Floral & Herbaceous Lab

• lanceolate foliage

• host plant for monarchs

• tuber growth

Asclepias spp. Butterfly Weed Asclepiadaceae

• simple leaf

  • deeply lobed

  • internodes extremely pubescent

Callirhoe involucrata Wine-Cups Malvaceae

• yellow flower

• variety leaf

• naturalizing plant

• hard leaf

Coreopsis lanceolata Lanceleaf Coreopsis Asteraceae

• seeds after they open

• bright red seedpod

  • poisonous

• herbaceous plant

• very long stems

Erythrina herbacea Coral Bean Fabaceae

• heavily invasive

• sandpaper pubescent

• pungent

Lantana spp. Lantana Verbenaceae

• hibiscus like flower that never opens

• herbaceous stem

• alternating in a whorled fashion

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii Turk’s Cap Malvaceae

• pink to white flower

• wildflower like

Oenothera speciosa Evening Primrose Onagraceae

• basal rosette to bolting

• yellow-burgundy color

  • seen in bicolor

Ratibida columnifera Mexican Hat Asteraceae

• water plant

• huge variety of colors

Canna x generalis Canna Cannaceae

• taro root

  • very large bulb

• can be invasive

Colocasia esculenta Elephant’s Ear Araceae

• live in creeks and ponds

  • very aquatic plant

• coarse textured plant

Cyperus alternifolius Umbrella Sedge Cyperaceae

• illegal to grow in TX

• will completely take over ponds

Eichhornia crassipes Water Hyacinth Pontederiaceae

• highly reduced foliage

• no flowering

  • only green stem

Equisetum hyemale Horsetail Equisetaceae

• yellow flower

Iris pseudacorus Yellow Flag Iridaceae

• four-leaf clover on the water

Marsilea macropoda Water Clover Marsileaceae

• flower grown right on the water

Nymphaea spp. Water Lilies Nymphaeaceae

• leaf is the main ID feature

• fan-shaped appearance

Pontederia cordata Pickerel Weed Pontederiaceae

• thick foliage

• smooth margin

Typha angustifolia Narrowleaf Cattail Typhaceae

• variety of colors

  • yellow center always

• clumping growth habit

Achillea spp. Yarrow Asteraceae

• comes from England

• very herbaceous stems

  • silver stems

  • stem turns woody

• distinct smell

Artemisia x ‘Powis Castle’ Powis Castle Artemisia Asteraceae

• two-toned color

• grown for the flower

  • long panicles of purple flowers

Buddleja davidii Butterfly Bush Scrophulariaceae

Chrysanthemum x morifolium Hardy Chrysanthemum Asteraceae

• sold as a cut flower

Digitalis purpurea Foxglove Plantaginaceae

• purple is the default color of flower

• grows as a basal rosette

Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower Asteraceae

• many different flower colors

  • purple, red, pink

  • wildflower

• grown as a mounded ground cover

Glandularia x hybrida Garden Verbena Verbenaceae

• looks similar to a lily

• older cultivars flower for a day and then close

Hemerocallis spp. Daylily Asphodelaceae

• rough texture on the leaves

• deep purple/maroon

Heuchera sanguinea Coral Bells Saxifragaceae

• weakly branched stems

Hibiscus moscheutos Swamp Mallow Malvaceae

• impressed venation

• flowers look similar to ginger

  • not so much grown for flower

Hosta spp. Hostas Asparagaceae

• look at the flower

• distinct leaves

Leucanthemum x superbum Shasta Daisy Asteraceae

• extremely aggressive

  • borderline invasive

• square stem

• smell it

Mentha x piperita Peppermint Lamiaceae

• distinct leaves

Monarda didyma Beebalm Lamiaceae

• expensive crop

• important cut flower

Paeonia spp. Peony Paeoniaceae

• swollen nodes

• undulated

Ruellia simplex Mexican Petunia Acanthaceae

• very diverse

• flower colors

  • blue, purple, red, yellow

• huge pollinator plant

Salvia spp. Sage Lamiaceae

• soft and pubescent

• grown for texture and color

Stachys byzantina Lamb’s Ear Lamiaceae

• smells like black licorice

Tagetes lucida Mexican Mint Marigold Asteraceae

• very herbaceous plants

• feels rubbery

• can be fragrant

Begonia semperflorens-cultorum Waxleaf Begonia Begoniaceae

• very long petioles

• usually bicolors

  • green, red, white, pink color hues

Caladium bicolor Caladium Araceae

• upright erect

Capsicum annuum Ornamental Pepper Solanaceae

• simple leaf

• weakly branched

  • mounding plant

Catharanthus roseus Vinca Apocynaceae

• simple leaf

• grows from a central mound

Evolvulus glomeratus subsp. grandiflorus Blue Daze Convolvulaceae

• flowers are open in the day

  • close at night

Gazania rigens Gazania Asteraceae

• heat tolerant

• will re-seed

• strong branching capacity

Gomphrena globosa Globe Amaranth Amaranthaceae

• pubescent

• composite flower

Helianthus annuus Common Sunflower Asteraceae

• light serrations to the leaves

Impatiens walleriana Impatiens Balsaminaceae

• very herbaceous

Portulaca grandiflora Rose Moss Portulacaceae

• herbaceous leaf

• star like flower

Pentas lanceolata Pentas Rubiaceae

• prostrate grower

• flowers all summer

Portulaca oleracea Purslane Portulacaceae

• alternate arrangement

• toxic plant

• leaf is similar to papaya

Ricinus communis Castor Bean Euphorbiaceae

• daisy like flower

  • center button is raised

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima Black-Eyed Susan Asteraceae

• white-grey dusty appearance

• only yellow flower

Senecio cineraria Dusty Miller Asteraceae

• obovate to elliptical leaves

• different leaf patterns

• white-blue flowers

  • cut when seen

Plectranthus scutellarioides Coleus Lamiaceae

• pubescent

• 5-6ft tall

  • must be pruned

Tithonia rotundifolia Mexican Sunflower Asteraceae

• one leaf that is deeply divided/lobed

  • similar to a clover

• interesting flower

  • has a spike on the back, works as a nectarine guide

Aquilegia spp. Columbines Ranunculaceae

• linear foliage (known as strap leaf)

• can survive the cold a little

• leaves are held erect from the stem

• cottage garden style plant

Centaurea cyanus Bachelor’s-Button Asteraceae

• plumes are pretty small

  • cut flowers can be long

• seeds are hard, black, and glossy

• obovate leaves and impressed veins

Celosia argentea Celosia Amaranthaceae

• petals to flowers tend to hang out

• put on really long seed pods

Cleome hassleriana Spider Flower Capparaceae

• looks like a fern/parsley

• flowers will be:

  • white

  • blue-purple

  • pink-purple

• foliage becomes delicate as it matures

Consolida ambigua Larkspur Ranunculaceae

• three to five feet tall

• variety of colors

Cosmos bipinnatus Fern-Leaf Cosmos Asteraceae

• wildflower

Gaillardia pulchella Blanket Flower Asteraceae

• obovate foliage

• flower is closed

  • various colors

• does not like the cold or heat

Helichrysum bracteatum Strawflower Asteraceae

• somewhat cold hardy

• 3ft tall with flowers

Nicotiana alata Flowering Tobacco Solanaceae

• smell is distinct

• huge pollinator plant

Ocimum spp. Basil Lamiaceae

• flowers a lot

  • through the hottest time of the summers

• various colors

Osteospermum spp. African Daisy Asteraceae

• distinct red flower

• different varieties

Pelargonium x hortorum Geranium Geraniaceae

• pubescent foliage

• unkept appearance

• any color

• very large leaves compared to similar plants

Petunia x hybrida Petunia Solanaceae

• herbaceous and smooth foliage

• any color

• very small leaves

Calibrachoa spp. Million-Bells Solanaceae

• reduced/no petiole

• five-petaled flower

• simple to obovate foliage

Phlox drummondii Annual Phlox Polemoniaceae

• single flower types

  • larger flower

• distinct foliage

Tagetes patula Dwarf French Marigold Asteraceae

• ever blooming flower

  • small flower

• very distinct foliage

Tagetes erecta African Marigold Asteraceae

• distinct foliage

  • edible tastes like pepper

• CAN BE VARIEGATED

• sprawling growth on the ground

Tropaeolum majus Nasturtium Tropaeolaceae

• stiff and erect foliage when young

• different types of flowers

  • will create flowers from side stems

Zinnia elegans Zinnia Asteraceae

• flowers reliably

• hot pink flower

• tendrils

Antigonon leptopus Coral Vine Polygonaceae

• no tendrils

• toxic to pollinators

• DISTINCT flower

Aristolochia elegans Calico Vine Aristolochiaceae

• shades of orange and red

• alternate in arrangement

  • simple leaf

• new growth is bright lime green

  • old growth is darker green

Bignonia capreolata Cross Vine Bignoniaceae

• shades of yellow

• seed pods hold well on plant

• tender plant

• will die back and come back

Callaeum macroptera Butterfly Vine Malpighiaceae

• trifoliate leaf

  • 90 degree angle on the petiole

• delicate flower

  • blue, pink, and white

Clematis spp. Clematis Vines Ranunculaceae

• entire plant is pubescent

  • scratchy leaf

• male and female flower on same plant but not perfect

• alternate arrangement

Cucurbita pepo Gourds and Pumpkins Cucurbitaceae

• top of leaf is green

• bottom of leaf is purple

  • along with stem and sometimes top of leaf during winter

• hard seed structure

Lablab purpureus Hyacinth Bean Fabaceae

• leaf is offset at an angle

• holdfast climbing structure

  • they stick on the wall like a gecko

• heteroblastic behavior

  • as it ages it will change the structure

Ficus pumila Climbing Fig Moraceae

• brown color on stem

• only yellow coloring on flower

  • similar to tree yellow bells

  • very small

• long internodes and thin stem

Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina Jessamine Gelsemiaceae

• heteroblastic

  • when young it has lots of lobes on leaves

  • when older the size grows and lobe indention decreases

• extremely invasive

• imported from Europe but native to China

Hedera helix English Ivy Araliaceae

• very invasive

• grows extremely quickly

• alternate arrangement

• flower can be purple, pink, blue, white

  • perfectly round with lines

Ipomoea purpurea Common Morning Glory Convolvulaceae

• purple, white, red flowers

• woody

• dark green foliage

Mandevilla x amabilis Mandevilla Apocynaceae

• very sour fruit

• interesting leaves

Passiflora spp. Passionflowers Passifloraceae

• orange flower

• alternate arrangement

• serrated leaf

Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides Mexican Flame Vine Asteraceae

• winged petiole

• lightly serrated

• orange to yellow flowers

Thunbergia alata Black-Eyed Susan Vine Acanthaceae

• wine in its raw form

• edible fruit

• lots of different types

Vitis spp. Grape Vines Vitaceae

• susceptible to rust fungi

  • spots on leaves

• can be lobed margins

• very distinct feel

Alcea rosea Hollyhocks Malvaceae

• used for cut flower

• linear to lanceolate foliage

• alternate to whorled foliage

• weak

Antirrhinum majus Snapdragon Plantaginaceae

• grown for colors not as much the food

• yellow, green, white, red, orange, etc.

  • rainbow

• sounds like celery when cracked in half

• prominent midrib

• grown for foliage only

• persist year round

Beta vulgaris var. cicla Ornamental Swiss Chard Chenopodiaceae

• no real flower

  • but has a four petaled flower

• grown for purple foliage

• harvested as small greens to be eaten

• green venation

Brassica juncea Giant Mustard Brassicaceae

• specific variety

  • will not grow big cabbage head

• large obovate leaf

  • rough ends of the leaf

• glaucus coating

• white, green, purple

• top five cool season crops

• edible BEOFRE it flowers

• used as mass plantings

Brassica oleracea var. acephala Ornamental Cabbage or Kale Brassicaceae

• orange or yellow flower

  • sometimes a mix

• simplified flower or constant spiral

Calendula officinalis Pot Marigold Asteraceae

• rarely used as singular plantings

• comes from a flattened tuber

• distinct flower

• beautiful colors

  • red, white, pink

Cyclamen persicum Florist’s Cyclamen Primulaceae

• distinct “urchin-like” flower

  • neon-purple

• prickles on back of foliage

• highly lobed and serrated

• heavy glaucous coating

• heavy pollinator plant

• edible like an artichoke

Cynara cardunculus Cardoon Asteraceae

• swollen nodes

  • like really large

• lanceolate to oblanceolate foliage

• five petals on flower

  • looks serrated

• pink, white, reds or mixes/two-toned colors

Dianthus chinensis China Pinks Caryophyllaceae

• blue-green appearance

• flower will be orange and yellow

  • breeding breakthroughs led to different colors

Eschscholzia californica California Poppy Papaveraceae

• break midrib leaks white sap

• green to purple colors

• small-ish foliage

• will form a head

Lactuca sativa Lettuce Asteraceae