Goin' Gardening's Glossary

Welcome to Goin’ Gardening's Glossary. Here you can learn about gardening ‘lingo’ and feel somewhat accomplished as you read articles or even seed packets. Please bookmark this page so you can return to it easily in the future.

Abiotic: Non-living environmental factors that affect plants, such as temperature and light.
Acidic Soil: Soil with a pH less than 7.
Adventitious Root: Roots that grow from an unusual position, such as stems or leaves.
Aeration: The process of adding air to soil to improve its structure and health.
Aeroponics: Growing plants in an air or mist environment without soil.
Aggregate: A cluster of soil particles that adhere to each other.
Agroforestry: The integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes.
Alkaline Soil: Soil with a pH greater than 7.
Allele: A variant form of a gene.
Allelopathy: The chemical inhibition of one plant by another.
Annual: A plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season.
Anther: The part of a stamen that produces pollen.
Apical Dominance: The phenomenon where the main central stem of the plant is dominant over other side stems.
Apical Meristem: The growing tip of a plant where cell division occurs.
Aquaponics: A system combining aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics.
Aquatic Plant: A plant that grows in or near water.
Arboriculture: The cultivation, management, and study of trees.
Arid: Very dry conditions with little moisture.
Asexual Reproduction: Reproduction without the fusion of gametes.
Axil: The angle between the upper side of a leaf or stem and the supporting stem or branch.
Axillary Bud: A bud that develops in the axil of a leaf.

Biodiversity: The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
Biodynamic Farming: A holistic approach to agriculture that emphasizes sustainability and harmony with natural systems.
Biennial: A plant that requires two growing seasons to complete its life cycle.
Biennial Bearing: A pattern where a plant produces a heavy crop one year and a light crop the next.
Blade: The flat, broad part of a leaf.
Blanching: The process of covering parts of a plant to exclude light and prevent chlorophyll formation.
Bolt: When a plant prematurely produces a flowering stem before harvesting.
Bonsai: The art of growing miniature trees in containers.
Bract: A modified leaf associated with a flower or inflorescence.
Broadcasting: Scattering seeds or fertilizer evenly over the soil surface.

Calyx: The outer whorl of a flower, consisting of sepals.
Cambium: A layer of actively dividing cells between xylem and phloem tissues.
Cane: The woody stem of plants such as bamboo or sugar cane.
Carbon Sequestration: The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Carnivorous Plant: A plant that derives some of its nutrients by trapping and consuming insects.
Chlorophyll: The green pigment in plants responsible for photosynthesis.
Chloroplast: The site of photosynthesis in plant cells.
Chlorosis: The yellowing of leaves due to insufficient chlorophyll.
Cladode: A flattened stem that functions as a leaf.
Clonal Propagation: Producing new plants from the tissue of a single parent plant.
Cold Frame: A transparent-roofed enclosure used to protect plants from cold.
Compaction: The compression of soil particles that reduces pore space.
Compost: Decomposed organic matter used to enrich soil.
Coppicing: Cutting back a tree or shrub to ground level to promote new growth.
Corolla: The collective term for the petals of a flower.
Cotyledon: The first leaf or leaves that appear from a germinating seed.
Cover Crop: A crop grown to cover and protect the soil.
Cross-Pollination: Pollination between different plants of the same species.
Cultivar: A plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.
Cutting: A piece of a plant used to grow a new plant.
Cytokinin: A class of plant hormones involved in cell division and growth.

Day-Neutral Plant: A plant whose flowering is not affected by the length of daylight.
Deadheading: The removal of spent flowers to encourage further blooming.
Deciduous: Plants that shed their leaves annually.
Dioecious: Plants with male and female flowers on separate plants.
Dormancy: A period of inactivity in seeds or plants, often to survive unfavorable conditions.
Double Fertilization: A process in flowering plants where two sperm cells fertilize two cells in the ovary.
Drip Irrigation: A method of watering plants slowly at the root level.

Embryo: The early developmental stage of a plant within a seed.
Endemic: Native to a specific geographical area.
Endosperm: The nutrient-rich tissue that nourishes a seedling as it grows.
Epicotyl: The part of a seedling above the cotyledons.
Epiphyte: A plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic.
Evergreen: Plants that retain their leaves throughout the year.
Ethylene: A plant hormone that regulates fruit ripening and other processes.

Fertilization: The union of sperm and egg cells in plants to form a zygote.
Fibrous Root: A root system made up of many small roots spread out in the soil.

Germination: The process by which a seed develops into a new plant.
Grafting: The process of joining two plant parts together to grow as one.
Gravitropism: A growth response to gravity.
Green Manure: Plants grown and then plowed into the soil to improve its fertility.

Harden Off: Gradually acclimating indoor-grown plants to outdoor conditions.
Heirloom Plant: A plant variety that has been passed down through generations, often prized for its historical or unique qualities.
Herbaceous: Plants with non-woody stems that die back at the end of the growing season.
Horticulture: The science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants.
Humus: The dark, organic component of soil formed by the decomposition of plant material.
Hybrid Plant: A plant resulting from the crossbreeding of two different species or varieties.
Hydrotropism: A growth response to water.
Hydroponics: Growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water.
Hypocotyl: The part of a seedling below the cotyledons.

Inflorescence: A cluster of flowers on a plant.
Internode: The segment of a plant stem between two nodes.
Invasive Species: A non-native plant that spreads rapidly and can harm ecosystems.

Lateral Meristem: The tissues responsible for secondary growth in woody plants.
Legume: A plant family known for its ability to fix nitrogen, including beans and peas.
Loam: A fertile soil type composed of roughly equal parts sand, silt, and clay.

Macronutrient: Essential elements needed by plants in relatively large amounts (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium).
Margin: The edge of a leaf.
Micronutrient: Essential elements needed by plants in small amounts (e.g., iron, manganese, zinc).
Monoculture: The cultivation of a single crop in a given area.
Mulch: A protective layer of material spread on the soil surface to conserve moisture and improve fertility.
Mycorrhizae: Symbiotic associations between plant roots and fungi.

Native Plant: A plant that occurs naturally in a particular region or ecosystem.
Nitrogen Fixation: The process by which certain plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.
Node: The part of a plant stem where leaves and buds are attached.

Ovary: The part of the pistil that contains ovules and develops into fruit.

Parasitic Plant: A plant that derives some or all of its nutrients from another living plant.
pH: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil.
Petal: A part of the corolla, often colorful, that attracts pollinators.
Petiole: The stalk that attaches a leaf blade to the stem.
Phloem: Vascular tissue that transports sugars and other metabolic products downward from the leaves.
Photoperiodism: The response of a plant to the relative lengths of daylight and darkness.
Phototropism: A growth response to light.
Photosynthesis: The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.
Pistil: The female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style, and stigma.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the male part to the female part of a flower.
Pollinator: An organism that helps in the transfer of pollen from the male to the female part of flowers.
Pruning: The selective removal of plant parts to improve growth and shape.
Propagation: The process of creating new plants from seeds, cuttings, or other plant parts.

Radicle: The first root that emerges from a seed.
Rhizome: An underground horizontal stem that produces roots and shoots.
Root Hair: A small hair-like outgrowth of a root that absorbs water and nutrients.

Seed Coat: The protective outer layer of a seed.Sepal: A part of the calyx that protects the flower bud before it opens.
Stamen: The male reproductive part of a flower, consisting of an anther and a filament.
Stigma: The part of the pistil that receives pollen.
Stomata: Small openings on the surface of leaves that allow gas exchange.
Style: The stalk that connects the stigma and ovary.
Succulent: Plants with thick, fleshy tissues adapted to store water.

Taproot: The main root of a plant, growing straight.