Ornamental Plants and Trees PDF

# Let Us Explore ## Ornamental Plants And Trees - Ornamental plants and trees are grown for their ornamental qualities as well as their commercial value. - They are typically grown in the garden or as house plants. - Most commonly, they are grown for display especially those flower-bearing ornament...

# Let Us Explore ## Ornamental Plants And Trees - Ornamental plants and trees are grown for their ornamental qualities as well as their commercial value. - They are typically grown in the garden or as house plants. - Most commonly, they are grown for display especially those flower-bearing ornamental plants. - Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, stem, and bark. - Ornamental plants may also be used for landscaping and for cut flowers. ## Importance of Ornamental Plants - Most people enjoy beautiful flowers in a garden. - Flowers can be planted in pots, cans, and recycled containers. - These potted plants can be used as decorations in the house, office, and school. ### 1. Ornamental plants beautify the environment. - Almost everywhere, at home, in school, at the park, in hotels, hospitals, malls, churches, and even in the highways, ornamentals are used to make these places pleasing to the eyes. ### 2. Ornamental plants are a good source of income. - They can be sold in competitive prices when grown healthy. - There is a big demand for ornamental plants which are used for commercial purposes such as for landscaping, for home garden, and in decorating event venues. - Cut flowers are also in demand, both in local and in international market. - Every day, a big volume of cut flowers are sold in the market which are used for bouquets, corsages, and wreaths. ### 3. Some ornamental plants are also medicinal plants. - They are used to treat or prevent illnesses in a natural way. ### 4. They help in controlling floods and erosion. - Some ornamental plants are trees like golden shower (kanya pistula), kalachuchi, and ilang-ilang. - They have big roots which sip the heavy flow of rainwater. - In this way, landslides can be controlled as well as flood. ### 5. They help to lessen air pollution. - Some ornamental plants are known for their air purifying properties. ### 6. They provide fresh air and shade during hot weather. ## Classifications of Ornamental Plants - There are two major classifications of ornamental plants - flowering and nonflowering. - Some flowering ornamental plants are roses, sampaguitas, bougainvilleas, and many more. - Nonflowering ornamental plants include the San Francisco, coleus, and fern. ### Other classification of ornamental plants are based on the following: #### 1. Life span - **Annual plants** - Their life span is a year or less. - Common examples are the herbs. - Herbs are soft-bodied plants and their stems do not contain woody tissues. - **Biennial plants** - They live more than a year but not over two years. - They usually grow from seeds and die within two seasons, leaving only their seeds to be replaced. - Examples are herbaceous plants, whose stems contain some woody tissues and can reproduce their kind. - **Perennial plants** - These are plants with woody tissues and sturdy stems. - Their life span is two years or more. - They live longer than annual and biennial plants. - They also bear fruits and flowers yearly. #### 2. Physical properties - **Herbs and herbaceous plants** - These are soft-bodied plants. - They have a short life span. - Included in this group are the flowering herbs like cosmos, camia, bird of paradise, zinnia, dahlia, aster, petunia, all lilies, sunflower, gladiolas, and orchids. - **Shrubs or bushes** - These are woody plants which have many separate stems that grow directly from the roots. - They are smaller than trees. - Ornamental shrubs that bear flowers are the sampaguita, bougainvillea, santan, rosal, gumamela, roses, adelfa, and San Francisco which belong to this group because of their lovely, brilliantly colored leaves. ### c) Trees - These are the largest plants with a single, upright, woody trunk with spreading branches containing twigs where the leaves are attached which form the foliage or crown. - Trees are used as a part of a garden setting, for instance, for their flowers, their shapes, or for other attractive characteristics. - They are used in larger landscape effects such as screening and shading. - The following are the different types of ornamental trees. - Some bear beautiful flowers like the fire tree, banaba tree, dapdap tree, and the golden shower tree. - Some palms are grown as ornamental trees because of their majestic stature and graceful forms - Some ornamental trees have lovely symmetrical shapes like the pine tree, fire tree, and other conifers. - Some dwarf coconut trees and several species of bamboo like the Chinese and Japanese bamboos are grown as ornamental trees. ### d) Vines - These are long, trailing, twisting, creeping, or climbing plants which cannot stand alone. - Vines need trellises to enhance their attractive forms. - Garlic vine, morning glory, cadena de amor, and secreto de amor are some of the herbaceous vines grown as ornaments. ## Selection of Ornamental Plants - Production of ornamental plants can be a full-time business or a sideline. - It is undertaken by hobbyists, housewives, retirees, employees, entrepreneurs, and even young adults. - The kind of garden to be constructed will determine the kind of plants to grow. - Ornamental plants that are profitable to grow in the urban setting are the following: - **Indoor plants** - These are plants that grow in partially or fully shaded areas, like foliage plants (ferns, papua, aglonema, spathaphyllum, and philodendron). - **Sun-loving plants for outdoors and landscaping** - These are plants that grow in sunny areas such as song of India, different varieties of palms, flowering trees, African tulip, and others. - **Window garden plants** - Hanging plants and vines enhance the beauty of a window garden. Some may be planted in pots, such as African lilies and caladiums. - **Aquatic plants** - These are plants that grow in water like hyacinth, water lilies, and fresh water weeds. ## How to Secure and Handle Ornamental Plants 1. After choosing the desired ornamental plants for the chosen garden, look for sources of materials from nurseries, flower shops, flower markets, and plant gardens. - Plants are cheaper in the provinces than in the cities. - Laguna, Tagaytay, Bulacan, and Baguio are known suppliers of ornamental plants. 2. Select healthy plants and well-rooted cuttings or seedlings. 3. Transfer the plants from the nursery or plant garden to the preferred garden site during cool weather. - Excessive heat will damage the plants. ## Indoor Ornamental Plants - Some ornamental plants cannot grow in direct sunlight, they are called indoor plants. - They are ideal shade-living plants, naturally growing in the indirect sunlight. - Some are outdoor plants which can tolerate the direct sunlight. - Others can be both indoor or outdoor ornamental plants. - Other ornamental plants, which are known as air purifying plants, are capable of removing significant amount of toxic chemicals from the air which come from building materials, home and personal care products, smoking, cooking, or wood-burning stoves. - **Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)** - This is one of the most common indoor ferns. It is a hardy and attractive ornamental plant which grows in warm, humid conditions. It is an effective air purifier when placed inside the house. - **Bromeliads** - Most varieties of this plant grow easily in a container. This is a tropical plant that can grow anywhere, even indoors or in luminescent light. - **English ivy (Hedera helix)** - This plant is not easy to grow indoors but because of its unique trailing and climbing ability, it is nice to place indoors. It has the ability to filter nasty pollutants indoors. - **Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii)** - This is an indoor plant. It is a shade-loving ornamental grass. - **Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa)** - This is easy to grow indoors in right condition. It is an effective air purifying plant when placed indoors. - **Maranta leuconeura (Prayer plant)** - This plant grows in moderate light but not in direct sunlight because its leaves will curl and begin to wither. Keep it away from pests, especially spider mites. - **Mother-in-law's tongue (Snake plant)** - This is a very durable and popular indoor plant it grows in very dark places and requires low maintenance. This is also an air purifying plant. - **Parlor palm** - This plant requires only a minimal care and moderate light. It grows even in the places where no plant is expected to grow such as dim corners. Do not water this plant if the soil is still moist, wait until it gets dry. - **Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)** - This ornamental plant can be grown indoor or outdoor and under a light to moderate shade. This is also known as an air purifying plant. - **Peperomia** - This plant grows only up to six inches tall. It grows in a slightly moist soil and humid surrounding. To maintain the humidity level, spray the leaves of the plant with water. - **Philodendron** - This plant comes in both vine and shrub varieties. It can easily adapt to a lower light condition. The soil must be kept constantly moist but not wet. Water the plant if the soil dries out slightly. - **Silver queen (Aglaonema)** - This plant is extremely cold sensitive. It grows in low light. It is a beautiful and durable ornamental plant. - **Spider plant** - This plant is usually placed in windows or near the entrance of the home in hanging baskets and pots. It has green foliage with cream color. Avoid placing it under direct sunlight because its leaves will wither. - **Sword fern** - This plant grows well in acidic soil. Its soil must be constantly moist but well draining. Its surrounding must be kept humid; regular misting helps in maintaining humidity levels. Keep it away from direct sunlight. - **Umbrella papyrus (Palm)** - This is an easy to grow and low maintenance evergreen ornamental plant. This is best to grow indoors or in shade. Its pot should be submerged in water so that it will be moist all the time.