Plant Search Definitions

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Plant Search Definitions

Scientific Name:

The Scientific Name, also called the Latin name, universally refers to a specific plant.

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Cultivar:

The cultivar refers to a horticultural variety that originated and persists because of cultivation.

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Common Name:

The common name is the non-scientific name for a plant. Many common names can exist for a plant and is not univerally understood. For example, the common name for plants in the genus Cornus is dogwood.

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Hardiness Zone:

The hardiness zone is designed to help gardeners predict whether a particular plant will be successful in a particular area. The United States and southern Canada are divided into 11 zones based on a 10 degree F difference in average annual minimum temperature. The hardiness zone system is based on the assumption that survival of landscape plants over winter is the most critical selection criterion in the plant’s adaptation to the environment. For additional information visit the USDA Hardiness Zone Map Info Page.
Option	Description
Any	Using this choice will allow selection of plants of any zone.
1	Below -50 F (Fairbanks, AK)
2	-50 to -40 F (Prudhoe Bay, AK)
3	-40 to -30 F (International Falls, MN)
4	-30 to -20 F (Minneapolis/St. Paul MN)
5	-20 to -10 F (Des Moines, IA)
6	-10 to 0 F (St. Louis, MO)
7	0 to 10 F (Little Rock, AR)
8	10 to 20 F (Austin, TX)
9	20 to 30 F (Brownsville, TX)
10	20 to 40 F (Miami, FL)
11	Above 40 F (Honolulu, HI)
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Plant Category:

Multiple categories may be selected by clicking on categories while holding the Ctrl key down.
Option	Description
Any	Using this choice will allow selection of plants of any category.
Annual and Biennials	Annuals germinate, flower, set seed and die in a single growning season. Biennials germinate and grow the first year, and flower and die the second year.
Aquatic Plants	Plants that grow in water.
Bromeliads	Tropical epiphytic or terrestrial plants that produce a showy bloom.
Cacti and other succulents	Mostly arid, desert-like plants that require little maintenance. Indoor or outdoor plants, depending on zone.
Carnivorous plants	Plants that trap and consume insects.
Climbers	Plants that grow upright, usually with the help of an arbor, trellis or the like.
Edibles	Plants that can be used for culinary purposes.
Ferns and moss	Prehistoric plants that are grown for their foliage, indoors or outdoors depending on zone.
Fruits	Small or tree fruits that are grown for eating purposes.
Ground covers	Plants used for the purpose of covering the ground.
Herbs	Plants that are grown for culinary, medicinal or therapeutic purposes.
Houseplants	Plants that are grown indoors or outdoors(zone dependent) for decorative purposes.
Landscapes	Created outdoor scenes.
Orchids	Plants that are grown for their exotic flowers, generally tropical.
Ornamental grass and bamboo	Generally low maintenance clump-forming perennials typically used as accents in the landscape or border.
Palms and cycads	Prehistoric tropical plants generally grown for their foliage.
Perennials	Hardy ornamental plants that persists for several years or more. Grows each spring and dies back each fall.
Shrubs	Multi-stemmed woody plants grown for aesthetic or functional purposes.
Trees	Upright, generally single-stemmed large woody plant.
Turf grasses	Clipped foliage that forms a dense carpet used for lawns and landscape.
Vegetables	Plants that are grown for culinary purposes.
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Bloom Time:

Option	Description
Any	Using this choice will allow selection of plants of any bloom time.
Year Round	Blooms throughout the year.
Early Winter	Blooms in early winter.
Mid Winter	Blooms in the middle of winter.
Late Winter	Blooms in late winter.
Early Spring	Blooms in early spring.
Mid Spring	Blooms in the middle of spring.
Late Spring	Blooms in late spring.
Early Summer	Blooms in early summer.
Mid Summer	Blooms in the middle of summer.
Late Summer	Blooms in late summer.
Early Fall	Blooms in early fall.
Mid Fall	Blooms in the middle of fall.
Late Fall	Blooms in late fall.
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Flower Color(s):

Multiple categories may be selected by clicking on categories while holding the Ctrl key down.
Option	Description
Any	Using this choice will allow selection of plants of any flower color.
Blacks	Flower colors include blacks.
Blues	Flower colors include blues.
Burgundy	Flower colors include burgundy.
Creams	Flower colors include creams.
Greens	Flower colors include greens.
Oranges	Flower colors include oranges.
Pinks	Flower colors include pinks.
Purples	Flower colors include purples.
Reds	Flower colors include reds.
Whites	Flower colors include whites.
Yellows	Flower colors include yellows.
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Maximum Height:

Option	Description
Any	Using this choice will allow selection of plants of any height.
Up to 1 ft	Plants up to 1 ft high.
1 to 2 ft	Plants 1 to 2 ft high.
2 to 3 ft	Plants 2 to 3 ft high.
3 to 4 ft	Plants 3 to 4 ft high.
4 to 5 ft	Plants 4 to 5 ft high.
5 to 6 ft	Plants 5 to 6 ft high.
6 to 10 ft	Plants 6 to 10 ft high.
10 to 15 ft	Plants 10 to 15 ft high.
15 to 20 ft	Plants 15 to 20 ft high.
20 to 30 ft	Plants 20 to 30 ft high.
30 to 40 ft	Plants 30 to 40 ft high.
60 to 100 ft	Plants 60 to 100 ft high.
Over 100 ft	Plants over 100 ft high.
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Limit Search To:

Option	Description
10 Plants	The search is limited to the first ten plants found.
30 Plants	The search is limited to the first thirty plants found.
50 Plants	The search is limited to the first fifty plants found.
250 Plants	The search is limited to the first two hundred fifty plants found.
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