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25 Garden Plants Make People Sting and Itch

Some plants just want to be left alone. The species on this list have evolved a variety of defenses aimed at making sure that nothing messes with them. Steer clear of these types of plants if you want to keep your skin intact or avoid a nasty rash!

French rose

French rose (Rosa gallica) is a flowering deciduous shrub native to central and southern Europe. It was one of the first rose species to be cultivated in Europe; French rose got its domesticated start with ancient Greeks and Romans, and was later used in medieval gardens. Today, this cold-tolerant flower’s numerous cultivars adorn gardens worldwide.

Tea rose

The first Tea rose was created in 1867 by Jean-Baptiste Andred Guillot, who operated his father’s nursery in Lyon from the age of 14. The Tea rose did not become popular until the Soleil d’Or was cultivated at the beginning of the 1900s in France.

Leatherleaf mahonia

Leatherleaf mahonia is planted as a hedge. Its evergreen leaves, edged with spines, can deter outsiders from intruding. In addition to its very distinctive foliage, it is also very recognizable by the large bunches of dark purple fruits it produces in summer. Birds eat these fruits and help spread the seeds, so this plant is widely dispersed and even considered aggressive.

American holly

Ilex opaca, commonly known as American holly, is a medium-sized evergreen tree, commonly found in southeastern areas of North America as an understory tree in humid forests. Its bright red fruits are poisonous to humans but are a very important source of food for numerous species of birds.

Great bougainvillea

The Great bougainvillea is best known for its bright flowers. It has spread around the world as a garden plant. This plant thrives in warm environments. The Great bougainvillea is a woody, climbing plant that winds its way around other plants as it grows. It also has thorns that aid in its climbing habit.

Flowering quince

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) is a deciduous shrub that’s native to China. Its edible fruit appears in autumn and is often used in jams and jellies. The plant can also be used as a privacy hedge that will attract hummingbirds in droves.

Common barberry

Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a shrub with unpleasant-smelling flowers and red berries. The flowers can be used to create dye while the berries can attract birds and small mammals. Common barberry is used as a hedge in some countries, but it is susceptible to rust disease.

Pomelo

Pomelo (Citrus grandis) is a greenish, tropical and subtropical fruit originally that is larger than any other citrus fruit on the planet (thus the species name – “grandis”). Though it is the ancestor of the commonly cultivated grapefruit (citrus x paradisi), the Pomelo has a thick, hard-to-peel rind and doesn’t have a lot of juice. Nevertheless, it is commonly eaten in southeast Asia.

Mandarin orange

The Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) is a citrus fruit tree. It is famed for its Mandarin oranges, a commonly consumed fruit which can be eaten plain or used in salads. During the Chinese New Year, the fruit is considered a symbol of good fortune.

Trifoliate orange

A native to Northern China and Korea, Trifoliate orange is recognizable by the large 1.2 to 2.0 in thorns on the shoots and its deciduous leaves. It is also unique as a citrus plant because its fruit has a downy fuzz similar to a peach. The ripe fruit is very bitter but can be used to make marmalade.

Salmonberry

Salmonberry is a shrub growing to 40-160 inches tall. It is known for its fruit, which bears resemblance to a raspberry. This plant earned its common name due to the fact that these berries were traditionally eaten by Native Americans with salmon or salmon roe. The taste of the berries themselves is somewhat bland but depends on the climate and site of growth.

California blackberry

California blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is an edible berry indigenous to North America. Its genus name of ‘Rubus’ means ‘bramble,’ and the specific epithet ‘Ursinus’ means ‘bear.’ Larvae of the western tiger swallowtail butterfly love to munch on it. Native Americans ate it and also used it medicinally. If you have a creek bank that needs stabilizing, this plant will do it.

Jujube

Jujube or Ziziphus jujuba is also known as red date and Chinese date. It is a deciduous tree that is often grown for its small fruit. When immature, the fruit resembles a crisp apple. When ripened, the fruit wrinkles and resembles a date.

Russian olive

The name of Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) came from its resemblance to an olive tree. However, it’s not even remotely related. It is indigenous to central and western Asia, and is listed as a noxious weed in other countries including the US, where it was initially imported as an ornamental. Russian olive produces showy, fragrant flowers and attracts birds with its berry-like fruit.

Western jimson weed

Western jimson weed (Datura wrightii) is a flowering perennial plant in the nightshade family. It is commonly cultivated as an ornamental flower due to its good ability to tolerate drought. Western jimson weed is toxic to humans and pets, and could lead to convulsions and coma if ingested. Nevertheless, it was once used by several Native American tribes as part of a rite of passage.

Bird of paradise

Bird of paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii) is a perennial evergreen shrub that will grow from 7 to 10 feet tall. It has attractive lacy foliage and showy clusters of yellow flowers that bloom in summer. Bird of paradise attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Prairie crabapple

Prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis) is a flowering, colorful tree with pink blossoms native to the United States. In summer the plant’s dark green leaves become purple and red. Wildlife eats the fruit of this tree.

Rugosa rose

This tall shrub is known for its hardiness, surviving in many climate zones and poor soil conditions. They produce large flowers from summer to winter and their hips attract birds (and are tasty to humans too!). With such beautiful flowers one might be surprised to hear that the Rugosa rose is considered an invasive species in some regions.

Lady banks's rose

Lady banks’s rose is a species of rose with pale yellow flowers which is popularly planted in gardens worldwide. The largest specimen of Lady banks’s rose (Rosa banksiae) in the world is in Tombstone, AZ. This is where the famous ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ took place. A clipping that eventually became the bush was sent over from Scotland in 1885, making this rose over 130 years old.

Wild cucumber

Wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) is a sprawling, annual plant vine that grows wild across North America. Its vines can create a dense ground cover over large areas. Wild cucumber acts as a food source for many insect species and is susceptible to some bacterial plant diseases. Certain Native American tribes used to create beads out of the plant’s seeds.

Rattlesnake master

Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a herbaceous perennial plant species that grows best in full sunlight and dry soil. Rattlesnake master is drought tolerant and erosion resistant. The leaves of this coarse plant have been used by Native Americans to create both baskets and sandals. Monarch butterflies love the nectar from this flower, giving them nutrients to complete their yearly migration south.

White prickly poppy

White prickly poppy (Argemone albiflora) is a deciduous annual plant that can grow to be 1 to 3 feet tall. It is a single flowering plant with a cupped white flower growing at the top of its prickly stem. This species blooms from April to August. Its nectar attracts bees. White prickly poppy is toxic to humans.

Cardoon

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) grows 3 feet to 6 feet in height, and 2 feet to 3 feet across. Its leaves are jagged, razor-sharp, and a silvery-gray color. Its flowers are blue or violet and thistle-like. It was first brought to the United States by Spanish and French settlers in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Screw pine

Screw pine (Pandanus tectorius) is a perennial tropical tree that is salt tolerant and grows in poor, salty or sandy soils. Screw pine is used to help stabilize soil conditions along coastal and beachfront properties. It also thrives in hot, windy areas and prefers full sun to semi-shade. Plants are dioecious with separate male and female plants. Male flowers are small, fragrant and short-lived. Female flowers are pineapple-like and are followed by fruit heads. Fruits are edible.

Ocotillo

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a flowering plant species native to the southwestern United States. Ocotillo is most commonly found in the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert. While it grows in the same conditions as cacti, Ocotillo is not technically a cactus. This species yields branches which can be used for walking sticks, and its flowers can be turned into herbal tea. In cultivation, Ocotillo can be planted throughout the year in arid regions as a living fence.

How To Deal With Plant Disease Problems

There’s nothing worse than watching a plant start to wither and die because of a disease problem. Learn how to spot the early signs of disease so you can keep your plants in pristine condition all season long.

Your plants looks so good, but suddenly they start to turn brown and wilt. The weather is perfect, and everything is getting adequate water, so what’s the problem? You may be dealing with disease. Pathogens can infect plants quickly and show up as a range of symptoms that are tricky to address, meaning you need to know what to look for right away.

Here’s an overview of plant diseases and what you need to know to better protect your green friends.

Plant Disease Defined

A plant disease is an impairment in a plant’s normal state that affects its functioning, usually in a negative way. All plant species are susceptible to disease, but cultivated plants tend to have the most problems. That’s because they’ve developed over time through human intervention and didn’t evolve the genetic defenses to fight them off as their wild counterparts did.

The Two Types of Plant Disease

There are thousands of plant diseases that could infect your plants today, all of which are split into two categories: infectious and noninfectious.

Infectious diseases are caused by a pathogenic organism that infects the plant material. They can be a fungus, bacterium, virus, nematode, or even a parasitic flowering plant. These pathogens are capable of reproducing within the host and spreading from one plant to another, which makes them highly contagious.

Noninfectious diseases, in contrast, come from unfavorable growing conditions like temperature extremes, inadequate moisture levels, and nutrient deficiencies. They won’t spread from plant to plant, but plants growing in similar situations are likely to develop them.

Factors That Affect Plant Diseases

Environmental conditions make a significant difference in the development and spread of plant diseases. Here are some factors to be aware of.

Temperature: Every disease pathogen has an optimal temperature for growing, which may vary based on the development stage. Generally, warmer weather leads to more plant diseases, as it encourages germination and spore production that causes them to spread.

Humidity: Warm, wet conditions lead to rot and fungal spore production, so high humidity is a leading cause of most leaf and fruit diseases. You can slow down the spread of disease by lowering the air humidity (if indoors) and avoiding spraying plants on their leaves.

Soil Moisture: Saturated soil keeps plant roots wet, which contributes to root rot and other fungal diseases. Refrain from overwatering so you don’t raise the carbon dioxide levels in the soil that encourages the growth of these pathogens. Likewise, other plant diseases are most problematic when the soil stays too dry.

Soil pH: The acidity of your soil affects the kinds of pathogens that proliferate within it. A soil test will give you a sense of its natural pH for information on what diseases are most likely in your conditions.

Soil Type and Fertility: Soil fungi and other pathogens all have preferences for certain soil types. Some thrive in heavy clay, while others need high concentrations of organic material. Elevated levels of certain nutrients can also influence the development of diseases like powdery mildew and leaf blight.

Signs of Plant Diseases

The best way to know whether you’re dealing with plant disease is to look closely at the plant.

Start by looking at the leaves and other foliage. Irregular coloring, size, shape, or signs of blights and lesions are all indicators of fungal or bacterial pathogens. In the early stages of a bacterial infection, you’ll likely see dark, water-soaked spots with distinct margins, almost like a halo. Look for dark specks in these dead areas, as these may be signs of mold growth or fruiting bodies filled with spores.

Viral diseases, like mosaics, show up as discolored, yellowing patches and sections that look dried out.

Next, inspect the plant’s trunk, stems, shoots, and branches. Any sunken, swollen, or discolored sections may be caused by bacterial canker infections, and they can lead to plant wounds that become infected by other pathogens. Galls, overgrowths on the stem, trunk, or branches, are often a sign of crown gall infections.

You can assume the plant is diseased rather than injured from insects or another cause if the change occurs gradually and there isn’t a clear distinction between the healthy and the unhealthy parts.

Below the soil line, root diseases are prevalent and can have consequences for the entire plant. They can come from soilborne creatures known as nematodes as well as bacterial or fungal pathogens. You might see stunted leaves, poor coloring, wilting and dieback, or sudden declines in your plant’s vigor and productivity.

Note: Many of the symptoms associated with plant diseases can be caused by a range of other factors like frost, heat, nutrient deficiencies, and more. In these cases, treating the “disease” won’t have any effect because you aren’t addressing the real symptoms.

One way to tell whether a plant disease is really to blame is to see whether multiple plant species in an area seem to have the same symptoms. Most plant diseases are highly specific and will only affect closely related plant species.

How to Treat Plant Diseases

Treating and preventing plant diseases comes down to proper identification and determining what is causing it in the first place. This process takes careful observation and attention to detail to ensure you make the correct diagnosis.

Once you know what kind of pathogen is involved, you can take steps to eradicate it from your plants. In many instances, a topical spray will help kill off the pathogens and restore the plant to full vigor. You may also need to provide it with nutrient-rich compost to give it the strength to fight off the attack. Sometimes, the only option is to cut off the diseased portion to prevent it from spreading throughout the entire plant.

Dealing with plant diseases is an inevitable part of gardening, but they don’t need to be discouraging. Monitor plants closely and understand why infections occur, and you can prevent your plants from suffering from devastating outbreaks.

What You Need to Know About Fertilizer

If you want to grow healthy plants, you need to know what to feed them. Learn all about the benefits of fertilizer, what to look for in a fertilizer blend, and the best strategies for applying it to your plants.

When you’re looking to grow the healthiest plants possible, sometimes they need a boost. Fertilizers promise to give you long-lasting blooms, bigger harvests, and more productive plants. But, knowing where to start with fertilizer can be overwhelming when you’re first getting started.

Here’s a closer look at how fertilizers work and what you need to know to choose one for your garden.

What Is Fertilizer?

Plants pull everything they need to thrive out of the soil through their roots. Over time, they absorb such a large concentration of nutrients that the ground becomes depleted. Adding fertilizer to your garden replenishes these nutrients so that plants continue to grow well.

Put another way, adding fertilizer to a garden is like putting money back in the bank after draining your savings account.

How Does Fertilizer Work?

Though fertilizers can contain dozens of compounds that promote plant growth, three primary nutrients make up almost the entire formula: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. On a soil bag, you’ll see these represented as N-P-K, or as numbers in place of each letter to represent the ratio of each nutrient within it.

For example, a 100-pound bag of fertilizer could be labeled 5-7-4. This means it contains five pounds of nitrate, seven pounds of phosphate (phosphorus), four pounds of potash (potassium), and 84 pounds of filler materials.

Here’s why each nutrient is important:

Nitrogen

As one of the most common elements in nature, nitrogen is critical to all forms of life. Homemade compost and animal manures contain lots of nitrogen. This nutrient is responsible for giving plants vibrant green foliage, and too little leads to stunted leaves. However, excessive nitrogen can be just as problematic, as it makes plants prioritize leaf and stem growth at the expense of producing flowers or fruit.

Phosphorus

This nutrient is critical for root growth and bloom formation, making it an essential component for all fruiting plants. A lack of phosphorus will lead to stunted tomatoes or squash plants that never develop blossoms. Good sources of phosphorus include bone meal and rock phosphate.

Potassium

Potassium promotes photosynthesis and helps the interconnected systems within plants function together. Without it, plants look weak and spindly. Wood ash can restore potassium levels, though too much can burn plants.

Other Key Plant Nutrients

Beyond these three main components, plants need smaller quantities of other critical nutrients.

Calcium: Improves soil structure, binds particles together, helps neutralize toxic materials.
Magnesium: Essential for plants to process sunlight.
Sulfur: The primary component of many proteins.
Boron: Promotes cell division for plant growth.
Copper: Activates plant enzymes that promote plant synthesis and aid respiration.
Iron: Helps synthesize chlorophyll and produces green pigments.
Molybdenum: Promotes healthy leaf formation and prevents a buildup of nitrates.
Zinc: Helps plants withstand cold temperatures and converts starches to sugars.
Chlorine: Aids photosynthesis and helps take in and release gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Manganese: Supports healthy plant cell functioning.

An all-purpose 5-5-5 fertilizer will typically provide an ideal ratio of nutrients plants need to thrive. If your soil has specific deficiencies, you will need a specialized formula that can address them.

Organic vs. Synthetic—Does It Matter?

One primary decision every gardener needs to make is whether to use synthetic or organic fertilizer.

Synthetic Fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers are made through a chemical process that typically uses oil and other nonrenewable resources. Most synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble and prioritize the three main nutrients (NPK), which means plants can take them in fast and show improvements quickly.

However, these fertilizers tend to be deficient in other essential nutrients, potentially leading to problems for plant health over the long term.

Organic Fertilizers

In contrast, organic fertilizers come from naturally occurring materials that may include mineral deposits, bone meal, fish emulsions, or composted manure. In most cases, organic fertilizers are not water-soluble, which means they release their nutrients into the soil over time.

Ideally, you want to apply them in the fall so that they can break down over the winter and be available for your plants by spring.

Beyond feeding plants, organic fertilizers improve the soil’s structure and create habitat space for beneficial soil microorganisms that aid plant growth. They also tend to be more complex than synthetic options and will provide plants with all the necessary secondary plant nutrients.

Which Is Best? A Summary

So, in short, synthetic fertilizers are easy to use and offer fast results but often don’t support long-term plant health. Organic amendments work more slowly, but they promote overall soil health and give plants a better balance of essential nutrients.

Some gardeners may find a blend of both works best. Consider using organic fertilizers in the fall to enrich your soil and promote microbial life, and apply synthetic fertilizers as needed over the growing season to keep things vibrant.

Understanding Different Fertilizer Applications Methods

Fertilizers come in multiple forms depending on your preferred method for feeding your plants. Here are some to be aware of.

Dry Fertilizer: As the easiest type of fertilizer to apply, dry fertilizers can be scattered by hand (wear gloves!) or dispersed over a larger area with a spreader. You can add more around the base of plants over the growing season to aid their growth.

Slow Release: This fertilizer typically comes with a coating that breaks down over time after heat and water exposure to slowly release its nutrients into the soil. This makes it possible to fertilize without fear of burning your plants. To use, sprinkle directly into the ground.

Liquid: Plants can absorb nutrients up to 20 times more efficiently through their leaves than the roots. For this reason, liquid fertilizers are usually sprayed directly onto plant leaves, so it absorbs the nutrients directly. Any that drips into the soil will get taken in by the roots. This provides plants with a quick nutrient boost and is one of the best ways to revive fading plants. As liquid fertilizers are potent, you must take care to dilute them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Choosing the right fertilizer for your garden is an important decision. Take time to research what’s best for your plants, and your garden will thrive from your effort.

Pink Wildflowers That Bloom in Summer

A blush of new color might be just what you’re looking for. The rosy blooms of the plants on this list bring visual interest wherever they’re found. Every summer season is enriched by the vibrant contrast of these pink blooms against a backdrop of green. Find your new favorite drama queen here.

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca, commonly known as Common milkweed , is a flowering perennial herbaceous plant native to North America. It contains milky latex which can be toxic to sheep, cows, and other larger mammals (including humans) if it is consumed in large amounts. Many insect species are attracted to Common milkweed , most notably monarch butterflies.

Dame's rocket

Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) was introduced to North America from Europe as an ornamental flower. It spread far through the region and is now considered an invasive species for woodlands and prairies in many states. Unlike most plants, the flowers and seed pods of Dame’s rocket grow at the same time.

Rose campion

The Rose campion is an important ornamental plant and has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It natives to Asia and Europe and now is widely cultivated. The Latin Silene coronaria stands for used for garlands and is sometimes referred to as Lychnis coronaria in the United Kingdom.

Creeping thistle

This aggressive weed spreads across grasslands and fields via underground roots that creep horizontally, some for more than 5 m. It can cause major problems to agriculture if its growth is left unchecked. Its seeds feed many birds as well as pest insects. Creeping thistle is generally considered a noxious weed even in its native territory.

Fringed willowherb

The Fringed willowherb is native to North America and East Asia, but was introduced to North Europe in the 1900s and spread rapidly. It prefers humid places such as in the wetlands or by the streams and ponds, but it can also survive in a variety of habitats such as roadsides and wastelands.

Common vetch

Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is an annual herb plant also commonly called vetch, tare, and garden vetch. It is often considered a weed, but is also utilized for manure and animal feed for livestock across the world. When grown for agricultural purposes, it is sown in dense fields.

Redstem stork's bill

Redstem stork’s bill (Erodium cicutarium) is a hardy species most at home in deserts or other dry conditions. Common stork’s-bill is also referred to as pinweed. It has pin-shaped or stork-bill-shaped seed pods that burst explosively to propel seeds away from the parent plant. The unique spiral tails of the seeds then push them slowly into the dirt as the air around changes humidity and temperature.

Sensitive plant

Sensitive plant , Mimosa pudica, or sensitive plant, is named for its unique characteristic of curling up when touched. The fernlike leaves will curl inwards when disturbed. It’s purple fuzzy flowers make it an attractive houseplant, however, the plant contains alkaloids which are toxic to people and animals.

Garden valerian

Garden valerian gets its name from the Latin term, “valere” (meaning “healthy”) since its extracts were believed to be useful. For gardening purposes, the plant is often grown as an ornamental or perennial herb. Garden valerian was likely brought to North America for use in gardens, but it escaped and is now an invasive weed.

Spotted Joe-pyeweed

Spotted Joe-pyeweed is a perennial plant native to North America. It can grow as tall as 6.5 ft. It is found often in damp or wet areas such as marshlands, swamps, etc. and it produces purplish-pink colored flowers at the top of stems that are purple or green with purple spots.

Himalayan balsam

Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is a flowering annual plant found natively in the Himalayan mountains. It is an attractive ornamental plant but has become an invasive species in North America due to humans transiting. In order to remove the invasive species, the plant must be cut out by its roots.

Deptford pink

Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria) is an annual wildflower that grows from 12 to 30 inches tall. It is commonly found growing in disturbed areas and pastures and along roadsides, railroad tracks and woodland edges. It blooms small, yet showy, clusters of pink flowers. The flower’s nectar attracts butterflies, skippers, bees and flies. The name refers to an area in England where the plant was once common.

Moss campion

This plant grows in tight carpets or mounds in rocky, mountainous regions and tundras. This perennial is also planted in rock gardens due to the attractiveness of its tiny leaves as well as the pink or lavender flowers that bloom profusely in summer. The first flowers of the year will appear on the south side. Moss campion plants have long lifespans, with some in Alaska exceeding 300 years of age.

New york Ironweed

New york Ironweed, or Vernonia noveboracensis, gets its Latin name from a traveling botanist of the 1600 and 1700s, Willian Vernon. It is a tall perennial wildflower with stiff stems and bright purple fluffs of flowers on top that is native to the eastern and southeastern United States.

10 Wildflowers to Look For in Summer

What better way to spend a summer’s day than a nature walk amidst fragrant blossoms? Let our list inspire you to explore the color show that Mother Nature has to offer in summertime. Find out where these wildflowers grow, and see how many you can spot on your next hike.

Cornflower

Centaurea cyanus is known by several names, like cornflower and bachelor’s button. This flower has a beautiful blue color that was a favorite of famed Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Today it is a Crayola crayon color as well as an HTML color name. The color is defined as a medium to light blue that contains very little green.

Plains coreopsis

Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) is an annual flowering plant common to Canada, the United States, and China. Plains coreopsis grows along roadsides and agricultural fields. Plains coreopsis is cultivated in gardens and prefers well-drained sandy soils. The blossoms can be made into mahogany dye.

Oxeye daisy

Leucanthemum vulgare is a very adaptable perennial herb native to Eurasia, commonly known as Oxeye daisy. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. Oxeye daisy is a common weed in lawns and crop plants. It is also considered an invasive species in some areas in the world.

Common blanketflower

Common blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) is native to the Rocky Mountains and other parts of the northwestern United States. This wildflower is also a popular garden perennial due to its large blooms that appear from early spring through fall. It attracts butterflies and its seeds are favored by goldfinches.

Cardinal flower

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from 2-6 feet tall. Showy, red flowers bloom May through October. Named for its red flowers that are similar to a Cardinal’s robe, these blossoms attract hummingbirds to the garden. Its fruits are blue and foliages change color in fall. Prefers sun to partial shade with moist soil. Perfect for wet areas.

Garden cosmos

Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is a herbaceous annual plant often cultivated as an ornamental in temperate regions. Due to its self-sowing ability, Garden cosmos can grow on the same spot for several years, even though it is an annual. Not surprisingly, this quality also made it an invasive species in certain areas of the world.

Common chicory

Common chicory is used in a variety of culinary applications around the world, most commonly with coffee. It is occasionally also added during the beer-brewing process to inject a coffee-like flavor. The leaves can be boiled or eaten raw in salad or with pasta. Common chicory is also a simple livestock fodder. In European folklore, the small blue flowers could be used to magically open locked doors.

Wild carrot

The Wild carrot is a common flowering plant with light, delicate flowers. Originally native to Europe and Asia, it has also spread to North America and Australia. Studies of historical paintings suggest that the Wild carrot was cultivated in Turkey, Spain, and North Africa for centuries.

New england aster

New england aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a flowering plant native to North America. It is widely cultivated for ornamental horticulture and as a garden plant. There are over 70 cultivars of New england aster.

Purple coneflower

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is an herb native to North America that flourishes in prairie environments or open wooded areas. The Purple coneflower makes a good addition to a flower bed or garden because its blooms last the whole summer and attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.

10 Thirsty Garden Plants That Need Lots of Water

Everything needs water, but some plants are needier than others. It’s important to understand each species’ needs before you add them to your garden. Today, we’ll discuss a few plants that need lots of watering. Desert-garden options these are not, but if you live in humid conditions, these may be right up your alley!

Bigleaf hydrangea

The Bigleaf hydrangea is a deciduous shrub native to Japan, and is known for its lush, oval, colorful inflorescence. The two types of Hydrangea macrophylla are mopheads – with large, ball-shaped, sterile flower clusters, and lacecapes – with small round fertile flowers in the center, and sterile flowers on the outer side of each inflorescence. Depending on soil pH, blooms can change color from pink to blue.

Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley is highly poisonous and originates in Euroasia. Although it is toxic, it is popular in gardens and perfume industry for its charming flowers and fragrance. Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland and was the national flower of former Yugoslavia.

Sword fern

The Nephrolepis exaltata is commonly known as the Sword fern or sword fern. It is a common and popular houseplant that is native to tropical environments. While the Sword fern can survive droughts, it prefers humid environments and should be misted regularly. It is generally considered non-toxic and is pet friendly.

Blue flag

Blue flag is considered a wetland species, which means it does well planted near pond or lake edges, in water meadows, and near other water features. It can tolerate being in standing water that is less than 6 inches deep and can be completely submerged for a short time. Blue flag is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant that grows 4’31 in high.

Giant taro

Giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos) is a flowering plant that grows in rainforest environments within its native Asia and Australia. Most parts of the plant are highly toxic if swallowed and can also irritate the skin. Native Hawaiians have a saying that translates to “Those who eat Giant taro will have an itchy mouth,” which is used to mean, “There are consequences for partaking of something bad.”

Common sunflower

The Common sunflower is recognizable for its bright flower on a very tall stem. It is often grown in gardens. These flowers have been important in culture: they were worshipped by the ancient Inca people, and today, they represent eco-friendly movements. The artist Vincent Van Gogh made a famous series of paintings about Common sunflowers. Wild versions of the plant branch out to many flower heads, but domesticated plants typically only have one.

Bird of paradise

The Bird of paradise is a bright, flowering plant. It is native to South Africa, where it is important to national culture, even being featured on the country’s 50-cent coin. The Bird of paradise has also become the official flower of Los Angeles in spite of its non-native status. In the wild, these flowers attract sunbirds as pollinators.

Orange daylily

The Orange daylily is a perennial plant known for its captivating lily-like blooms. Its natural habitats are meadows and forests, but it is also a common garden plant in temperate regions around the world. Each individual flower lasts only a day, but the plant will bloom new ones for weeks. Orange daylily’s young buds and flowers are edible either raw or cooked. As a bonus to vegetarians, the flowers contain more fats than most vegetables.

Wax begonia

Begonia cucullata is a native of South America. It is often used as a ground cover and also does well in containers. The blossoms of Wax begonia can be red, white, or pink. In some states like Florida and Georgia, Wax begonia is considered an invasive species due to its tendency to reseed prolifically in the right conditions.

Weigela

Named after German scientist Christian Ehrenfried Weigel, the Weigela is known for beautiful tubular flowers in shades of pink. The Weigela blooms in early spring and can produce sporadic repeat blooms through mid to late summer. Weigela is especially attractive to hummingbirds.

Best Companion Plants for a Backyard Pond

Babbling water, happy songbirds, and flashy fish are all good reasons to create a backyard pond. But no garden water feature would be complete without the right foliage to go with it. We’d like to offer our suggestions for plants that offer the best backdrop to a relaxing pond.

Sweet flag

Sweet flag (Acorus calamus) is a perennial grass that will grow from 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. It spreads by rhizomes and grows slowly to form a dense ground cover. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and is not invasive. The foliage has a sweet fragrance and in late spring blooms small yellow-green flowers followed by tiny red berries that ripen in fall.

Blue flag

Varigated yellow pond-lily

Varigated yellow pond-lily (Nuphar lutea) is a North American aquatic plant with floating leaves. It goes by many names including brandy bottle, a reference to the fact that its flowers smell a bit like stale alcohol, and its fruits are shaped like bottles or vases. The Dutch province, Friesland, features Varigated yellow pond-lily leaves on its flag.

American white water-lily

American white water-lily (Nymphaea odorata) is an aquatic flowering plant native to Central and North America. It is a common food for many species of birds and turtles. The shade American white water-lily casts over its pond habitats helps stifle algae growth, a side effect that is beneficial to most of the aquatic wildlife around it.

Common rush

Common rush (Juncus effusus) is a soft, grass-like clumping perennial also known as soft rush. Common rush grows well in standing water or rich moist soil. It grows in small clumps that look like tall grass and spreads by rhizomes. It can be grown in an aquatic setting or indoors as a houseplant.

Papyrus sedge

Papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus) is an aquatic flowering plant that’s originally from Africa. It was used by the ancient Egyptians to make papyrus, one of the earliest kinds of paper. For thousands of years, people have tied the stems together to build boats. Nowadays, it’s often used ornamentally. It’s close to extinction in the Nile Delta region’one of the places it calls home.

Mexican petunia

Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex) is an evergreen herbaceous perennial recognized by its wrinkly, trumpet-shaped purple flowers. It is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. Due to its vigorous spreading ability, Ruellia simplex has become widely naturalized outside Mexico. It is considered an invasive species in many countries.

Yellow marsh marigold

Yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is a perennial wildflower that grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. It produces bright yellow, buttercup-like blossoms that bloom from April to June. It is commonly found growing in moist woodlands and boggy areas. It is a favorite of grazing cows and attracts butterflies and bees. Its seeds can be collected after blooming for replanting in other locations.

Pickerelweed

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) is an aquatic plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall. It’s common name from the pickerel, a fish with which the species has a symbiotic relationship. It flourishes in shallow freshwater, including rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Common water-plantain

Common water-plantain is an aquatic flowering perennial that can grow in mud or shallow water. Its flowers open in the afternoon. The plant’s Latin name, Alisma plantago-aquatica, comes from a Celtic word for water.

Flowering rush

Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) is an aquatic plant introduced into North America from Eurasia as an ornamental plant. It is now regarded as a very invasive weed in the Great Lakes area. The stems provide a ladder for damsel and dragonfly nymphs as they emerge from the depths of the pond to shed their larval skins.

Indian rhubarb

Indian rhubarb is a flowering perennial that grows in small umbrella-shaped clumps. Clusters of flowers appear in spring before its leaves. It grows well around bog edges and small pond gardens.

A Guide for Watering Houseplants

Keeping indoor plants healthy requires learning how to water well—too much, and you might stress them out. Learn how to tell when indoor plants need more water and the best strategies to keep them healthy and hydrated.

When it comes to keeping your indoor plants alive, how you water them needs to be a key consideration.

Unlike plants in the natural world, those kept indoors will never get rained on. This means, as caretaker, that you are solely responsible for controlling their environment to help them thrive. However, knowing the watering needs of houseplants can get challenging, and many plant owners err on the side of providing too much or too little.

Here’s a guide to watering houseplants to help you keep yours healthy and thriving.

The Challenge of Watering Indoor Plants

When it comes to water needs, indoor plants are far from one-size-fits-all. Each plant’s water requirements depend on various factors, from its light exposure to the location in your house and the kind of material it is planted in.

For example, succulents need minimal water and quickly rot when given too much, while many tropical ferns struggle to grow if their foliage isn’t continuously moist. Plants in hanging baskets dry out far faster than those on the ground, and many indoor plants spend part of the year in a dormant phase that changes their water needs considerably.

In other words, if you want to figure out a watering strategy for your houseplants, you need to do the research to understand each variety’s specific requirements so you can best meet their needs.

How to Tell When Indoor Plants Need Water

The first step for watering houseplants is knowing when they need water to begin with. The easiest method is to gauge the soil’s moisture level. Stick your index finger into the potting soil about one inch (2cm) down. If the dirt feels dry to the touch, the plant likely needs more water.

It’s also possible to lift the pot to feel whether it seems heavy from wet soil or light and dried out. This works best if you first get a sense of how hefty the pot is immediately after watering.

Note that browning leaves and a drooping demeanor aren’t reliable signs that a plant needs water. Sometimes, these same symptoms occur when a plant is overwatered, and the roots are struggling to pull in enough oxygen.

Should You Water Houseplants From the Bottom?

While watering cans are the standard way to water houseplants, another method is to water pots from the bottom. This keeps plant roots hydrated without hurting their foliage above.

First, make sure your plant is in a pot with drainage holes along the bottom. Set it on a saucer with a tall lip or any container large enough to hold the potted plant. Fill this container partway with water and place the pot in the middle.

Let it sit for at least ten minutes before touching the top of the soil. If it feels wet, the plant’s roots successfully drew up the moisture. If not, let it sit longer. Either way, make sure you move it or drain the container within an hour to ensure the roots won’t rot from sitting in water too long.

Note: Bottom watering won’t remove excess salts from the soil like top watering will. You can solve this problem by watering your houseplants from above at least once a month.

Ten Troubleshooting Tips to Water Indoor Plants Successfully

Don’t let your houseplants run into problems. Here are some proven strategies to ensure you water your indoor plants well.

1. Only Use Tepid Water

Hot or cold water straight from the tap will shock plant roots and potentially stunt them. Take your cue from rainwater and only use room temperature water for your houseplants.

2. Water Around the Whole Pot

Novice plant keepers often err by watering their plants in just one spot, which can starve half the roots of water in the long run. Take care to pour water around the whole pot so each part of the plant stays hydrated.

3. Avoid Using Treated Water

The water from your tap can include various additives, including chlorine, fluoride, and salts (if it’s softened). These compounds can affect plant health over time. Your best option is to water houseplants with filtered water, collected rainwater, or untreated well water.

4. Water Deeply and Less Frequently

As with outdoor plants, frequent light waterings encourages houseplants to develop shallow roots and makes them extra sensitive to any drought periods. You’ll promote better root growth in the long run by watering deeply and less often.

5. Choose the Right Sized Pot

One common mistake houseplant owners make is choosing pots based on their styling instead of size. Smaller pots dry out more quickly, which will stress the plant inside. Make sure you purchase the correct sized pot for your plant and scale up as it grows.

6. Pay Attention to Light Exposure

Even indoor light leads to evaporation, which means that houseplants that spend their time in bright spaces need more water than those in low-light conditions. Note whether your plant is drying out faster on sunnier days and water accordingly.

7. Water Soil, Not Foliage

One of the easiest ways to spread disease is by keeping plant leaves warm and wet, as it creates an ideal breeding ground for bacterial pathogens and fungal spores. A better choice is to use a watering can with a long spout to wet the soil directly so the foliage stays dry.

8. Track Humidity

Some plants, especially tropical varieties, require that their leaves and foliage stay relatively moist. This means you’ll need to mist them regularly to promote optimal growth. Consider keeping these plants somewhere with a relatively high moisture content, such as near a humidifier or in a steamy bathroom.

9. Consider the Seasons

Even indoor plants go through seasons of growth. They will require more water during flowering stages, but far less once they start conserving energy for colder months. Note what stage your plant is in and change your watering schedule to fit it.

10. Repot When Waterlogged

You may find that your plant’s soil never seems to dry out, no matter how carefully you water it. This might be due to overly compacted soil or clogged drainage holes that trap the water near the plant roots. Consider replanting stressed plants in fresh soil and a bigger pot with clear drainage holes.

Watering indoor plants doesn’t need to be stressful. So long as you take the time to research the water needs of what you’re growing, you can provide houseplants with the healthy environment they need to thrive.

Understanding Temperature for Plants

If you want your plants to thrive, you need to pay attention to the temperature they live in. Learn how to determine what temperature your plants need both indoors and outside so you get the best results possible.

Plants are picky about their living conditions, and the wrong temperatures can make it hard for them to thrive. Understanding the role temperature plays in plant growth makes it easier to ensure your plants get the best start in life possible. Here’s what you need to know.

Plants, Temperature, and Photosynthesis

Temperature is considered second only to light as the most vital component for plant growth, and it’s a critical factor in photosynthesis. During this process, plants pull energy from the sun, which they transform into glucose to use as fuel. Temperature extremes on either end of the spectrum interfere with this process.

If the temperature drops too low, your plant may stagnate and die, especially if exposed to lots of cold water. Likewise, high temperatures will speed up plant respiration and can break down existing sugars, leaving the plant with little food to support further growth. This causes it to drop its leaves and become spindly.

Understanding Temperature Ranges

Temperature’s overall effect on plants varies based on many factors, including its sunlight exposure, elevation, temperature variation between day and night, the proximity to surrounding heat-retaining structures (like rocks and walls), and the moisture drainage levels in the soil.

Thankfully, plants are relatively resilient to most temperature fluctuations, especially between daytime and nighttime. In fact, flowering plants often do best with daytime temperatures between 70-80 degrees F (21- 26°C) but nighttime temperatures closer to 55-60 degrees F (12-15°C). These lower nighttime temperatures help the plant recover from moisture loss, which leads to longer-lasting flowers with more intense coloring.

Outdoor plants tend to handle temperature changes better than indoor ones. Here’s a general rule for the minimum temperatures most annual plants can handle outside.

However, each plant species has its own temperature requirements. When buying new plants, it’s important to research what maximum and minimum heat level they can best handle.

Indoor Temperatures for Plant Health

Growing plants indoors gives you more control over their environment, but this coddled environment means they can become more sensitive to temperature fluctuations over time. Thankfully they have a larger comfort range than most people do. People usually feel best in indoor temperatures between 72–82°F (22–27°C), but plants have a broader comfort temperature range of 58–86°F (8–30°C).

When choosing indoor locations for indoor plants, pay attention to potential temperature danger zones. These are places where the temperature can jump from extremes quickly, such as windowsills and drafty doorways. Long-term exposure to these spaces can stress your plants, so choose locations where the temperature won’t vary as much.

If your indoor plants show signs of stress, there are two primary options for promoting growth again. These include either increasing the available lighting (to promote photosynthesis) or decreasing the nighttime temperatures (to promote respiration).

Indoor Germination

While indoor plants will do best if you keep their temperature stable, the rules change slightly if you’re starting seeds for plants that will eventually move outdoors, like for a vegetable garden. In this case, you want to subtly mimic the variation of day and night temperatures so the plants don’t go into shock when planted outdoors.

It’s also possible to mimic the seasons indoors for plant germination. For example, many seeds need to be cold stratified before planting, meaning you need to keep the seeds in the refrigerator for several weeks to replicate winter temperatures before planting them in the “spring.”

Germination rates increase as the temperature goes up, but only to a point. Get it too hot indoors, and seedlings might suffer after sprouting. Some cool-season vegetables, such as broccoli and lettuce, require chillier temperatures between 55–70°F(13–21°C), while warmer weather plants like squash and tomatoes prefer to germinate in temperatures between 70–85°F (21–30°C).

The Importance of Outdoor Soil Temperature

If you’re growing plants outdoors, the soil temperature is a crucial factor in success. All soil microorganisms have optimal temperatures in which they operate, and ground that is too chilly or hot keeps them sluggish, which may negatively affect your plants.

You can measure the ground temperature with a soil thermometer to ensure you plant at the right time. For best results, use it in the early morning when the soil is coolest, and get the reading between one and three inches down in the ground. Take the temperature for three consecutive days and average the results for the most accurate reading.

If you need to warm the soil up quickly, covering it with dark mulch will attract sunlight and bring up the temperature within a few days. Plastic sheets work even better because the synthetic material holds heat in. You can also till the first few soil layers to bring it to the surface and promote excess water drainage that could be cooling it down.

Sometimes, waiting for the soil to warm isn’t realistic, and you need to get seeds in the ground fast. Here’s a closer look at the minimum and optimal soil temperature requirements for different plant varieties so you can assess when planting makes the most sense.

Minimum Soil Temperatures for Germination:

35°F (1°C): onion, lettuce, spinach.
40°F (4°C): broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, Asian greens, kale, radish, Swiss chard, peas
50°F (10°C): celery, asparagus, corn, tomatoes.
60°F (15°C): cucumbers, beans, eggplant, peppers, squash, watermelon.
75°F (23°C): eggplant, okra, pumpkins.

Optimal Soil Temperature for Near-100% Germination:

65°F (18°C): parsnips
70°F (21°C): spinach
75°F (23°C): lettuce, asparagus, onions
80°F (26°C): carrots, beans
85°F (29°C): cabbage, beets, radishes, eggplant, peppers, Swiss chard, tomato
95°F (35°C): watermelon, corn, cucumber, squash

Is Your Temperature Wrong? Three Signs of Problems

Sometimes you might not notice problems with the temperature around your plants until you see signs of stress around them. Here are three ways plants express something is wrong with their growing conditions:

Note that each of these plant conditions could be caused by other problems unrelated to temperature. Observe the problem carefully and experiment with different changes until you see what makes an improvement.

Plant Lighting 101: What You Need to Know

All plants need light to survive, and too much or too little can cause them to suffer. Learn how to plan your outdoor planting around each plant’s lighting needs and the best ways to position indoor plants for success all year long.

When it comes to growing healthy plants, light exposure needs to be a key consideration. Too little light will lead to feeble growth, but too much can scorch sensitive leaves and hurt your plant over the long term. How much light is enough? Here’s a guide to understanding the light requirements for both indoor and outdoor plants.

Why Plants Need Light

All plants require lots of light exposure for photosynthesis. This natural process allows plants to harness energy from sunlight in order to transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose—a primary source of plant food that fuels long-term growth.

The more light available, the more energy a plant can harness, and the faster it will grow. However, this only holds true to a point. It’s possible to give growing things too much of a good thing and stress them out to the point of getting stunted or even dying. Some plants need six hours of sunlight per day, while others do better with less.

Here’s how to understand the requirements for both indoor and outdoor plants.

Lighting Needs for Outdoor Plants

The light requirements for outdoor plants are often indicated by the hours of sunlight they should be exposed to per day. When buying a new plant, look for a tag that includes one of these labels.

Full Sun

This label indicates the plant will thrive best with as much natural light as possible and need at least six hours of sun exposure per day. Drought tolerant perennials and most vegetables fall under this category. If you don’t have spots in your garden that stay sunny all day, prioritize places with lots of afternoon sun as it tends to be stronger than morning.

Partial Sun

Plants that fit into this category usually need about six hours of daily sunlight but also benefit from time in the shade. They typically do best with morning sun and some afternoon shade to protect from the scorching afternoon heat. Many flowering plants require partial sun conditions.

Partial Shade

This category represents plants that need four hours or less of direct sunlight (an hour and a half is ideal). Most will do best when planted in an east-facing garden bed that provides sunlight exposure in the morning and shade by midday.

Dappled Sun

This rare requirement refers to plants that need small amounts of sunlight while staying protected, similar to what they would get from the filtered light available under a tree. You can also shield these plants under a lightweight shade cloth.

Full Shade

While full shade plants still need some sunlight, they can’t handle more than three hours per day. They do well under larger plants and should be grown in the shadiest parts of your yard. Best of all, they typically require minimal maintenance once established.

A Note on Sun Levels

With outdoor plants, all sunlight is not equal. For example, direct sunlight along the equator is significantly more extreme than the same amount of light at locations closer to the poles. You’ll need to do some research about your outdoor conditions to determine whether to modify the sunlight recommendations for each variety.

Lighting for Houseplants

The lighting needs for houseplants vary significantly compared to outdoor plants. Indoor light strength is often measured by foot-candles, which refers to the light intensity of a unit of measure known as a candela.

– 200–500 foot-candles: Low-light, deep shade, unsuitable for most plants

– 500-1,000: Low-light but bright enough to read by, suitable for some shade plants

– 1,000-2,000: Bright, indirect sunlight that won’t produce a strong shadow

– 2,000-4,000: Direct light coming through windows, equal to about 40 percent of the midday sun

– 4,000-5,000: 50 percent of the midday sun, intense direct sunlight in a bright room

– 5,000+: Super bight, direct indoor light

Note that full sun outdoors comes in at about 10,000 foot-candles. This means that the darkest shade outdoors still tends to be brighter than what plants get from the sunniest window, so only the most shade-tolerant plants tend to thrive inside without supplemental light.

You can also orient indoor plants based on the directions your windows face.

– North-facing windows: Tend to have the weakest light, may work for shade plants but likely will not grow anything in the winter

– South-facing windows: Often have the strongest light intensity and offer consistent all-day light

– East-facing windows: Benefit most from the morning sun, best for plants that need moderate light exposure

– West-facing windows: Lots of strong afternoon and evening sun, suitable for most sun-loving plants

Proximity to windows makes a huge difference for indoor plants. Moving one just a few feet from a window can easily halve its light exposure, so make your décor decisions carefully.

How Much Light Does Your Plant Get?

Short of measuring your home’s foot-candle output, how can you tell how much light your plants are getting? One easy test is to hold your hand about a foot above a plain piece of paper. If you only see a faint shadow (or none at all), you have low light. A blurry or fuzzy shadow is a sign of medium-intensity light, and a crisp shadow indicates a strong, direct light source.

Signs Plants Need More Light

Your plants themselves will usually tell you whether they are getting enough light to thrive. Signs of too little light exposure include long, spindly stems and yellowing or dropping leaves. This is called etiolation, and it means that the plant is straining to grow towards the available light, but it isn’t strong enough for the plant to photosynthesize properly.

This problem is easy to fix by moving plants into direct sunlight or adding a supplement light source such as a grow light. Even a few hours of exposure a day to artificial light can transform a spindly plant and help it grow more robust.

In contrast, pale leaves or those with crispy browning sections may be getting burned from too much light. You may want to provide shade or move the plant somewhere with less direct light exposure.

Understanding the lighting needs for different plants will help you ensure you give them what they need to thrive. Do your research now so you can place plants where they will best get their needs met for the healthiest garden possible.