Plant Terms You May Not Know

The world of plants can be overwhelming, which is why Plant Expert Meredith is here to break down some common plant terms. From deciduous to dormancy and everything in between, watch along so you and your plants can keep growing with success!

Plant Terms Defined

• Invasive: a plant that has displaced natural flora form its environment
• Native: a plant that is so naturalized to an area where it is part of the ecosystem--learn more here.
• Volunteer: a plant that has naturally seeded itself in a new area
  
• Weed: a plant that is unwanted where it is currently growing
• GMO: short for genetically modified organism, this is when a plant’s genome is altered for a more desirable trait
• Organic: plants that are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or synthetic materials, outlined by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)--shop organic fruits.
• Cultivar: a shortened word for cultivated variety where a new variety of a plant is produced by hand-selected breeding
• Variety: a botanical name classification following the species name that denotes plants that are related with unique differences
• Dormancy: a state in which a plant is not actively growing, like hibernation--see our dormancy guide to learn more.
• Deciduous: a plant that will enter dormancy and drop leaves in autumn--this includes maples, oaks, poplars and others.
• Evergreen: a plant that will keep its leaves or needles for more than a year--this includes spruces, pines, thujas, boxwoods and more.