Ornamental plant

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Ornamental petunia plant Petunie.jpg
Ornamental petunia plant

Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty [1] but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that improve on the original species in qualities such as color, shape, scent, and long-lasting blooms. There are many examples of fine ornamental plants that can provide height, privacy, and beauty for any garden. These ornamental perennial plants have seeds that allow them to reproduce. One of the beauties of ornamental grasses is that they are very versatile and low maintenance. [2] Almost all types of plant have ornamental varieties: trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses, succulents, aquatic plants, herbaceous perennials and annual plants. Non-botanical classifications include houseplants, bedding plants, hedges, plants for cut flowers and foliage plants. The cultivation of ornamental plants comes under floriculture and tree nurseries, which is a major branch of horticulture. [3]

Contents

Ornamental trailing plant on a trellis (creeping groundsel). Senecio angulatus trellis.jpg
Ornamental trailing plant on a trellis (creeping groundsel).

Commonly, ornamental garden plants are grown for the display of aesthetic features including flowers, leaves, scent, overall foliage texture, fruit, stem and bark, and aesthetic form. [4] In some cases, unusual features may be considered to be of interest, such as the prominent thorns of Rosa sericea and cacti .

History

The cultivation of ornamental plants in gardening began in ancient civilizations around 2000 BC. [5] Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings of 1500 BC show physical evidence of ornamental horticulture and landscape design. The wealthy pharaohs of Amun had plenty of lands to grow all different kinds of ornamental plants. [6]

Cultivation

Meillandine Rose in clay pot "Meillandine" Rose in clay pot.jpg
Meillandine Rose in clay pot

Ornamental plants and trees are distinguished from utilitarian and crop plants, such as those used for agriculture and vegetable crops, and for forestry or as fruit trees. [7] This does not preclude any particular type of plant being grown both for ornamental qualities in the garden, and for utilitarian purposes in other settings. Thus lavender is typically grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, but may also be grown as a crop plant for the production of lavender oil. [8]

Ornamental plants are frequently targeted by the Japanese beetle, a notorious insect pest known for its destructive feeding habits. With a voracious appetite, Japanese beetles pose a significant threat to various plant species, including ornamental flowers, fruit-bearing trees, and agricultural crops. Their indiscriminate feeding behavior can cause extensive damage to the foliage of ornamental plants, compromising their aesthetic appeal and overall health. This widespread recognition of the Japanese beetle's impact underscores the importance of effective pest management strategies to protect ornamental gardens and landscapes from infestation. [9] [10]

The term

The term ornamental plant is used here in the same sense that it is generally used in the horticultural trades, [11] [12] in which they are often just called "ornamentals". The term largely corresponds to 'garden plant', though the latter is much less precise, as any plant may be grown in a garden. Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for display purposes, rather than functional ones. [13] While some plants are both ornamental and functional, people usually use the term "ornamental plants" to refer to plants which have no value beyond being attractive, although many people feel that this is value enough. Ornamental plants are the keystone of ornamental gardening, and they come in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors suitable to a broad array of climates, landscapes, and gardening needs.

Some ornamental plants are foliage plants grown mainly or entirely for their showy foliage; this is especially true of houseplants. Their foliage may be deciduous, turning bright orange, red, and yellow before dropping off in the fall, or evergreen, in which case it stays green year-round. Some ornamental foliage has a striking appearance created by lacy leaves or long needles, while other ornamentals are grown for distinctively colored leaves, such as silvery-gray ground covers and bright red grasses, among many others.

Other ornamental plants are cultivated for their blooms. Flowering ornamental plants are a key aspect of most gardens, with many flower gardeners preferring to plant a variety of flowers so that the garden is continuously in flower through the spring and summer. Depending on the types of plants being grown, the flowers may be subtle and delicate, or large and showy, with some ornamental plants producing distinctive aromas. Ornamental plants are beneficial. [14]

Ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses and grass-like plants are valued in home landscapes for their hardiness, ease of care, dramatic appearance, and a wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes available. [15] Many ornamental types of grass are true grasses (Poaceae), however, several other families of grass-like plants are typically marketed as ornamental grasses. These include the sedges (Cyperaceae), rushes (Juncaceae), restios (Restionaceae), and cat-tails (Typhaceae). All are monocotyledons, typically with narrow leaves and parallel veins. Most are herbaceous perennials, though many are evergreen and some develop woody tissues. Ornamental grasses are popular in many countries. They bring striking linear form, texture, color, motion, and sound to the garden, throughout the year.

Ornamental grasses are popular in many colder hardiness zones for their resilience to cold temperatures and aesthetic value throughout the fall and winter seasons. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardening</span> Practice of growing and cultivating plants

Gardening is the process of growing plants for their vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and appearances within a designated space. Gardens fulfill a wide assortment of purposes, notably the production of aesthetically pleasing areas, medicines, cosmetics, dyes, foods, poisons, wildlife habitats, and saleable goods. People often partake in gardening for its therapeutic, health, educational, cultural, philosophical, environmental, and religious benefits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese beetle</span> Species of insect

The Japanese beetle is a species of scarab beetle. Due to the presence of natural predators, the Japanese beetle is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. Some of these plants include rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, birch trees, linden trees, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groundcover</span> Plant with low spreading growth

Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horticulture</span> Small-scale cultivation of plants

Horticulture is the art and science of growing plants. This definition is seen in its etymology, which is derived from the Latin words hortus, which means "garden" and cultura which means "to cultivate". There are various divisions of horticulture because plants are grown for a variety of purposes. These divisions include, but are not limited to: gardening, plant production/propagation, arboriculture, landscaping, floriculture and turf maintenance. For each of these, there are various professions, aspects, tools used and associated challenges; Each requiring highly specialized skills and knowledge of the horticulturist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perennial</span> Plant that lives for more than two years

In botany, a perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials. Notably, it is estimated that 94% of plant species fall under the category of perennials, underscoring the prevalence of plants with lifespans exceeding two years in the botanical world.

Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. Most professional garden designers have some training in horticulture and the principles of design. Some are also landscape architects, a more formal level of training that usually requires an advanced degree and often a state license. Amateur gardeners may also attain a high level of experience from extensive hours working in their own gardens, through casual study, serious study in Master gardener programs, or by joining gardening clubs.

<i>Prunus cerasifera</i> Species of plum

Prunus cerasifera is a species of plum known by the common names cherry plum and myrobalan plum. It is native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia, and is naturalised in the British Isles and scattered locations in North America. Also naturalized in parts of SE Australia where it is considered to be a mildly invasive weed of bushland near urban centers. P. cerasifera is believed to one of the parents of the Cultivated Plum, Prunus domestica perhaps crossing with the sloe, Prunus spinosa, or perhaps the sole parent. This would make it a parent of most of the commercial varieties of plum in the UK and mainland Europe - Victoria, greengages, bullace etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornamental grass</span> Grass grown as an ornamental plant

Ornamental grasses are grasses grown as ornamental plants. Ornamental grasses are popular in many colder hardiness zones for their resilience to cold temperatures and aesthetic value throughout fall and winter seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry P. Leu Gardens</span> United States historic place

The Harry P. Leu Gardens are semi-tropical and tropical gardens in Orlando, Florida, United States. The gardens contain nearly 50 acres (200,000 m2) of landscaped grounds and lakes, with trails shaded by 200-year-old oaks and forests of camellias. They are open to the public. The address is 1920 North Forest Avenue Orlando, FL 32803.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottage garden</span> Distinct style of garden

The cottage garden is a distinct style that uses informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, it depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure. Homely and functional gardens connected to cottages go back centuries, but their stylized reinvention occurred in 1870s England, as a reaction to the more structured, rigorously maintained estate gardens with their formal designs and mass plantings of greenhouse annuals.

<i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> Species of plant

Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender ; also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender.

<i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> Species of plant

Vaccinium corymbosum, the northern highbush blueberry, is a North American species of blueberry which has become a food crop of significant economic importance. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern and southern United States, from Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south as far as Florida and eastern Texas. It is also naturalized in other places: Europe, Japan, New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest of North America, etc. Other common names include blue huckleberry, tall huckleberry, swamp huckleberry, high blueberry, and swamp blueberry.

This is an alphabetical index of articles related to gardening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchen garden</span> Garden area used for growing edible plants

The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for growing edible plants and often some medicinal plants, especially historically. The plants are grown for domestic use; though some seasonal surpluses are given away or sold, a commercial operation growing a variety of vegetables is more commonly termed a market garden. The kitchen garden is different not only in its history, but also its functional design. It differs from an allotment in that a kitchen garden is on private land attached or very close to the dwelling. It is regarded as essential that the kitchen garden could be quickly accessed by the cook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floral industry</span> Industry of producing, distributing, and selling flowers

The floral industry is focused on the production, distribution and sale of flowers for human enjoyment. The floral industry began in the Golden Century of the Netherlands, where flowers were grown on a large scale on vast estates. The industry continues to diversify from the production of cut flowers to the production and sale of plants and flowers in many different forms. The global floral industry market size is estimated to be worth US$ 50040 million in 2022 and is forecast to increase to US$ 58030 million by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate of 2.5% during the review period.

<i>Ulmus americana</i> Princeton American elm cultivar

The American Elm cultivar Ulmus americana 'Princeton' was originally selected in 1922 by New Jersey nurseryman William Flemer of Princeton Nurseries for its aesthetic merit. 'Princeton' was later found to have a moderate resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornamental Gardens</span>

The Ornamental Gardens are an agricultural facility that emphasizes research, education, and beauty as part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Central Experimental Farm. As the name indicates, the gardens are centrally located in and now surrounded by the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The 8 acres garden is a National Historic Site and Cultural Heritage Landscape.

<i>Liriope muscari</i> Species of flowering plant

Liriope muscari is a species of flowering plant from East Asia. Common names in English include big blue lilyturf, lilyturf, border grass, and monkey grass. This small herbaceous perennial has grass-like evergreen foliage and lilac-purple flowers which produce single-seeded berries on a spike in the fall. It is invasive to North America and considered a threat to native wildlife.

<i>Celtica gigantea</i> Species of grass

Celtica gigantea, commonly called giant feather grass, giant needle grass, or golden oats, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. It is still widely referenced in the horticultural literature under its synonym Stipa gigantea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodscaping</span> Ornamental landscaping with edible plants

Foodscaping is a modern term for the practice of integrating edible plants into ornamental landscapes. It is also referred to as edible landscaping and has been described as a crossbreed between landscaping and farming. As an ideology, foodscaping aims to show that edible plants are not only consumable but can also be appreciated for their aesthetic qualities. Foodscaping spaces are seen as multi-functional landscapes which are visually attractive and also provide edible returns. Foodscaping is a great way to provide fresh food in an affordable way.

References

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  2. "The Best Ornamental Grasses for Low-Maintenance Beauty". www.monrovia.com. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  3. "Ornamentals - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.ScienceDirect.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  4. "Landscape Ornamentals - MREC - UF/IFAS - the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS". mrec.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  5. "Ornamental Plants: Home page". www.ndsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  6. "Ornamental Plants: Home page". www.ndsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  7. "Supplemental Information 3: An excerpt from the Data Downloads page, where users can download original datasets". PeerJ. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9467/supp-3 .
  8. "Lavender: History, Taxonomy, and Production". newcropsorganics.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  9. "Japanese beetle - Popillia japonica". entnemdept.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  10. Anju, Poudel (March 2023). "Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)" (PDF).
  11. "ornamental". The Free Dictionary.
  12. "Ornamental Plants". The Free Dictionary.
  13. "What are Ornamental Plants? (with pictures)". Home Questions Answered. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  14. "Growing Ornamental Plants - A Beginners Guide | Agri Farming". www.Agri farming.in. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  15. "Ornamental Grasses and Grass-like Plants". Home & Garden Information Center | Clemson University, South Carolina. August 27, 2017. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  16. "Ornamental Grasses". Bluestem Nursery. Retrieved 10 October 2017.

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