Ornamental plants bring beauty to our gardens, homes, and public spaces. They come in countless shapes, sizes, and colors. People grow them for their visual appeal rather than for food or other practical uses. Let’s explore the main types of ornamental plants that gardeners and landscapers use worldwide.
Flowering Plants
Flowering plants are the most popular ornamental plants. They produce colorful blooms that attract attention. Many flower at specific times of year, creating seasonal interest in gardens.
Annual Flowers
Annuals complete their life cycle in one growing season. They grow from seed, flower, produce new seeds, and die all within a year. Gardeners love them for their quick results and long blooming periods.
Common examples include:
- Petunias: Trumpet-shaped flowers in many colors
- Marigolds: Bright yellow or orange blooms
- Zinnias: Daisy-like flowers on tall stems
- Impatiens: Shade-loving plants with flat flowers
These plants work well in containers or flower beds. You need to replant them each year.
Perennial Flowers
Perennials live for several years. Their tops may die back in winter, but the roots survive to regrow each spring. They often have shorter bloom times than annuals but require less maintenance.
Popular perennial flowers include:
- Roses: Classic flowers with fragrant blooms
- Peonies: Large, fluffy flowers in spring
- Daylilies: Tough plants with colorful trumpet flowers
- Hostas: Grown mainly for foliage but have small flowers
Perennials form the backbone of many garden designs. They increase in size each year and can be divided to make new plants.
Biennial Flowers
Biennials take two years to complete their life cycle. The first year they grow leaves, and the second year they flower before dying.
Examples are:
- Foxgloves: Tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers
- Hollyhocks: Towering stems with large blooms
- Sweet William: Clusters of small, fragrant flowers
These plants often self-seed, creating new plants each year without replanting.
Foliage Plants
Not all ornamental plants are grown for flowers. Many provide interest through their leaves. Foliage plants offer color and texture when flowers aren’t blooming.
Deciduous Foliage Plants
These plants lose leaves in winter but provide spectacular color at other times.
Popular choices:
- Japanese maple: Delicate leaves in red or purple
- Coleus: Brightly patterned leaves in combinations
- Caladium: Large, heart-shaped leaves with striking patterns
Many foliage plants thrive in shade where flowering plants struggle.
Evergreen Foliage Plants
Evergreens keep their leaves year-round, providing constant color.
Examples include:
- Boxwood: Small-leaved shrubs for hedges
- Rhododendron: Glossy leaves with spring flowers
- Holly: Spiky leaves with red berries in winter
These plants form the structure of winter gardens when other plants are bare.
Ornamental Grasses
Grasses add movement and texture to landscapes. They sway in the wind and catch the light beautifully.
Cool Season Grasses
These grow best in spring and fall, going dormant in summer heat.
Common types:
- Fescue: Fine-textured blue-green clumps
- Feather reed grass: Upright growth with feathery tops
- Blue oat grass: Silvery-blue blades
Warm Season Grasses
These thrive in summer heat and often have striking seed heads.
Popular varieties:
- Fountain grass: Arching stems with fluffy tops
- Miscanthus: Tall grass with silvery plumes
- Switchgrass: Native grass with airy flower clusters
Grasses need little care and provide winter interest when left standing.
Vines and Climbers
These plants grow upward, covering walls, fences, and trellises. They save space and add vertical interest.
Flowering Vines
These combine beautiful blooms with climbing habit.
Favorites include:
- Clematis: Large flowers in many colors
- Wisteria: Fragrant purple flower clusters
- Honeysuckle: Tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds
Foliage Vines
Grown mainly for their leaves, these include:
- Ivy: Classic climbing plant with lobed leaves
- Virginia creeper: Turns brilliant red in fall
- Climbing hydrangea: Large leaves with white flowers
Vines need support but can quickly cover unsightly areas.
Shrubs and Bushes
Shrubs are woody plants smaller than trees, usually with multiple stems. They provide structure in garden designs.
Flowering Shrubs
These offer seasonal blooms plus year-round structure.
Popular examples:
- Hydrangea: Large flower clusters in pink or blue
- Lilac: Fragrant spring flowers
- Azalea: Bright spring blooms in many colors
Berry-Producing Shrubs
These provide colorful fruits after flowers fade.
Great choices:
- Cotoneaster: Red berries that birds love
- Beautyberry: Unusual purple berries
- Pyracantha: Orange or red berries in fall
Berries add winter color and feed wildlife.
Evergreen Shrubs
These keep leaves all year for constant greenery.
Common types:
- Juniper: Needle-like foliage, often blue
- Yew: Dark green needles, tolerates shade
- Arborvitae: Tall, narrow plants for screens
Evergreens work well for hedges and privacy screens.
Trees
Ornamental trees provide shade, structure, and often flowers or colorful leaves.
Flowering Trees
These create spectacular seasonal displays.
Favorites include:
- Cherry: Pink or white spring blossoms
- Dogwood: Showy spring flowers
- Magnolia: Large, fragrant early blooms
Shade Trees
Grown for their canopy and fall color.
Popular choices:
- Maple: Brilliant fall colors
- Oak: Strong, long-lived trees
- Birch: Attractive white bark
Small Ornamental Trees
Perfect for limited spaces.
Great options:
- Japanese maple: Delicate, colorful leaves
- Crabapple: Spring flowers and fall fruit
- Redbud: Pink spring flowers on bare branches
Trees take longer to establish but provide lasting beauty.
Bulbs, Corms, and Tubers
These plants grow from underground storage organs. Many have spectacular flowers.
Spring Bulbs
These bloom in early spring, often before other plants.
Common types:
- Tulips: Cup-shaped flowers in many colors
- Daffodils: Yellow or white trumpet flowers
- Crocus: Small, early flowers in purple or yellow
Summer Bulbs
These flower during warmer months.
Popular examples:
- Lilies: Trumpet-shaped flowers on tall stems
- Gladiolus: Flower spikes in bright colors
- Dahlias: Large, complex flowers in summer
Many bulbs need to be lifted in cold winters but reward with reliable blooms.
Succulents and Cacti
These water-storing plants have unique forms and need little care.
Soft Succulents
These have fleshy leaves and stems.
Common types:
- Echeveria: Rosette-forming plants
- Sedum: Low-growing or upright varieties
- Aloe: Spiky leaves with medicinal gel
Cacti
These have spines and unusual shapes.
Popular choices:
- Barrel cactus: Round, ribbed shape
- Prickly pear: Flat pads with colorful flowers
- Saguaro: The classic tall desert cactus
These plants thrive in dry conditions and poor soil.
Ferns
Ferns add lush, tropical texture with their fronds. They prefer shade and moisture.
Outdoor Ferns
These grow in shady garden spots.
Examples include:
- Ostrich fern: Tall, feathery fronds
- Japanese painted fern: Silvery-purple foliage
- Maidenhair fern: Delicate black stems
Indoor Ferns
Popular houseplant varieties:
- Boston fern: Long, arching fronds
- Bird’s nest fern: Wide, shiny leaves
- Staghorn fern: Unusual antler-like growth
Ferns don’t flower but make up for it with beautiful foliage.
Specialty Ornamentals
Some plants don’t fit the usual categories but offer unique appeal.
Bonsai
Miniature trees trained in containers. Common species used include:
- Juniper
- Maple
- Pine
Topiary
Plants shaped into geometric or animal forms. Often made from:
- Boxwood
- Yew
- Privet
Carnivorous Plants
Unusual plants that trap insects. Examples:
- Venus flytrap
- Pitcher plant
- Sundew
These require special growing conditions but fascinate gardeners.
Choosing the Right Ornamental Plants
When selecting plants, consider:
- Your climate zone
- Sun or shade conditions
- Soil type
- Maintenance requirements
- Desired size at maturity
- Seasonal interest
Mix different types for year-round beauty. Combine flowers with foliage plants, and use trees and shrubs for structure. Ornamental plants can transform any space into a living work of art. With so many varieties available, there’s always something new to discover in the world of ornamental gardening.
