Ornamental plants : A Brief Description
Ornamental plants are the plants raised for their aesthetic values. Ornamental plants can provide height, privacy, and beauty for any garden.
Many ornamental perennial plants have seeds that allow them to reproduce. One of the pros of ornamental grasses is that they are very versatile and low maintenance.
Most often ornamental plants are planted intentionally for beautifying a space but any other naturally occurring plant which might be native to that land can also be considered ornamental if it is adding to the beauty of the landscape. These plants have plant parts like leaves, flowers, stem, fruit or stem and foliage texture which appeal to the visitor.
The best ornamental plants come in varieties: trees, shrubs, aquatic plants, perennial and annual plants. The cultivation of ornamental plants comes under floriculture, which in turn is an important branch in horticulture.
Utility Of Ornamental Plants
The first and foremost use of ornamental plants is to add beauty. Ornamental plants are used in landscapes and throughout the home to beautify the surroundings.
For instance, colorful flowering ornamental plants break up the browns and greens that naturally occur outside.
Second, they can improve the ambience of a space by adding their mind capturing fragrances to the air. Top ornamental plants like Rose, Lavender, and Jasmines can be used for this purpose.
Moreover as an additional benefit, ornamental plants also help in purifying the ambient atmosphere. Barberton daisy, Snake plant, Chrysanthemums, Spider plants come in handy for this purpose.
Raising and selling of ornamental plants can provide considerable employment opportunities. Ornamental plants raised in the nurseries can be used as cut flowers, which can be used in floral arrangements for various formal and informal gatherings.
Apart from increasing the aesthetic value of the property, these plants also improve the quality of the space by acting as wind barriers, providing shade, cleaning up the pollutants in the air, reducing soil erosion and providing the habitat for animals and birds.
Lastly, their virtues can help greatly in improving the physical and mental health of an individual. Planting ornamental plants in hospitals, creating a garden full of aesthetic fragrant ornamental plants can greatly improve the condition of the patients.
Top Popular Ornamental Plants that are Easy to Grow
Ornamental plants can be classified as trees, shrubs and grasses. They can be valued either for their flowering qualities or their foliage.
Flowering plants
Roses
However overrated they might be, nothing is more beautiful than the intricate designing of a rose.
With its petals arranged in the most beautiful whorl, roses are a delight not only for the eyes but for the nose too. Roses are globally accepted as ornamental plants for their aesthetic values. They can be used as cut flowers or can be used as potted plants.
Lavender
Lavender can be used to beautify the outdoor spaces . Their distinct aroma not only provides a better environment but also attracts pollinators like humming birds etc. thus increasing faunal diversity.
Lilies
Lilies are one of the most popular ornamental plants in the world. They are known throughout different cultures and they can grow all over the place as well. They come in a wide range of colors, red, pink and purple.
Daffodils
Daffodils are indisputably one of the most beautiful flowers known. Their reference in various cultures and mythologies make them even more aesthetically pleasing. Daffodils are hardy ornamental plants that can easily grow in most regions of the world if the right and basic conditions are met. Planting in autumn will give bloom in early spring.
Petunias
Petunias are usually grown as an annual plant. They could be Grandiflora petunias (they have colorful large flowers), or they could be Multiflora petunias (they have abundant and colorful flowers). They can adapt to a wide range of climatic variations.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis is one of the top ornamental plants that are easy to grow and maintain. They are known to have a long lasting life and are vegetatively propagated by the means of bulbs. These flowers are also available in a variety of colors.
Geranium
Geraniums are perfect for increasing the aesthetic value of any garden. These are available in a no. of colors, thus providing with faunal diversity as they attract many pollinators. Geraniums also have a beautiful fragrance and they do well in different types of climates.
Foliage plants
Snake plant
Snake Plant or Mother in Law’s Tongue has robust, textured leaves in a sword-like shape spiraling slightly through the length. The plant can grow up to 1 meter long and therefore, it is suggested to place it in a strong pot. It is best for
Silver nerve plant
Silver nerve plant is an evergreen ornamental garden plant with deep green leaves that are delicately veined throughout. That being the focal point, these vein tints can vary from white, silver to green, pink . These leaves will definitely attract the attention of the visitor.
Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese money plant has round coin shaped leaves and upright stems. It is a bold, decorative plant that looks stunning in short pots and grows well in bright indirect light. It is also known as the Friendship Plant.
Water Bamboo
Water bamboo is one of the most affordable ornamental plants that are widely exchanged as gifts because they are believed to bring good luck, health, wealth, prosperity and positivity. They are also known as lucky bamboo. These plants are mostly placed on a table in the living room for decorative purposes.
Bonsai
Bonsai are dwarfed potted trees and growing them is considered as an art form in Chinese horticulture practice. They are a miniaturized but realistic representation of nature with textured barks, thick trunks and attractively intertwined live woods. These represent nature in a minimized form. Bonsai can be pruned in order to give different shapes.
Popular Ornamental Trees
Cassia fistula
Cassia fistula is a popular ornamental tree that is known for being multi-purpose . It is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas due to its profuse flowering. It is the state flower of Kerala state in India. Cassia fistula provides fuel and good quality charcoal, as well as a hard and heavy timber suited to make furniture, farm implements, posts, wheels and mortars.
Bauhinia (Kachnar tree)
Varieties purpura and variegata of Bauhinia are planted for their large showy scented flowers which are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Butea monosperma ( flame of the forest)
This tree is known for its vibrant scarlet colored flowers which can be used to extract dye for various purposes. Flowers are large and crowded on leafless branches. The blooms are orange scarlet and shaped like a parrot’s beak.
Bombax ceiba
Also known as the silk cotton tree, this tree is tall and shady until it sheds leaves during flowering. When the tree sheds all the leaves, large bright red or crimson flowers are borne in clusters on the branches.
Amaltas
This tree is native to India. Golden rain tree is the most popular ornamental plant in India blooms in late spring and is also used as an herbal in Ayurvedic medicine.
Royal palm tree
This tree was naturally endemic to coastal but now cultivated in other regions of the world and one of the most popular out plants and garden plants for landscaping India.
Conclusion
Having ornamental plants are all pleasing to the human eye. There are some ornamental plants that will provide you shade while others can help you in protecting your privacy. Few ornamental plants like jasmine plants appeal to the olfactory sense while others add elegance to your home. The above-mentioned ornamental plants not only add charm to your house but also improve the oxygen content of the air inside and around the house. Higher oxygen content contributes towards better health.
Also Read -: 5 Easy To Grow Vegetables