Why is it of import to determine how garden flowers are grouped or classified ?
For one , it will make it easier for you to order flora and flowers . You also will intimately interpret terms you see in Koran and catalogs . And you ’ll instruct about some cultural or growth factors to consider when selecting flower for your garden .
To begin with , flowers and plantscan be classified or grouped many dissimilar style , calculate on your perspective . plant scientist may be most concerned inflower structure and plantfamily relationships . Horticulturists , such as myself , are more interested in the correctnames for flowers , their growth cycle per second , and their cultural requirements .
So , let ’s take plant names first . You probably know that plant have common and scientific names . The latter is based on Latin and consists of two chief parts — the genus and the species name . This “ binomial ” organization of language ( plant life name ) , as it is call off , was first uprise by the Swedish botanist Carl von Linnaeus ( 1707 - 1778 ) .
The species have many other subdivisions , just as on the other end genus are aggroup into family ( usually with similar blossom characteristics ) . The main subdivisionsgardenersare interested in are the mintage breakdowns into either variety or cultivars . The word “ cultivar ” is confusing to some , but it just refer to a cultivated miscellany – one arising out of human cultivation . Cultivars usually only take issue in one primary characteristic , such as development habit , flower color , height , or like .
Common namesoften are gentle to understand and pronounce , so most people use them . But when I refer to Spurge , am I talking aboutEuphorbiaorPachysandra ? This potential confusion , even among unlike vernacular gens in different region and countries , is why scientific name are needed as well .
The 2nd fashion flowers can be grouped or classified is by growth wheel . In other quarrel , how long does it take them to complete one cycle from seed to flower . If the cycle per second is finished in one year , then they are forebode “ annuals . ” If completed in two years , often bloom in the 2nd , they ’re “ biennials . ” And if they just keep come back and blooming each year ( provided they ’re hardy of path ! ) , they ’re “ perennial . ”
Then there are the bulb , corms , and tubers — those repeated flowers ( some hardy , some attendant ) grow from specialized root . Of course , perennials can be divided further into many specific group , either by increment use , such as cosmetic locoweed , or emergence surround , such as aquatic plants .
The third method of classification , and the one most crucial for gardeners , is by growth riding habit and ethnic penchant . Factors include here , and ones you should see when both choosingperennials and place them in your garden , include :
So when choosing your next garden flower , weigh type ( how many years of flush ) ; plant name ( look for those cultivar with special trait ) ; and growth and cultural characteristics , to make certain each cultivar will succeed in your garden and reinforce you with blooms , foliage , or other specific uses .
Garden Flower Botany Primer – Classification
By Dr. Leonard Perry and Lisa Halvorsen nExtension Nursery and Greenhouse Crops SpecialistUniversity of Vermont
