Ornamental Plants

Pine

needle-like leaves attached in clusters (fascicles). Needle number per cluster is an important identification feature.

Fir

blunt-tipped, flat needles; needles may appear silvery beneath and attach to the twig with a flared, suction-cup-like base. The sample had a citrus/lemony undertone when a needle was broken.

Spruce

sharp, needle-like leaves attached singly; needles are square in cross section and attach on persistent woody pegs, leaving the twig rough after needles fall.

Juniper

leaves may be scale-like and/or awl-shaped. Finer-textured growth tends to be more scale-like; awl-shaped foliage can be prickly.

Yew

flat, singly attached needle-like leaves with a short petiole; darker green above. The class also discussed Taxus in relation to medicinal compounds and toxicity.

Arborvitae

scale-like and/or awl-shaped foliage, with branches typically arranged in flattened planes.

Ways to sell Ornamental

Bare root

Container

Balled and burlapped

BARE ROOT =

dug while dormant affordable

Container

Cost more

flexible planting season

B and B

feild grown-with soil ball

pruning can

redirect growth

improve production

Good landscape=

balances VARIETY with REPETITION

tight branch angle can

can trap bark and debris; water can enter the union, freeze and expand, and contribute to cracking

•A tree on the south side of a building can provide

summer shade

winter sunlight after leaves drop

ANNUALS

more flexibility and often more continuous color;

Perennials/woody

long-term structure with less yearly replanting.

Floriculture

cut flowers, potted flowering plants, houseplants, bedding plants, and even vegetable transplants

Awl-shaped leaf

Narrow, pointed leaf with a broader base and sharp tip.

Weeping fig

the woodiest/tree-like sample; leaves about two to three times as long as wide and broadest near the middle.

Spider plant

produces stolons with small plantlets; leaves have parallel venation. Leaf color pattern may vary, so stolons + venation are stronger identifiers than variegation alone.

Peace lily

grows from crowns with short stems; long petioles were about twice the length of the leaf lamina in the class comparison.

Spotted evergreen

has a thick, fleshy, upright stem; leaf lamina and petiole were roughly similar in length. Spots alone were not treated as the best diagnostic feature.

Heartleaf philodendron

more consistently heart-shaped leaf blades with prominent basal lobes; petioles are relatively smooth and round.

Golden Pothos

petioles are arched/grooved like celery and have dry, papery membranous tissue along the petiole; this helps separate it from heartleaf philodendron.

Functional roles of ornamental plants:

erosion control, shade/energy savings, wind reduction, screening, wildlife support, storm-water management, directing views and movement.

Central leader vs. codominant leaders

Single dominant main stem of a tree.Single dominant main stem of a tree.

Two or more major stems competing as dominant leaders.

Deciduous

Loses leaves seasonally, typically in autumn in this climate.