Plant examples Flashcards
EPHEMERAL
Senecio vulgaris (groundsel), Cardamine hirsuta (hairy bitter cress)
ANNUAL
Calendula officinalis (English marigold), Centaurea cyanus (cornflower)
NATURAL BIENNIAL
Dipsacus fullonum (teasel), Digitalis purpurea (foxglove)
HORTICULTURAL BIENNIAL
Erysimum cheiri (wallflower)
HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL
Hosta fortunei, Acanthus spinosus (spiny bear’s breech)
WOODY PERENNIAL
Crataegus monogyna ‘Paul’s Scarlet’, Leycesteria formosa
SHRUB
Maximum height 5m
Leycesteria formosa, Rosa glauca
TREE
Usually over 5m
Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’, Crataegus monogyna ‘Paul’s Scarlet’
EVERGREEN
Ilex aquifolium, Arbutus unedo
SEMI-EVERGREEN
A plant retaining some leaves throughout the year, may shed most leaves under extreme conditions
Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Cornubia’, Buddleja globosa
DECIDUOUS
Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’, Crataegus monogyna
HALF HARDY ANNUAL
Annuals sown under protection and planted out after the risk of frost has passed
Lobelia erinus ‘Cambridge Blue’, Tropaeolum majus
HARDY ANNUAL
frost hardy, so can be sown in-situ
Calendula officinalis,
Centaurea cyanus
TENDER PERENNIALS
Cannot survive frost, grown outside only in warmer months put under glass in winter months or grown as HORTICULTURAL ANNUALS
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Canterbury’
Ricinus communis
Why do plant lifecycles matter?
Short-lived plants produce a brighter more instant display seed more freely design may alter year on year
Fast-germinating ephemerals exploit ecological niches. E.g. a quick generation under a tree, before canopy greens
Herbaceous perennials often die down to a storage organ (e.g. a bulb) to weather extremes of heat
Climate change is turning deciduous plants into evergreens, so avoid being too literal!
High temperatures can cause death by exhausting plants’ resources, so climate change may shorten lifecycles
