Horticultural flora
Encyclopedia
A horticultural flora, also known as a garden
flora, is a plant identification aid structured in the same way as a native plant
s flora
. It servies the same purpose to facilitate plant identification, however it only includes plants that are under cultivation as ornamental plant
s growing within the prescribed climate zone or region.
s (plants deliberately altered in some way by human activity) and those wild plants brought directly into cultivation that do not have cultigen names. It might also include colour images and useful information specific to the zone or region including:
, a horticultural flora assists clarification of scientific and common names, the identification of plant characteristics that occur in cultivated plants that are additional to those in wild counterparts, and descriptions of cultivar
s missing elsewhere.
Horticultural floras may include a range of food plants, however the emphasis is generally on ornamental plants and so these floras are sometimes referred to as "garden floras." Increasingly they provide data for sustainable landscaping
, such as:
There are several publications on trees which follow the format of botanical keys and descriptions for the trees of a specific region, notably for North America and California.
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
flora, is a plant identification aid structured in the same way as a native plant
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
s flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. It servies the same purpose to facilitate plant identification, however it only includes plants that are under cultivation as ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s growing within the prescribed climate zone or region.
Scope and contents
Horticultural flora include both cultigenCultigen
A cultigen is a plant that has been deliberately altered or selected by humans; it is the result of artificial selection. These "man-made" or anthropogenic plants are, for the most part, plants of commerce that are used in horticulture, agriculture and forestry...
s (plants deliberately altered in some way by human activity) and those wild plants brought directly into cultivation that do not have cultigen names. It might also include colour images and useful information specific to the zone or region including:
-
-
- historical details about outstanding public and private cultivated plant collections
- exceptional trees (age, history, rarity, size etc.)
- prominent nurserymen and breeders
- references to the taxonomic and other literature on the plant groups
- easy "spotting" or "field" characters useful for quick identification
- notes on ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
(especially the potential to naturalise and become weedWeedA weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
y) - horticultural history of introduction
- conservationConservation biologyConservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
.
-
Uses
Written by a professional plant taxonomist or "plantsman"—plantspersonPlantsman
A plantsman is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardener , nurseryman or nurserywoman. "Plantsman" can refer to a male or female person, though the terms plantswoman, or even plantsperson, are sometimes used....
, a horticultural flora assists clarification of scientific and common names, the identification of plant characteristics that occur in cultivated plants that are additional to those in wild counterparts, and descriptions of cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s missing elsewhere.
Horticultural floras may include a range of food plants, however the emphasis is generally on ornamental plants and so these floras are sometimes referred to as "garden floras." Increasingly they provide data for sustainable landscaping
Sustainable landscaping
Sustainable landscaping encompasses a variety of practices that have developed in response to environmental issues. These practices are used in every phase of landscaping, including design, construction, implementation and management of residential and commercial landscapes. Issues of...
, such as:
- drought tolerance-irrigation needs,
- food sources of native and migratory bird and butterflyButterflyA butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
species, - companion plantingCompanion plantingCompanion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity , on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity...
, - invasive speciesInvasive species"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
notation, - local habitat restoration aspects.
Published horticultural floras
Numerous encyclopaedic listings of cultivated plants have been compiled but only four substantial horticultural floras have ever been produced, these being for: North America; Europe; South-eastern Australia; Hawaii and the tropics.There are several publications on trees which follow the format of botanical keys and descriptions for the trees of a specific region, notably for North America and California.
See also
- cultivated plant taxonomyCultivated plant taxonomyCultivated plant taxonomy is the study of the theory and practice of the science that identifies, describes, classifies, and names cultigens—those plants whose origin or selection is primarily due to intentional human activity...
- horticultural botanyHorticultural botanyHorticultural botany is the study of the botany of current and potential cultivated plants, with emphasis on the ornamental plants of horticulture, by a horticultural botanist or plantsman—plantsperson."-Horticultural botanists:...
- cultigenCultigenA cultigen is a plant that has been deliberately altered or selected by humans; it is the result of artificial selection. These "man-made" or anthropogenic plants are, for the most part, plants of commerce that are used in horticulture, agriculture and forestry...
- cultivarCultivarA cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
- botanical nomenclatureBotanical nomenclatureBotanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the results of this process. The starting point for modern botanical...