List of garden plants in North America facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A garden is a special place where people grow plants for many reasons! It could be for beautiful flowers, tasty fruits and vegetables, or just to make the area look nice. This list helps you discover some of the amazing plants you might find in gardens across North America.

When we talk about plants, we often use their scientific names. A genus (say: JEE-nus) is a group of plants that are closely related, like a family. Each plant in a genus has a unique scientific name, usually in italic letters. For example, all Acer plants are maples, but there are many different kinds of maples!

Amazing Garden Plants from A to Z

Gardens are full of incredible plants! Here's a look at some popular and interesting ones, listed by their genus name.

Plants Starting with A

Many plants starting with 'A' are popular in gardens.

Acer (maple): These are famous for their beautiful leaves, especially in autumn when they turn bright red, orange, and yellow. Maples are often grown for shade or as ornamental trees.
Achillea (yarrow): Yarrow plants have flat-topped clusters of small flowers, often in yellow, white, or pink. They are tough plants that can handle dry conditions.
Agave: Agaves are spiky plants, often found in desert gardens. They store water in their thick leaves and can grow very large. Some types are used to make tequila!
Allium (onion): This group includes not just onions, but also garlic, chives, and ornamental alliums with round, purple flower heads that look like lollipops!
Aloe: Aloes are succulents, meaning they have thick, fleshy leaves that hold water. Aloe vera is a well-known type, used for its soothing gel.
Alstroemeria: Also known as Peruvian lilies, these flowers come in many vibrant colors and are often used in bouquets because they last a long time.
Anemone (windflower): These delicate flowers come in various colors and bloom in spring or fall, swaying gently in the breeze.
Antirrhinum (snapdragon): Snapdragons get their name because their flowers look like a dragon's mouth that snaps open when you squeeze them. Kids love them!
Aquilegia (columbine): Columbines have unique, bell-shaped flowers with spurs that look like tiny bird claws. They attract hummingbirds.

Plants Starting with B

Bambusa (bamboo): Bamboo is a fast-growing grass known for its strong, hollow stems. It can be used for privacy screens or as a decorative plant.
Banksia: These Australian native plants have unique, cone-shaped flower heads that are full of nectar, attracting birds and insects.
Begonia: Begonias are popular for their colorful leaves and flowers, which can be grown indoors or outdoors in shady spots.
Bellis (daisy): The classic daisy, with its white petals and yellow center, is a cheerful sight in lawns and gardens.
Berberis (barberry): Barberry shrubs have thorny branches and often feature colorful leaves, berries, and small flowers.
Bignonia: This genus includes beautiful climbing vines with trumpet-shaped flowers, adding a splash of color to walls and fences.
Bougainvillea: Known for their bright, papery bracts (which look like petals but are actually modified leaves), bougainvillea are stunning in warm climates.
Brassica (mustard, cabbage): This important group includes many vegetables we eat, like cabbage, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
Buddleja: Often called the butterfly bush, this plant is a favorite of butterflies because of its long, colorful flower spikes that are full of nectar.
Buxus (boxwood): Boxwood shrubs are often used for hedges and for shaping into different forms (topiary) because of their dense, small leaves.

Plants Starting with C

Caladium: Caladiums are grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves that come in amazing combinations of green, white, pink, and red. They love shade.
Calendula (pot marigold): These cheerful orange and yellow flowers are easy to grow and can even be used in cooking or as a natural dye.
Camellia: Camellias are known for their beautiful, rose-like flowers that bloom in fall, winter, or spring, adding color when many other plants are dormant.
Campanula (bellflower): Bellflowers have charming bell-shaped or star-shaped flowers, often in shades of blue, purple, or white.
Canna: Cannas are tropical-looking plants with large, colorful leaves and bright, showy flowers. They add a dramatic touch to gardens.
Capsicum (pepper): This genus includes all kinds of peppers, from sweet bell peppers to spicy chili peppers.
Cercis (Judas tree, redbud): Redbuds are small trees famous for their early spring blooms of tiny, pink-purple flowers that appear directly on the branches.
Chrysanthemum: Often called "mums," chrysanthemums are popular fall flowers, coming in a huge variety of shapes and colors.
Citrus (lime, lemon): Citrus trees are grown for their fragrant flowers and delicious, juicy fruits like lemons, oranges, and limes.
Clematis: Clematis are beautiful climbing vines with large, showy flowers that can cover trellises and walls.
Clivia: Clivias are known for their clusters of bright orange or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring.
Crocus: These small, cup-shaped flowers are among the first to bloom in spring, often pushing through melting snow.
Cyclamen: Cyclamen plants have unique, upswept petals and often heart-shaped leaves. They are popular houseplants and garden plants in mild climates.
Cypripedium (lady's slipper): These are beautiful and rare orchids with a distinctive pouch-like petal that looks like a slipper.

Plants Starting with D

Dahlia: Dahlias are known for their incredible variety of flower shapes, sizes, and colors, from tiny pompons to huge dinner-plate blooms.
Daphne: Daphnes are shrubs prized for their intensely fragrant flowers, which often bloom in late winter or early spring.
Delphinium: Delphiniums produce tall, stately spires of blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, making them a dramatic addition to a garden.
Dianthus (carnation, pink): This group includes carnations and "pinks," known for their ruffled petals and spicy-clove fragrance.
Dicentra (bleeding heart): Bleeding hearts have charming, heart-shaped flowers that dangle from arching stems, often in pink or white.
Digitalis (foxglove): Foxgloves produce tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers, often speckled inside, that are attractive to bees.
Diospyros (ebony, persimmon): This genus includes persimmon trees, which produce sweet, edible fruits in the fall.
Dischidia: Some Dischidia species are known as "ant plants" because they form hollow structures where ants can live, in exchange for nutrients.
Drosera (sundew): Sundews are fascinating carnivorous plants that catch insects with sticky tentacles on their leaves.

Plants Starting with E

Echinacea (coneflower): Coneflowers are daisy-like flowers with a prominent central cone, often in purple, pink, or white. They are great for attracting pollinators.
Echinops (globe thistle): These plants have unique, spherical flower heads that look like spiky blue or white globes.
Erica (heath/heather): Heaths and heathers are low-growing shrubs with tiny, bell-shaped flowers, often used for ground cover.
Erythrina (coral tree): Coral trees are known for their bright, often red or orange, pea-like flowers that bloom in clusters.
Eschscholzia (California poppy): California poppies have silky, cup-shaped flowers, usually in bright orange or yellow, and are very easy to grow.
Eucalyptus (gum tree, ironbark): Eucalyptus trees are famous for their distinctive scent and often peeling bark. Many are native to Australia.
Euonymus: This group includes shrubs and small trees, some with colorful leaves that turn bright red or pink in the fall.
Euphorbia (spurge): This is a very diverse group, from tiny groundcovers to large, cactus-like plants. Many have interesting flower structures.

Plants Starting with F

Fagus (beech): Beech trees are large, stately trees with smooth, gray bark and beautiful, often golden, fall foliage.
Ficus (fig): This genus includes the edible fig, as well as many popular houseplants like the fiddle-leaf fig and rubber plant.
Filipendula: Also known as meadowsweet, these plants produce fluffy clusters of white or pink flowers, often with a sweet fragrance.
Forsythia: Forsythias are one of the first shrubs to bloom in spring, bursting with bright yellow flowers before their leaves appear.
Fragaria (strawberry): Who doesn't love strawberries? These plants produce delicious red berries and are a favorite in many gardens.
Fraxinus (ash): Ash trees are common shade trees, known for their strong wood.
Freesia: Freesias are popular for their beautiful, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, often used in bouquets.
Fuchsia: Fuchsias have unique, dangling, bell-shaped flowers, often in shades of pink, purple, and red, that attract hummingbirds.

Plants Starting with G

Gaillardia: Often called blanket flowers, these daisy-like blooms have bright red, orange, and yellow petals, resembling a colorful blanket.
Galanthus (snowdrop): Snowdrops are tiny, white, bell-shaped flowers that are among the very first to emerge in late winter, even through snow.
Gardenia: Gardenias are famous for their incredibly fragrant, creamy-white flowers and glossy, dark green leaves.
Gazania: Gazanias are bright, daisy-like flowers, often with bold stripes or rings of color, that open in the sun.
Gentiana (gentian): Gentians are known for their striking, often deep blue, trumpet-shaped flowers.
Geranium (cranesbill): These are true geraniums, different from the common "geraniums" (which are Pelargonium). They have lovely, five-petaled flowers and often attractive foliage.
Gerbera: Gerbera daisies are cheerful, large, daisy-like flowers that come in a wide range of bright colors.
Ginkgo: The Ginkgo tree is a living fossil, with unique fan-shaped leaves that turn brilliant gold in the fall.
Gladiolus: Gladiolus flowers grow on tall spikes, often called "sword lilies" because of their shape. They come in almost every color.
Grevillea: These Australian plants have unique, spider-like flowers and can be very drought-tolerant.
Gunnera (dinosaur food): Gunnera is famous for its enormous, rhubarb-like leaves, which can be several feet wide, making it look prehistoric.
Gypsophila: Commonly known as baby's breath, this plant produces clouds of tiny white or pink flowers, often used to fill out bouquets.

Plants Starting with H

Hamamelis (witch-hazel): Witch-hazels are shrubs or small trees known for their unique, spidery flowers that bloom in late fall or winter.
Haworthia: Haworthias are small, succulent plants with interesting patterns and textures on their leaves, often grown indoors.
Hebe: Hebes are shrubs with diverse leaf shapes and sizes, and spikes of small flowers, popular in mild climates.
Hedera (ivy): Ivy is a well-known climbing plant, often used as ground cover or to grow on walls.
Helianthus (sunflower): Sunflowers are famous for their large, bright yellow flowers that follow the sun. They can grow very tall!
Helleborus (hellebore): Hellebores, also called Lenten roses, are cherished for their beautiful, often nodding, flowers that bloom in winter and early spring.
Hemerocallis (daylily): Daylilies are easy-to-grow flowers that produce many blooms, each lasting only one day, but new ones open constantly.
Heuchera (coral flower): Heucheras are grown for their colorful, often ruffled or patterned leaves, which come in shades of green, purple, and orange.
Hibiscus (rose of Sharon): Hibiscus plants have large, showy, trumpet-shaped flowers, often seen in tropical gardens.
Hippeastrum (amaryllis): Amaryllis bulbs produce large, dramatic, trumpet-shaped flowers, often grown indoors during winter.
Hosta (plantain lily): Hostas are popular shade plants, grown mainly for their beautiful leaves, which come in many sizes, shapes, and colors.
Hydrangea: Hydrangeas are popular shrubs with large clusters of flowers, often in blue, pink, white, or purple, that can change color based on soil.
Hyacinthus (hyacinth): Hyacinths are spring-blooming bulbs with dense spikes of very fragrant, bell-shaped flowers.
Hypericum (St. John's wort): St. John's wort plants have bright yellow flowers and are often used as ground cover or small shrubs.

Plants Starting with I

Iberis (candytuft): Candytuft is a low-growing plant that produces masses of small white flowers, perfect for rock gardens or borders.
Ilex (holly): Hollies are famous for their glossy, often spiny leaves and bright red berries, especially popular during winter holidays.
Impatiens (balsam): Impatiens are popular annuals for shady spots, known for their colorful, cheerful flowers.
Inula: Inulas are daisy-like flowers, often with many narrow petals, that can add a sunny touch to a garden.
Ipomoea (morning glory): Morning glories are climbing vines with beautiful, trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the morning sun.
Iris: Irises are known for their stunning, intricate flowers with three upright petals and three drooping "falls," coming in almost every color.
Ixia (corn lily): Ixias produce colorful, star-shaped flowers on slender stems, adding a delicate touch to the garden.

Plants Starting with J

Jacaranda: Jacaranda trees are famous for their spectacular display of vibrant purple, trumpet-shaped flowers that cover the tree in spring.
Jasminum (jasmine, jessamine): Jasmines are climbing plants or shrubs known for their incredibly fragrant, often white or yellow, flowers.
Jubaea (Chilean wine palm): This is a very large palm tree with a thick trunk, native to Chile.
Juglans (walnut): Walnut trees are grown for their edible nuts and valuable timber.
Juniperus (juniper): Junipers are evergreen shrubs or trees with needle-like or scale-like leaves, often used for landscaping.

Plants Starting with K

Kalanchoe: Kalanchoes are succulent plants with clusters of small, colorful flowers, often grown as houseplants.
Kalmia (mountain laurel): Mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub with beautiful clusters of cup-shaped flowers, often pink or white.
Kerria: Kerria is a shrub known for its bright yellow, rose-like flowers that bloom in spring.
Kigelia (sausage tree): This tree gets its name from its long, sausage-shaped fruits that hang down from the branches.
Kniphofia: Often called red-hot pokers, these plants have tall spikes of tubular flowers that are red at the top and fade to yellow at the bottom.
Koelreuteria (golden rain tree): Golden rain trees are known for their clusters of bright yellow flowers in summer, followed by papery, lantern-like seed pods.

Plants Starting with L

Laburnum (laburnum): Laburnum trees are famous for their long, hanging clusters of bright yellow, pea-like flowers, often called "golden chain trees."
Lachenalia (Cape cowslip): These small bulbs produce colorful, bell-shaped flowers on short stalks, often with interesting patterns.
Lagerstroemia: Commonly known as crape myrtle, these trees and shrubs are loved for their long-lasting, crinkly flowers in summer.
Lamium (deadnettle): Deadnettles are groundcover plants with colorful leaves, often variegated, and small flowers.
Lantana (shrub verbena): Lantanas are shrubs with clusters of small flowers that change color as they mature, attracting butterflies.
Larix (larch): Larches are unusual conifers because they lose their needles in the fall, turning golden before they drop.
Lavandula (lavender): Lavender is famous for its fragrant purple flowers and silvery-green leaves, used in perfumes, cooking, and aromatherapy.
Lewisia: Lewisias are small, succulent plants with colorful, star-shaped flowers that grow in rosettes.
Ligustrum (privet): Privet shrubs are often used for hedges because they grow densely and can be easily shaped.
Lilium (lily): Lilies are classic garden flowers, known for their large, often fragrant, trumpet-shaped or bowl-shaped blooms.
Liquidambar (sweetgum): Sweetgum trees are known for their star-shaped leaves that turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple in autumn.
Liriodendron (tulip tree): Tulip trees are large trees with unique, tulip-shaped leaves and greenish-yellow flowers that resemble tulips.
Lithops: Lithops are fascinating succulent plants that look like small, colorful pebbles or "living stones," blending in with their surroundings.
Lobelia: Lobelias produce many small, colorful flowers, often in shades of blue, red, or purple, and are popular in hanging baskets.
Lonicera (honeysuckle): Honeysuckles are climbing vines or shrubs with fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds.
Lupinus (lupin): Lupins produce tall, colorful spikes of pea-like flowers, often in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white.

Plants Starting with M

Magnolia: Magnolias are famous for their large, often fragrant, cup-shaped or star-shaped flowers that bloom in spring, sometimes before the leaves appear.
Mahonia: Mahonias are evergreen shrubs with spiky leaves and clusters of yellow flowers, often followed by blue berries.
Malus (apple, crabapple): This genus includes the apple tree, as well as ornamental crabapple trees known for their beautiful spring blossoms and small fruits.
Mandevilla: Mandevillas are tropical vines with large, showy, trumpet-shaped flowers, often in pink, red, or white.
Matthiola (stock): Stocks are known for their fragrant, dense spikes of flowers, often in shades of pink, purple, white, and cream.
Meconopsis: This genus includes the stunning Himalayan blue poppy, famous for its intense blue flowers.
Mentha (mint): Mints are well-known for their strong, refreshing scent and are used in cooking, teas, and aromatherapy.
Metasequoia (dawn redwood): The dawn redwood is a unique conifer that, like the larch, loses its needles in the fall.
Mimulus (monkey flower): Monkey flowers have brightly colored, often spotted, flowers that resemble a monkey's face.
Morus (mulberry): Mulberry trees produce sweet, edible berries that resemble blackberries.
Musa (banana, plantain): This genus includes the banana plant, known for its large leaves and delicious fruit.
Muscari (grape hyacinth): Grape hyacinths are small, spring-blooming bulbs with clusters of tiny, bell-shaped flowers that look like miniature bunches of grapes.
Myrtus (myrtle): Myrtle is an evergreen shrub with fragrant leaves and small, white flowers, often used in Mediterranean gardens.

Plants Starting with N

Nandina (heavenly bamboo): Heavenly bamboo is a shrub with delicate, bamboo-like foliage that turns red in fall and winter.
Narcissus (daffodil): Daffodils are classic spring flowers, known for their trumpet-shaped centers and bright yellow or white petals.
Nelumbo (lotus): Lotus plants are aquatic plants with large, round leaves and beautiful, often pink or white, flowers that rise above the water.
Nepeta (catmint): Catmint is a fragrant plant with spikes of lavender-blue flowers, very attractive to bees and, of course, cats!
Nerine: Nerines are bulbs that produce clusters of delicate, spider-like flowers in shades of pink, red, or white in the fall.
Nerium (oleander): Oleander is a popular shrub in warm climates, known for its abundant flowers in pink, white, or red. (Note: All parts of oleander are poisonous, so it's important to be careful around it.)
Nigella: Also known as love-in-a-mist, this plant has delicate, feathery foliage and unique flowers with a "mist" of fine leaves around them.
Nymphaea (waterlily): Waterlilies are beautiful aquatic plants with large, floating leaves and stunning flowers that rest on the water's surface.

Plants Starting with O

Oenothera (evening primrose, sundrops): Evening primroses have cup-shaped flowers that often open in the evening and close in the morning.
Olea (olive): Olive trees are iconic Mediterranean plants, grown for their silvery-green leaves, small flowers, and, of course, olives!
Oncidium (an orchid genus): Oncidiums are a large group of orchids, often called "dancing lady orchids" because their flowers look like tiny dancers.
Opuntia (prickly pears): Prickly pears are cacti with flat, paddle-like stems and often colorful flowers and edible fruits.
Origanum (marjoram, oregano): This genus includes popular culinary herbs like oregano and marjoram, known for their strong flavors.
Osmunda (royal fern): Royal ferns are large, elegant ferns with broad fronds, often found in moist, shady areas.
Oxalis (shamrock, sorrel): Oxalis plants have clover-like leaves and small, often pink, white, or yellow, flowers. Some are known as shamrocks.
Oxydendrum: Also known as sourwood, this tree has beautiful white flowers in summer and brilliant red fall foliage.

Plants Starting with P

Pachysandra: Pachysandra is a popular evergreen groundcover, especially for shady areas, with glossy green leaves.
Paeonia (peony): Peonies are beloved for their large, lush, often fragrant flowers in shades of pink, red, white, and yellow.
Papaver (poppy): Poppies are known for their delicate, often crinkly, petals and vibrant colors.
Passiflora (granadilla, passionflower): Passionflowers are exotic vines with incredibly intricate and unique flowers, often followed by edible fruits.
Paulownia: Also known as the empress tree, Paulownia is a fast-growing tree with large leaves and fragrant, purple, trumpet-shaped flowers.
Pelargonium (geranium): These are the common "geraniums" found in window boxes and containers, known for their bright flowers and often scented leaves.
Penstemon: Penstemons, or beardtongues, have spikes of tubular flowers that are very attractive to hummingbirds.
Petunia: Petunias are popular annuals, known for their abundant, trumpet-shaped flowers in a wide range of colors.
Phalaenopsis (moth orchid): Moth orchids are one of the most popular types of orchids, known for their elegant, long-lasting flowers that resemble moths in flight.
Philadelphus (mock orange): Mock oranges are shrubs with fragrant white flowers that bloom in late spring, smelling like orange blossoms.
Phlox: Phlox plants produce clusters of colorful flowers, often in pink, purple, white, or blue, and can be low-growing or tall.
Phoenix (date palm): Date palms are tall, majestic trees that produce sweet, edible dates.
Photinia: Photinias are shrubs or small trees, often grown for their new leaves, which emerge bright red before turning green.
Picea (spruce): Spruce trees are evergreen conifers, often used as Christmas trees, with stiff, sharp needles.
Pinus (pine): Pine trees are well-known evergreen conifers with long needles and cones.
Pittosporum: Pittosporums are evergreen shrubs or small trees with glossy leaves and often fragrant flowers.
Platycodon (balloon flower): Balloon flowers get their name from their flower buds, which swell up like balloons before opening into star-shaped blooms.
Plumeria (frangipani): Frangipani trees are famous for their beautiful, waxy, highly fragrant flowers, often used in leis.
Polygala (milkwort): Polygala plants have unique, often purple or pink, flowers that look a bit like tiny butterflies.
Populus (aspen, poplar, cottonwood): These are fast-growing trees, often found near water, with leaves that flutter in the breeze.
Portulaca (purslane, moss rose): Moss roses are low-growing succulents with bright, cup-shaped flowers that thrive in hot, sunny conditions.
Potentilla (cinquefoil): Potentillas are shrubs or perennials with five-petaled flowers, often in yellow, white, or pink.
Primula (primrose): Primroses are early spring flowers, known for their cheerful clusters of blooms in a wide range of colors.
Prunus (almond, apricot, cherry, peach, plum): This important genus includes many fruit trees, as well as ornamental cherries and plums known for their beautiful spring blossoms.
Punica (pomegranate): Pomegranate trees are grown for their unique, leathery-skinned fruits filled with juicy, edible seeds.
Pyracantha (firethorn): Firethorns are thorny shrubs with clusters of white flowers followed by abundant bright orange or red berries.
Pyrus (pear): Pear trees are grown for their sweet, juicy fruits.

Plants Starting with Q

Quercus (oak): Oak trees are large, long-lived trees, famous for their strong wood and acorns. They provide important shade and habitat.
Quince: Quince trees produce large, fragrant, pear-shaped fruits that are often used for jams and jellies.

Plants Starting with R

Ranunculus (buttercup): Buttercups are known for their shiny, often yellow, cup-shaped flowers.
Rebutia: Rebutias are small, spherical cacti that produce many colorful flowers, often in rings around their base.
Rhipsalis: Rhipsalis are unique cacti that grow in rainforests, often with long, trailing stems, and are popular as hanging plants.
Rhododendron: Rhododendrons are popular shrubs known for their large, showy clusters of flowers in a wide range of colors.
Ricinus (castor-oil plant): Castor-oil plants are large, fast-growing plants with dramatic, often reddish, leaves and spiky seed pods.
Robinia: Also known as black locust, these trees have fragrant white flowers in hanging clusters.
Rosa (rose): Roses are one of the most famous and beloved flowers, known for their beauty, fragrance, and wide variety of forms and colors.
Rosmarinus (rosemary): Rosemary is a fragrant herb with needle-like leaves, used in cooking and for its pleasant scent.
Rubus (raspberry): This genus includes raspberries, blackberries, and other bramble fruits, known for their delicious berries.
Rudbeckia (coneflower): Similar to Echinacea, these coneflowers have bright yellow or orange petals and a dark central cone, often called "black-eyed Susans."
Russelia: Also known as firecracker plant, this shrub has many slender, arching stems covered in small, red, tubular flowers that look like bursting fireworks.
Ruta (rue): Rue is an herb with blue-green, feathery leaves and small yellow flowers, known for its strong, distinctive scent.

Plants Starting with S

Sabal (palmetto): Palmetto palms are fan palms with large, stiff leaves, often found in the southeastern United States.
Salix (willow): Willow trees are known for their graceful, often drooping branches and their ability to grow near water.
Salvia (sage): This large genus includes many fragrant herbs like common sage, as well as ornamental salvias with colorful flower spikes that attract hummingbirds and bees.
Sambucus (elder): Elderberry shrubs produce clusters of white flowers followed by dark purple berries, which can be used to make jams and wines.
Sansevieria: Often called snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue, these are popular houseplants known for their upright, sword-like leaves and easy care.
Santolina: Santolina is a small, aromatic shrub with silvery-gray foliage and small, button-like yellow flowers.
Sarracenia (pitcher plant): Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants with modified leaves that form pitcher-like traps to catch insects.
Sassafras: Sassafras trees have unique three-lobed leaves and are known for their fragrant bark and roots, used in traditional root beer.
Saxifraga (saxifrage): Saxifrages are small plants, often used in rock gardens, known for their rosettes of leaves and delicate flowers.
Scilla: Scillas are spring-blooming bulbs with spikes of small, often blue, bell-shaped flowers.
Sedum (stonecrop): Sedums are succulent plants with fleshy leaves, often used as groundcover or in rock gardens. They are very drought-tolerant.
Sempervivum (hens and chicks): Hens and chicks are succulent plants that form rosettes, with smaller "chicks" growing around the larger "hen" plant.
Sequoia (coast redwood): Coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, known for their immense size and long lifespan.
Sequoiadendron (giant sequoia): Giant sequoias are the most massive trees in the world by volume, famous for their huge trunks.
Skimmia: Skimmias are evergreen shrubs with fragrant flowers and bright red berries, popular in shady gardens.
Solanum (potato, nightshade): This genus includes important food crops like potatoes and tomatoes, as well as some poisonous plants.
Solidago (goldenrod): Goldenrods are known for their tall spikes of bright yellow flowers that bloom in late summer and fall.
Sophora: Sophora trees have attractive foliage and clusters of pea-like flowers.
Spiraea (spirea): Spireas are shrubs known for their abundant clusters of small white or pink flowers in spring or summer.
Stachys (betony): Stachys includes lamb's ear, a plant with soft, fuzzy, silvery leaves that kids love to touch.
Stapelia: Stapelias are succulent plants with unique, often star-shaped flowers that can have a strong, unusual scent.
Strelitzia (bird of paradise): Bird of paradise plants are famous for their exotic, brightly colored flowers that resemble a bird's head.
Styrax: Styrax trees have delicate, bell-shaped white flowers that hang down in clusters.
Symphoricarpos (snowberry): Snowberry shrubs are known for their clusters of white berries that persist into winter.
Syringa (lilac): Lilacs are beloved shrubs known for their fragrant clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers in spring.

Plants Starting with T

Tagetes (Mexican or French marigold): Marigolds are cheerful annuals with bright orange, yellow, and red flowers, often used to deter pests in vegetable gardens.
Tamarix (tamarisk): Tamarisks are shrubs or small trees with feathery foliage and plumes of tiny pink or white flowers.
Taxus (yew): Yew trees are evergreen conifers with dark green needles and red, berry-like fruits.
Thalictrum: Also known as meadow rue, these plants have delicate, airy foliage and fluffy clusters of small flowers.
Thuja (thuja, arborvitae): Thujas are evergreen conifers, often used for hedges and privacy screens.
Thunbergia: This genus includes the black-eyed Susan vine, a popular climbing plant with bright orange or yellow flowers and a dark center.
Thymus (thyme): Thyme is a fragrant herb with tiny leaves, used in cooking and as a groundcover.
Tilia (linden): Linden trees are large shade trees with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant, yellowish flowers that attract bees.
Tillandsia (air plant, Spanish moss): Air plants are fascinating plants that don't need soil; they absorb water and nutrients from the air.
Tricyrtis (toad lily): Toad lilies are unique shade plants with orchid-like flowers that are often spotted or speckled.
Trillium: Trilliums are woodland wildflowers with three leaves and a single flower with three petals.
Trollius (globeflower): Globeflowers have bright yellow or orange, globe-shaped flowers that bloom in spring.
Tropaeolum (nasturtium): Nasturtiums have bright, edible flowers and leaves with a peppery taste.
Tsuga (hemlock): Hemlock trees are evergreen conifers with soft, flat needles and small cones.
Tulipa (tulip): Tulips are classic spring bulbs, famous for their cup-shaped flowers in an incredible array of colors and patterns.
Typha (cattail): Cattails are tall, wetland plants with distinctive brown, sausage-shaped flower heads.

Plants Starting with U

Ugni: Ugni is a shrub that produces small, edible berries with a sweet, aromatic flavor.
Ulex (gorse): Gorse is a spiny shrub with bright yellow, pea-like flowers that bloom for a long period.
Ulmus (elm): Elm trees are large, graceful shade trees.
Utricularia (bladderwort): Bladderworts are fascinating carnivorous plants that live in water or wet soil and have tiny bladders to trap small aquatic creatures.
Uvularia (merrybells, bellwort): Merrybells are woodland plants with delicate, bell-shaped yellow flowers that hang down.

Plants Starting with V

Valeriana (garden valerian): Garden valerian is known for its clusters of small, fragrant pink or white flowers and is sometimes used in herbal remedies.
Vanda (an orchid genus): Vandas are beautiful orchids, often with large, colorful flowers that grow on long stems.
Veltheimia: Veltheimias are bulbs that produce spikes of tubular, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink or red.
Verbascum (mullein): Mulleins are tall plants with fuzzy leaves and spikes of yellow, white, or purple flowers.
Verbena: Verbenas are popular for their clusters of small, colorful flowers, often used in hanging baskets and as groundcover.
Veronica (speedwell): Speedwells have spikes of small, often blue, flowers and are popular in borders and rock gardens.
Viburnum: Viburnums are versatile shrubs or small trees, known for their attractive flowers, berries, and often colorful fall foliage.
Victoria (giant waterlily): Victoria waterlilies are famous for their enormous, floating leaves that can be strong enough to hold a small child!
Vinca (periwinkle): Periwinkles are evergreen groundcover plants with glossy leaves and small blue or white flowers.
Viola (pansy, violet): This genus includes pansies, violas, and violets, known for their cheerful, often "faced" flowers in many colors.
Vitis (grape): Grapevines are grown for their delicious fruits, used for eating, juice, and making wine.
Vriesea: Vrieseas are tropical plants, often grown indoors, known for their colorful, sword-shaped flower spikes.

Plants Starting with W

Washingtonia: Washingtonia palms are tall, slender palm trees, often seen in warm climates, with large fan-shaped leaves.
Weigela: Weigelas are shrubs known for their abundant, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, or white, blooming in spring.
Welwitschia: Welwitschia is a unique desert plant that grows only two long, strap-like leaves throughout its entire life, which can be thousands of years.
Wisteria: Wisteria is a beautiful climbing vine famous for its long, hanging clusters of fragrant purple, blue, or white flowers in spring.
Woodwardia (chain fern): Chain ferns are large ferns with distinctive chain-like patterns on their fronds.

Plants Starting with X

Xanthoceras: Xanthoceras is a small tree or shrub with attractive white flowers and shiny, dark green leaves.
Xanthorhiza: Also known as yellowroot, this plant has interesting foliage and small, brownish-purple flowers.
Xanthosoma: Xanthosomas are tropical plants with large, often arrow-shaped leaves, sometimes grown for their edible tubers.
Xeranthemum: Xeranthemums are "everlasting" flowers with papery petals, often used in dried flower arrangements.

Plants Starting with Y

Yucca: Yuccas are striking plants with stiff, sword-like leaves and tall spikes of creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers.

Plants Starting with Z

Zamia: Zamias are a type of cycad, ancient cone-bearing plants that resemble palms or ferns.
Zantedeschia (calla lily): Calla lilies are elegant plants with unique, trumpet-shaped flowers, often white, but also in other colors.
Zea (maize): This genus includes maize, or corn, one of the most important food crops in the world.
Zelkova: Zelkova trees are graceful shade trees with attractive bark and serrated leaves.
Zinnia: Zinnias are popular annual flowers known for their bright, cheerful, daisy-like blooms that come in many colors and shapes.

Images for kids

Pink cyclamen
Fragaria x ananassa.
Dischidia pectinoides (ant plant)