Asterids facts for kids

Impatiens balsamina is an asterid plant.

Oregano is a common asterid herb.

Asterids are a very large group of flowering plants. They are a major branch of plants called eudicots. Think of them as a big family tree of plants. This family includes many plants you see every day.

What Are Asterids?

Asterids are a special group of flowering plants. Scientists use a system called cladistics to group them. This means all asterids share a common ancestor. They form a single, natural group. This group is called a monophyletic group.

How Many Asterids Are There?

There are many different types of asterids. In the traditional way of classifying plants, there are 17 main groups, or orders. These orders contain thousands of different plant species.

Common Asterid Plants You Might Know

You probably know many asterid plants already! This group includes lots of important plants.

• Food plants: Many vegetables and herbs come from asterids. These include potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers. You also find sweet potato and coffee plants here.
• Herbs and spices: Many kitchen herbs are asterids. Think of mint, basil, rosemary, garden sage, and oregano.
• Beautiful flowers: Many popular garden flowers are asterids. Examples include forget-me-nots and petunias.
• Other useful plants: This group also includes plants like tobacco, lavender, lilac, olive trees, jasmine, honeysuckle, ash trees, and teak wood trees.

Asterids are a huge and important part of the plant world. They provide us with food, medicine, and beauty.

See also

In Spanish: Astéridas para niños