Species guides
Plants
Species care guides for the most-grown outdoor ornamentals. Every guide cites primary sources from university Extension publications and botanical gardens.
These species guides cover the most-grown outdoor ornamentals — perennials, shrubs, small trees, bulbs. Every guide starts with a hard look at where the plant actually performs (USDA zone, sun, soil, deer pressure), then gets into planting depth, pruning timing, and the failure modes that account for most reader emails.
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Hydrangea Care: Which Species You Have and How to Keep It Blooming
Hydrangea care by species: macrophylla, paniculata, arborescens, quercifolia, petiolaris. Pruning timing, USDA zones, li…
Peony Care: From Bareroot to Thirty-Year Bloom
Peony care: herbaceous vs tree vs Itoh, planting depth, botrytis blight prevention, why peonies fail to bloom, dividing,…
Japanese Maple Care: Cultivar Selection, Light, and the Truth About Leaf Scorch
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) care: cultivar selection, light requirements by zone, verticillium wilt prevention, leaf …
Rose care: knockout vs hybrid tea vs shrub roses
Knock Out vs hybrid tea vs shrub roses: pruning timing, disease resistance, deer reality, and watering needs by rose typ…
Lavender care: English vs French vs Spanish and the soggy-soil killer
Lavender care: English vs French vs Spanish species zone differences, root rot prevention, soil drainage requirements, p…
Hosta Care: The Shade Staple That Isn't Actually a Shade Plant
Hosta care: light requirements (more nuanced than 'shade'), slug control via iron phosphate, deer-resistance reality, fo…
All plants guides
Species15 Best Shrubs for Privacy Screens, Ranked by Speed and ZoneSpecies15 best [hosta](/plants/hosta-care/) cultivars by leaf color and sizeSpecies20 Plants for a Fragrant GardenSpecies20 Truly Low-Maintenance PerennialsSpeciesAlmond Tree Care in Zones 7-9SpeciesAmerican vs Asian persimmonSpeciesAmerican vs Chinese chestnut tree careSpeciesApple tree care: rootstock, pruning, diseaseSpeciesApricot tree careSpeciesAronia (chokeberry) careSpeciesBackyard orchard planning for small yardsSpeciesBearded Iris Care: Growing Iris germanicaSpeciesBearded vs Siberian vs Japanese irisSpeciesBee Balm Care: Growing Monarda didymaSpeciesBest Cut Flowers for the Home GardenSpeciesBest Evergreens for Small YardsSpeciesBest Garden Plants for Frog and Toad HabitatSpeciesBest Native Shrubs for WildlifeSpeciesBest Perennials and Shrubs for Fall ColorSpeciesBest Plants That Attract Beneficial Predatory InsectsSpeciesBest Plants for Attracting SongbirdsSpeciesBest Plants for Driveway BordersSpeciesBest Plants for Erosion ControlSpeciesBest Plants for Firefly HabitatSpeciesBest Plants for Foundation PlantingSpeciesBest Plants for Poolside (Low-Litter, Salt-Tolerant)SpeciesBest Plants for Spring ColorSpeciesBest Plants for Winter Bird CoverSpeciesBest Plants for Winter InterestSpeciesBest Plants for a Mailbox GardenSpeciesBest Plants for a Pollinator StripSpeciesBest Plants for a Rain GardenSpeciesBest Russian sage cultivarsSpeciesBest Shrubs for Bird NestingSpeciesBest Trees for Fall Color by RegionSpeciesBest Trees for Small Yards (Under 30 ft)SpeciesBest [Japanese maple](/plants/japanese-maple-care/) cultivars by size, color, and leaf shapeSpeciesBest [clematis](/plants/clematis-care/) cultivars by pruning groupSpeciesBest [coneflower](/plants/coneflower-care/) cultivars beyond purpleSpeciesBest [dahlia](/plants/dahlia-care/) cultivars by size and formSpeciesBest [peony](/plants/peony-care/) cultivars: herbaceous, tree, and intersectionalSpeciesBest [rhododendron](/plants/rhododendron-care/) cultivars for cold and heat toleranceSpeciesBest catmint (Nepeta) cultivarsSpeciesBest crepe myrtle cultivarsSpeciesBest daffodil cultivars by bloom time (early, mid, late)SpeciesBest daylily cultivars by bloom time and colorSpeciesBest disease-resistant rose cultivars (Knock Out, Drift, Earth-Kind)SpeciesBest dogwood cultivars (Cornus)SpeciesBest evergreen and deciduous azaleas by zoneSpeciesBest fire-resistant plants for wildfire zonesSpeciesBest forsythia cultivars by zoneSpeciesBest hardy hibiscus cultivarsSpeciesBest hellebore cultivarsSpeciesBest host plants for monarch caterpillars (milkweed species)SpeciesBest host plants for swallowtail butterfliesSpeciesBest low-pollen plants for allergy sufferersSpeciesBest magnolia cultivars by regionSpeciesBest ninebark cultivarsSpeciesBest non-toxic outdoor plants for cat ownersSpeciesBest non-toxic outdoor plants for dog ownersSpeciesBest perennial vs annual salviasSpeciesBest plants around water featuresSpeciesBest plants for a continuous-bloom bee corridorSpeciesBest plants for a cottage-garden lookSpeciesBest plants for a shaded courtyardSpeciesBest plants for acidic soil (pH below 6.0)SpeciesBest plants for alkaline soil (pH above 7.5)SpeciesBest plants for an asthma-friendly gardenSpeciesBest plants for around a mailboxSpeciesBest plants for balcony gardensSpeciesBest plants for bog and constantly-wet gardensSpeciesBest plants for compacted soilSpeciesBest plants for condo patiosSpeciesBest plants for deck containersSpeciesBest plants for disturbed soil (post-construction)SpeciesBest plants for dry shadeSpeciesBest plants for east-facing morning-sun bedsSpeciesBest plants for feeding songbirds in winterSpeciesBest plants for fire-escape and small-railing gardensSpeciesBest plants for hot south-facing wallsSpeciesBest plants for hot west-facing bedsSpeciesBest plants for living snow fenceSpeciesBest plants for narrow side-yard stripsSpeciesBest plants for noise-buffer screensSpeciesBest plants for north-facing yards (low sun)SpeciesBest plants for rain barrel overflow zonesSpeciesBest plants for rooftop gardens (wind + sun)SpeciesBest plants for saline or coastal soilsSpeciesBest plants for the hellstrip (curb-strip)SpeciesBest plants for tiny yards (under 200 sqft)SpeciesBest plants for under pine trees (acid, dry, root competition)SpeciesBest plants for under power lines (low-growing trees)SpeciesBest plants for vertical garden wallsSpeciesBest plants for wet shadeSpeciesBest plants for windbreak hedgesSpeciesBest plants for window boxes by seasonSpeciesBest redbud cultivars (Cercis)SpeciesBest serviceberry cultivarsSpeciesBest smoke bush (Cotinus) cultivarsSpeciesBest spirea cultivarsSpeciesBest tulip cultivars that come back year after yearSpeciesBest upright vs creeping [sedums](/plants/sedum-care/) for sun gardensSpeciesBest viburnum cultivars by seasonSpeciesBest weigela cultivarsSpeciesBlack Walnut Tree Care (and Juglone Management)SpeciesBlack-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) care: the short-lived perennial realitySpeciesBlackberry care: erect vs trailingSpeciesBoxwood Care: Growing Buxus sempervirensSpeciesButterfly bush (Buddleia) care: invasive status by state and how to grow responsiblySpeciesCherry tree care: sweet vs sourSpeciesCitrus tree care in zones 9-11SpeciesClematis care: the three pruning groups every gardener confusesSpeciesColumbine Care: Growing Aquilegia SuccessfullySpeciesConeflower (Echinacea) care: deadheading and aster yellows diseaseSpeciesCurrant care: red, black, whiteSpeciesDaffodil Care: Growing Narcissus for Lasting BloomsSpeciesDahlia care: planting tubers, staking, and overwintering by zoneSpeciesDaylily Care: Growing Hemerocallis SuccessfullySpeciesDianthus care: deadheading and the difference between annual and perennial pinksSpeciesDwarf and semi-dwarf apple treesSpeciesElderberry care (native and ornamental)SpeciesEnglish vs French vs Spanish [lavender](/plants/lavender-care/) — which to grow whereSpeciesEspalier fruit trees: training and pruningSpeciesFast-Growing Shade Trees (And Why Most Are Bad Ideas)SpeciesFig tree care in zones 6-10SpeciesFood forest design: 7-layer principleSpeciesFoxglove Care: Growing Digitalis purpureaSpeciesFragrant plants that don't trigger allergiesSpeciesFruit tree pollination pairs (which need partners)SpeciesFruit tree rootstocks: M9, M26, M111, EMLASpeciesGarden Phlox Care: Growing Phlox paniculataSpeciesGardenia care: pH, iron chlorosis, and the zone 7 winter problemSpeciesGoji berry careSpeciesGooseberry careSpeciesGrape vine care: table vs wineSpeciesHardy Hibiscus Care: Growing Hibiscus moscheutosSpeciesHazelnut Tree Care: Growing Corylus avellana and American HybridsSpeciesHelleborus Care: Growing Lenten Rose SuccessfullySpeciesHeuchera Care: Growing Coral Bells SuccessfullySpeciesHolly Care: Growing Ilex in Your LandscapeSpeciesHoneyberry (Lonicera caerulea) careSpeciesHosta Care: The Shade Staple That Isn't Actually a Shade PlantSpeciesHow to identify a tree from bark aloneSpeciesHow to identify ash trees (and EAB risk)SpeciesHow to identify birch trees: paper, river, yellowSpeciesHow to identify cherry trees (wild and ornamental)SpeciesHow to identify common evergreen shrubsSpeciesHow to identify conifers by overall shapeSpeciesHow to identify elm trees and Dutch elm diseaseSpeciesHow to identify hickory treesSpeciesHow to identify magnolia typesSpeciesHow to identify maple trees by leaf and barkSpeciesHow to identify oak trees: white vs red oak groupSpeciesHow to identify pine trees by needle bundlesSpeciesHow to identify walnut and butternutSpeciesHow to tell dogwood from redbudSpeciesHow to tell spruce from fir from pineSpeciesHydrangea Care: Which Species You Have and How to Keep It BloomingSpeciesJapanese Maple Care: Cultivar Selection, Light, and the Truth About Leaf ScorchSpeciesJuneberry (serviceberry) careSpeciesKeystone Native Plants by RegionSpeciesLavender care: English vs French vs Spanish and the soggy-soil killerSpeciesLayered garden design: canopy to groundSpeciesLilac Care: Growing Syringa vulgaris SuccessfullySpeciesLupine Care: Growing Lupinus polyphyllusSpeciesMatrix planting: meadow-style perennial designSpeciesMiscanthus Care: Growing Miscanthus sinensisSpeciesMulberry tree careSpeciesNative species vs nativars: the real debateSpeciesNaturalistic planting: ecological group selectionSpeciesNectarine tree careSpeciesOlive tree care in zone 8-10SpeciesOrnamental Allium Care: Growing Allium BulbsSpeciesPawpaw tree care (Asimina triloba)SpeciesPeach tree care: thinning, spray schedule, borersSpeciesPear tree care: European vs AsianSpeciesPecan Tree Care in Zones 6-9SpeciesPeony Care: From Bareroot to Thirty-Year BloomSpeciesPerennial Salvia Care: Complete Growing GuideSpeciesPiet Oudolf-style perennial garden: principlesSpeciesPlants that are safe over septic drain fieldsSpeciesPlants that tolerate black walnut jugloneSpeciesPlum tree care: European vs JapaneseSpeciesPomegranate tree care in zone 7-10SpeciesQuince tree careSpeciesRaspberry care: summer-bearing vs everbearingSpeciesRhododendron care: acidic soil, drainage, and azalea lacebugSpeciesRose care: knockout vs hybrid tea vs shrub rosesSpeciesSedum and stonecrop care: zone hardiness and the Autumn Joy crown rot trapSpeciesSwitchgrass Care: Growing Panicum virgatumSpeciesThe 10 best hydrangea cultivars by type (mophead, paniculata, oakleaf)SpeciesTulip care: why most tulips don't come back, and the species that doSpeciesViburnum Care: Growing Viburnum ShrubsSpeciesYarrow Care: Growing Achillea millefolium