Flower Glossary |
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Annual A plant that completes its life cycle in one year or season. Arboretum A landscaped space where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific study, educational purposes, and to foster appreciation of plants. Axil The area between a leaf and the stem from which the leaf arises. Bract A leaf-like structure that grows below a flower or cluster of flowers that is often colorful. Colored bracts attract pollinators and are often mistaken for petals. Poinsettia and flowering dogwood are examples of plants with prominent bracts. Cold Hardy Capable of withstanding cold weather conditions. Conifers Plants that predate true flowering plants in evolution; conifers lack true flowers and produce seperate male and female strobili or cones. Some conifers, such as yews, have fruits enclosed in a fleshy aril. Cultivar A cultivated variety of a plant selected for some feature that distinguishes it from the species from which it was selected. Deciduous Having leaves that fall off or are shed seasonally to avoid adverse weather conditions such as cold or drought. Herbaceous Having little or no woody tissue. Most plants grown as perennials or annuals are herbaceous. Hybrid A plant or group of plants that results from the interbreeding of two distinct cultivars, varieties, species, or genera. Inflorescence A floral axis that contains many individual flowers in a specific arrangement; also a flower cluster. Native Plant A plant that lives or grows naturally in a particular region without direct or indirect human intervention. Panicle A pyramidal, loosely branched flower cluster; a panicle is a type of inflorescence.
Perennial Persisting for several years, usually dying back to a
perennial crown during the winter and initiating new growth each spring. Source: U.S. National Arboretum |
Parts of a Flower