Gardening enthusiasts have their own jargon, as do many other hobbyists. Some of these terms can be confusing, especially to the gardening newcomer. So here’s a brief list of terms that all gardeners should be familiar with.<\/p>\n
Annual — Plant that completes its life cycle from seed germination to seed production in one growing season.<\/p>\n
Biennial — Plant that completes its life cycle over two growing seasons; usually produces only vegetation its first season, then flowers and fruits the second season, and then dies.<\/p>\n
Bulb — Underground plant structure made up of modified stem and leaves for storing carbohydrates.<\/p>\n
Bud — Undeveloped shoot with leaves (vegetative) or flowers (floral).<\/p>\n
Conifer — Plant whose fruiting structure is a cone.<\/p>\n
Cultivar — Cultivated variety; chosen for a feature(s) that varies from its species.<\/p>\n
Deciduous — Plant that loses all of its leaves annually.<\/p>\n
Dormant — Reduced state of physiological activity.<\/p>\n
Evergreen — Plant that retains at least some of its foliage throughout the year.<\/p>\n
Herbaceous — Plant that dies back to the ground at the end of the growing season (can be annual or perennial).<\/p>\n
Horticulture — Art and science of growing ornamental plants, vegetables and fruits.<\/p>\n
Hybrid — Result from the interbreeding of two distinct species, cultivars or varieties.<\/p>\n
Mulch — Cover placed on top of soil and\/or around growing plants to suppress weed growth, conserve soil moisture, and\/or modify temperature.<\/p>\n
Native — Plant species indigenous to a specific geographic area and, thus, generally best adapted to those local conditions.<\/p>\n
Perennial — Plant that lives for more than two growing seasons; can have multiple seed stages.<\/p>\n
Photosynthesis — Process by which plants convert light energy, carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates.<\/p>\n
Pinch — Removal of young stem tips.<\/p>\n
Plant Propagation — Increase in the number of plants, using seed, stem, leaf, root or other plant tissue.<\/p>\n
Shrub — Woody perennial plant with multiple main stems, generally smaller than a tree.<\/p>\n
Tree — Woody perennial plant with one or very few main stem(s).<\/p>\n
Wildflower — Plant species that grows and reproduces on its own, without human intervention.<\/p>\n
Woody Plant — Plant whose stems persist from year to year, adding layers of cells each season<\/p>\n
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