Types Of Plants

Consider this. You move out of your home one sunny morning and find no plants and an absolute green-less environment. Everything so blue and nothing blissful. Choking isn’t it? That’s exactly the difference what plants bring in to our living. None of us are unknown to one of the most important sources of oxygen called plants, though we do not take a minute before chopping them off rudely. The fundamental building blocks of life on earth, plants are one category of life forms that belong to the kingdom Plantae. Depending upon their foliage, colors, and uses, plants are categorized into different species and kinds. Right from microscopic algae to huge sequoia trees measuring 8 m tall, plants are found in different types across the globe. Read on to know the various kinds of plants.

 

 

Plants that live for one year or less are categorized into annuals. In short, annuals are seasonal flowering plants that bear flowers only for three to four months. Cultivated through seeds, annuals grow, bloom, make more seeds, and die; the entire cycle being carried out in one year’s time. These plants generally find their place in gardens as they add color, effect, and change the entire layout. Asters, dianthus, bachelor button, phlox, balsam, basil, cosmos, petunia, marigold, and salvias are some examples of annuals.

 

Biennials are plants that last for two years. Their cycle of growing from seed to fruition, including blooming and death, takes place over a period of two years. Just like annuals, biennials are also seasonal flowering plants, though they flower only during the second year of planting. Foxglove, Echium wildpretti, parsely, carrot, celery, and mustard are some biennials. Speaking botanically, some biennials are short-lived perennials.

 

The perennial has been derived from the Latin term ‘perennis’, which means ‘many years’. Flowering plants that live for years and bear flowers season after season are called perennials. These plants, once planted, need not be replanted every year. Most of them start bearing flowers after two years when they are old enough to bloom. However, if you wish to change the layout of your garden frequently or occasionally, perennials should not be your pick. Examples of perennials include bleeding heart, water lily, gerbera, geranium, anthurium, spearmint, sage, borage, and gingerroot.

 

Woody plants smaller than trees and having short stems with branches reaching almost to ground level are termed as shrubs. Shrubs are further sub-classified into flowering and ornamental. Flowering shrubs are those plants, which bear flowers almost throughout the year. They are distinguished by their bushy shape and size. They bear a rich array of flowers, fruits, and foliage round the year, thereby presenting a low-fuss and eye-catching framework in any garden design. Examples include ixora, mosanda, pentas, hibiscus, and lantana. Talking about ornamental shrubs, they do not flower, though they provide a classy ornamental look due to their evergreen foliage and creative shapes. Juniperus, tuja compacta, eranthemum, aralia, acalypha hispida, and croton are some examples.

 

As the name suggests, creepers are best used for growing along the top of the compound walls, covering the entire walls, or forming an intricate entrance arch. Bignonia venusta, Allamanda, Passiflora, Jacquemontia, and Bougainvilleas are some popular varieties of creepers. On the other hand, climbers are plants that grow only with a support due to their soft stems. They find something else to grow on, may be other plants, wall, or trellis. Common examples include Clerodendrum thomsoniae (Bleeding Heart), Cissus rhombifolia (Grape Ivy), Jasminum multipartitum (Starry Wild Jasmine), and Clematis montana (Clematis).

 

Bulbs are specific stem structures that are planted beneath the soil and always stay underground. The roots grow downwards from the bulb, while the stem and the leaves move upwards. Bulb plants grow, flower, the leaves remain for sometime and disappear for the next complete year. Common examples are daffodils, tulips, and bluebells. Bulbs are further categorized into real bulbs, corms, and tubers and tuberous roots. Real bulbs are created in layers with an outer scale, such as onion, tulip, and lily. Corms appear to be bulbs from outside though they have a different structure within, such as crocus and gladiolus. Tubers and tuberous roots bear stems or roots that store food. Examples include potato, dahlia, and tuberous begonia.