Plant Gardens 101

Any of several moths whose larvae make nests of rolled leaves and silk.

A stem, especially of grasses, that is usually hollow except at the nodes. Bamboo is a good example.

Shrubby; resembling a shrub.

A tender shrub that can be grown in cold climates. It freezes to the ground in winter but sends up new shoots in spring.

A chemical product, of either mineral or synthetic origin, that provides nutrients to stimulate plant growth.

To distribute seeds or fertilizer evenly over an area, not in rows.

A caterpillar that chews on grass blades, leaving bare spots in the lawn.

A vine that climbs by wrapping its stem around a support. Twining vines can actually damage or strangle trees.

See peat moss.

The rose family, which in addition to roses includes many of our most important fruiting and ornamental plants, among them apples, crab apples, pears, cherries, and raspberries.

The botanical name for spruce.

The loss of nutrients when rain or irrigation carries them down through the soil and out of the root zone.

See peat moss.

As a species name, means “shrubby or bushy.” For example, Jerusalem sage, Phlomis fruticosa, is a shrubby perennial with stems that get woody at the base.

A plant that, due to inherited characteristics, is shorter and/or slower growing than the normal forms.