Ornamental Plants List

What Are Ornamental Plants?

Ornamental plants are grown solely for their appearance, not for food or timber. Approximately 28,000 species appear in amenity horticulture, particularly in gardens, parks, and landscape design.

The term describes the purpose, not the botanical rank. Almost any species can be suitable as long as it is attractive to people. That's why this group includes everything from garden roses to potted ferns.

Sorting Ornamentals by Shape And Lifespan

Gardeners often group ornamentals by growth habit. Trees form the tall, woody foundation of the garden, and many live for over 100 years. Shrubs are woody but shorter, which makes them suitable for hedges.

Perennials grow back from the same roots every year, while annuals live for only one season. Bulbs remain underground over the winter and regrow in the spring. Tulips and daffodils can bloom for years from a single planting. 

Here are the main growth forms of ornamentals, plus their lifespan and typical usage.

What Decorative Features are Inherent in Ornamentals?

Ornamentals can also be grouped by the features they are grown for:

• Foliage plants, valued for their leaves — hostas, coleus, and Japanese maples;
• Flowering plants grown for their blooms — roses, tulips, and dahlias;
• Bark plants best grown in winter — paperbark maple, and birch;
• Fruit plants grown for their crop — crabapple, beautyberry, and holly.

On this page, you can find ornamental plants with names related to their most prominent feature.