Plant Basics

An African violet is a lovely accent for home or office. Easy to take care of, its blossoms can be enjoyed in every season; send a plant as a gift for any occasion. Perhaps you would like to give...

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...

Angel wing, or cane, begonias are among the oldest and easiest grown types in the family. Although they grow in various sizes, all feature sturdy bamboo-like stems and bold, pointed angel...

Planting a pineapple at home is a simple process, and to begin, all you need to do is buy a pineapple. The stem of the plant is the part which is rooted in the soil. You cannot just rip the stem...

Many ornamental plants can be propagated with stem cuttings. Many trailing plants, shrubs and even conifers root well with stem cuttings; most tree varieties present more of a challenge. There are...

Layering is a simple method of propagating many different plants. To perform simple layering, pull a long stem towards the soil and cover it partially with soil until it roots. This method is very...

Sedum thrives in full sun but happily tolerates partial shade. It is drought resistant and grows well in poor, dry soil. It blooms each year with minimal care, growing at a stately, but never...

The angel wing begonia is beloved for its large, showy, winglike leaves--dark green with silver speckles and crimson undersides--and for its delicate flowers that range from white to red. The...

Rhododendrons are flowering shrubs and trees that produce vibrant-colored blooms for short periods of time each spring. One of the more common varieties of the rhododendron plant is the azalea,...

The shrimp plant is an easy to grow, evergreen tropical shrub, native to Mexico. Typically, used as an ornamental plant, it will grow to 5 feet tall and bloom in shades of muted red, brown and...

The dragon plant, also known as Dracaena, is a popular houseplant that cleans the air by removing toxins and replacing them with fresh oxygen. Dragon plants grow well in mildly acidic soil and...

A plant rooter is a water-holding container that allows you to place the stem end of a plant cutting in water so that it will develop roots. You can place the newly rooted plant in a flowerpot...

We have all experienced this---we are out in our yard, park or woods enjoying nature when we come across a plant we have not seen before. We look at it for clues but just cannot figure out what it...

Most perennial plant cuttings are made during the spring, when plants are moving from dormancy into full growth mode. If you have plants outdoors that are leggy or have otherwise served their...

There are over 250,000 species of plants according to Science and Plants for Schools. Plants serve many purposes such as producing foods, producing natural antiseptics such as aloe vera or for...

Rooting plant cuttings in water is a simple task that anybody can do. Give your household plants a much-needed trim and save money by reproducing more of the plants you already love. While not all...

In a world that is becoming more environmentally oriented by the minute, people are planting more and more gardens. Be they decorative or otherwise, the demand for plants and trees is higher than...

Plants that reproduce with a flower, called angiosperms, are traditionally classified as monocotlydon or dicotlydon (monocot or dicot, for short). The terms indicate whether the seed will sprout...

Some botanists refer to the three main parts of a plant as the roots, the stem and the fruit. This view can be expanded to include the leaves as a distinct and separate feature.

Plants produced from cuttings can save time and effort over plants produced from seed and ensure that favorable characteristics are included in new plantings. Always use a sterile, soilless mix;...

Growing plant cuttings is also known as plant propagation. It is an economical way to get new plants without having to make a new purchase. Many gardeners use plant cuttings to fill in spaces in...

Impatiens are the ideal flower for shaded areas in your yard; they will brighten the area with profuse blooms in shades of white, orange, pink and red from early summer to fall. Impatiens require...

According to North Dakota State University, lilacs have been prized by Americans since the 1750s when they were introduced in American Botanical Gardens. Common as a decorative shrub in yards...

Yucca plants are known for their resilience. The nice thing about this resilience is that when you're ready to propagate your yucca plant, you can do it without doing too much harm to the plant....

Many people enjoy growing grapes. They look lovely, and as an added bonus, they're tasty. However, they also do require a bit of regular maintenance, and part of that is keeping them pruned....

Taking cuttings from plant stems to produce new plants is a popular way of adding to your stocks at minimal cost. It is a good way of producing additional plants from a parent plant that is of...

That gorgeous houseplant you bought at the nursery is growing like a weed. The problem is that it is growing straight up, and is beginning to look a little leggy. Don't worry: All your plant needs...

You started your tomato seeds inside too early, and now they're leggy--pale and stretched out, with more stem than leaf. This can happy to any vegetables, flowering plants or house plants. Lack of...

Carnations are popular cut flowers, and you'll often see them in button holes and corsages. Not only is it possible to find all varieties of pink, red, and variegated carnations, if you start with...

Greeks used lavender as a laxative and Romans used it as stomach remedy. We grow it today for its wonderful fragrance. This native of Mesopotamia, requires a bit of skill in cooler climates,...

Many people who wish to decorate their homes with plants complain that they have "no luck" when it comes to caring for houseplants. It's possible that they might have purchased an unhealthy plant...

Propagating plants divides one plant and creates another from a leaf or a portion of the stem. Propagating allows you to grow a second plant that's identical to the main plant, which is one way to...

English ivy is a popular plant for indoors and outdoors. English ivy was a popular houseplant in the Victorian days. It's easy to care for and easy to propagate. The trailing vines of English ivy...

With some plants, you can grow a new plant with just the leaf. You can multiply your plants with this method, one form of propagation. Kids can do this as a science experiment for school or just...

Some plants either grow too tall for their allotted space or grow into an unattractive shape. Layering your plant will give you the opportunity to reshape the plant and get a new cutting that can...