 to 2 feet tall and wide and do not produce flowers. They are most often used to offset other plants and for edging around gardens. The...

Telegraphs plants, also called semaphore plants or Codariocalyx motorius, are tropical shrubs native to Asia. They are unique in that the leaves have special hinges allowing them to move--at...

Heritage raspberry plants are a recently developed breed of raspberries. Heritage raspberries are hardy bushes that produce large, juice raspberries. The bushes are vigorous, and can thrive in...

Spanish moss is a hanging plant that inhabits the trees of the southeastern states, from Texas to Florida. This Bromeliaceae family member is a welcome addition to many projects, such as packing...

Leftover seeds and seeds harvested from heirloom and other favorite flowers and vegetables should be stored in a sealed paper or plastic envelope, and labeled clearly to ensure that they will be...

Even the healthiest, most vigorous and cold-hardy plant will be shocked by the move from a warm, sunlight room to an outdoor, unheated greenhouse. The temperatures will be colder, especially at...

You can preserve the harvest of your garden by drying items like fruits and flowers. Fruits are an ideal food to preserve because you can choose edibles that are not always in season and dehydrate...

Green plants come in many kinds of shapes and sizes, ranging from the giant redwood, which towers over 300 feet high, to minuscule algae organisms, which are only visible under a microscope.

Since milk is chock-full of vitamins and minerals, it is only natural to wonder if plants would get an extra boost if hydrated with it instead of water. Milk is full of protein and fats, which...

There are over 50 varieties of Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). Boston fern, also known as sword fern, comes in many different sizes and shapes. Some are small and compact, while others are...

The hardy kiwi differs from the kiwifruit in size and flavor. Kiwi fruit do not grow as well in North America as they do in Asia, but amateur horticulturalists and the average home gardener are...

For many people, gardening is one of the most relaxing and beautiful experiences in their lives. Every garden is an individual statement about who its owner is as a person and what her tastes are....

Wild fennel is delicious, but is so prominent across most of this country that it's considered by some to be a weed. Like dandelion greens, it can be delicious when harvested and treated by...

The crown of thorns plant, also known as the Christ plant, is as unique as it is popular. It is a succulent that originates from Madagascar and comes from the plant genus Euphorbia. With its woody...

Buying plants by the flat can be a convenient and affordable way to purchase annuals for your garden.

The average watermelon available for purchase in a store are deep pink to red inside. However, to some people's surprise, they cut open the oblong melon to find that it is yellow inside.

Campanula alpina is a biennial plant that takes its name from the bell-shaped flowers it produces. A biennial plant takes two years to grow from the seed to full bloom before dying. Biennials last...

Viable seeds are the products of successful fertilization in flowering plants using sexual reproduction. In many plants, a seed will have two individual parents; and in others it will have only...

If lime green algae begins to cover the surface of your pond, it most likely indicates your pond has a healthy crop of filamentous algae. Also called blanket weed, filamentous algae is common in...

Broccoli sprouts are highly nutritious and are crunchy and tasty in salads and sandwiches. Although they are sometimes available in health food stores, they can be difficult to find in grocery...