Ornamental plant
An
ornamental plant is a
plant that is grown for its ornamental qualities, rather than for its commercial or other value. The term is often abbreviated to
ornamental (usually as a noun) when used in horticultural contexts.
Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower
garden, or as indoor plants. Most commonly they are grown for display of their
flowers. Other common ornamental features include
leaves,
scent,
fruit,
stem and
bark. In some cases, unusual features may be considered ornamental, such as the prominent and rather vicious
thorns of
Rosa sericea f. pteracantha. In all cases, their purpose is the enjoyment of gardeners and visitors. Ornamental plants may also be used for
landscaping, and for
cut flowers.
Similarly
trees may be called ornamental trees, or again, as just ornamentals in context. This term is used when they are used as part of a garden setting, for instance for their flowers, their shapes or for other attractive characteristics. By comparison, trees used in larger landscape effects such as screening and shading, or in urban and roadside plantings, are called
amenity trees.
For plants to be considered as ornamentals, they may require specific work and activity by a gardener. For instance, many plants cultivated for
topiary and
bonsai would only be considered as ornamental by virtue of the regular pruning carried out on them the gardener, and they may rapidly cease to be ornamental if the work was abandoned.
Ornamental plants and trees are distinguished from utilitarian and crop plants, such as those used for
agriculture and
vegetable crops, and for
forestry or as fruit trees. This does not preclude any particular type of plant being grown both for ornamental qualities in the garden, and for utilitarian purposes in other settings. Thus
lavender is typically grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, but may also be grown as a crop plant for the production of
lavender oil.
*
List of garden plants*
List of flowers*
Topiary*
Dracaena sanderiana
