Nursery Plants ID

NURSERY/LANDSCAPE

PLANT ID TIPS

Central Region Ag Education/ Georgia

GLOSSY ABELIA

•

Opposite
leaves

•

Upside down
raindrop

•

Flowers
trumpet
shaped

AJUGA (CARPET BUGLE)

• Leaves look like false

dandelion

• Tight dense growth-

herbaceous

• Flowers usually blue-

purple

• Leaves purple to

bronze

JAPANESE ANISETREE

• Aromatic- alternate

leaves

• Evergreen tree/shrub
• Arranged somewhat

perpendicular to stem

ARBORVITAE

• Grows 12-14 feet tall
• deep and rich green color year-

round,

• foliage grows in flat sprays and, close

up, the needles appear covered in
fine green scales.

ASTIBLE

•

Herbaceous
perennial

•

Fern-like foliage

•

Flowers spike often
remain

JAPANESE AUCUBA

• Opposite

evergreen leave-
plastic texture

• Can be green or

variegated

• Coarsely dentate

INDICA AZALEA

•

Evergreen with dull green
leaves

•

India large country-larger
leaves

•

Pubescent

KURUME AZALEA

• Evergreen with shinier

leaves

• Korea small country-

smaller leaves

• Pubescent

JAPANESE BARBERRY

• Alternate deciduous
• Spine-tipped often

with bud as base

• Maroon sometimes

yellow

BERMUDAGRASS HYBRID

• Warm season grass with runners
• 45 degree angle

RIVER BIRCH

• Alternate deciduous
• Peeling bark
• Arrowhead shaped leaf –

arrowheads at river

BOXWOOD

• Opposite leaves
• Smells like cat pee
• Often square with

stem groove

• Diff. shape diff. variety

BRADFORD PEAR

• Callyerana-deciduous
• Fuzzy buds with smelly flowers
• Poor branching system

BUTTERFLY BUSH

• Opposite leaves-deciduous
• Light white color on

bottom

• Stem 4-8 sided
• Several colors

SASANQUA CAMELLIA

• Smaller than Japonica
• Serrated leaves-plastic
• Curved petiole around bud

CAMELLIA

• Evergreen shrub
• Leaves alternate-

serrated-plastic

• Black glands on tips

of serrations

CAST IRON PLANT

• Evergreen shrub or clump
• Parallel venation

CENTIPEDEGRASS

• Warm season grass
• Wide flat blades alternate- white

midrib/runners

JAPANESE FLOWERING CHERRY

• Deciduous serrated leaves
• Glands on petiole
• Usually dark pointed buds

CHERRY LAUREL

• Alternate evergreen

leaves slender

• White flowers
• 2-4 glands on petiole

CLEMATIS

• Evergreen or deciduous vine
• Terminal leaflets in 3’s

JAPANESE CLEYERA

• Alternate evergreen
• Red petiole-whorled often
• Glossy

COLUMBINE

• Shade perennial
• Granny bonnet flowers
• Leaf miner prone
• 3 part serrated leaf

FLOWERING CRABAPPLE

• Small deciduous tree
• Spring flowering
• Stubby stems

CRAPE MYRTLE

• Opposite,

alternate, or
whorled leaves

• Square stem on

new growth

• Smooth bark often

exfoliating

• Seed pods dark

round

LEYLAND CYPRESS

• Evergreen tree/shrub
• Flat leaves
• Quadrangular-square

BALD CYPRESS

• Deciduous conifer
• Lateral pronounced

buds

• Soft leaves-two rows fan

out

• Fibrous bark

DAYLILY

• Herbaceous

perennial

• Leaves cupped
• Sometimes dead

flower spike
remains

FLOWERING DOGWOOD

• Tree can reach up to 40 feet with

upturned branches.

• Leaves opposite, simple, oval and up to 5

or 6 inches long.

• They are pointed at the tip and have

smooth slightly wavy margins.

• They are typically shiny green and

smooth on the upper surface and paler
on the lower surface

ELAEAGNUS

• Alternate simple evergreen
• Silver sheen on back of leaf
• Spines sometimes develop
• Can be variegated

WINGED EUONYMUS

• Burning Bush-red fall color
• Corky wings
• Opposite leaves

GOLDEN MOP THREADLEAF FALSE
CYPRESS

• Evergreen
• Flat not sharp like

juniper

• White X on back unlike

arborvitae

FESCUE

• Cool season grass
• Clumps no runners
• Serrated backward
• Collars around stem

BORDER FORSYTHIA

• Opposite buds
• Square stems
• Hollow stem
• Leaf often half

serrated

FOUNTAIN GRASS

•

Tender perennial
ornamental

•

Clumps with plume
flowers

•

Long linear leaves

CAPE JASMINE GARDENIA

• Opposite evergreen
• Ribbed leaves- garden in

rows

• Radicans not as ribbed

GINKGO

• Alternate deciduous
• Accordion buds
• Parallel veins with split leaf

INDIAN HAWTHORN

• Alternate serrated

evergreen

• Sometimes purple

margin

• Often looks whorled

at ends

CARISSA HOLLY

• Alternate leaves
• I spine leaf curved up
• Sun caresses the leaf
• Cornuta

CHINESE HOLLY

• Alternate leaves
• 7 spines C-H-I-N-E-S-E
• Cornuta really rotunda species

COMPACTA HOLLY

• Alternate leaves
• Darks glands on underside
• Candleabra shaped

appearance

• Crenata

DWARF BURFORD HOLLY

•

Alternate leaves

•

1 spine bent over

•

Cornuta

DWARF YAUPON HOLLY

• Evergreen
• Football shaped leaves
• Purple to gray stems

HELLERI HOLLY

• Horizontal type

growth

• Dark glands on

back of leaf

• Crenata

SKY PENCIL HOLLY

• Slender-vertical

type growth

• Dark glands on

back of leaf

• Crenata

SAVANNAH HOLLY

• Type of foster holly
• Large red fruit/tree
• Spiny leaves

WEEPING YAUPON HOLLY

• Evergreen-pendula-weeping
• Football shaped leaves
• Purple to gray stems

HOSTA

• Perennial-shade
• Parallel veins
• Many varieties
• Knots in spring as

emerges

OAKLEAF HYDRANGEA

• Deciduous-opposite
• Oak leaf similarity
• Orangey stem in

winter

BIGLEAF HYDRANGEA

• Deciduous opposite leaves
• Leaf similar to cabbage in texture

ENGLISH IVY

• Evergreen vine
• Three-five lobed
• Can be variegated

CONFEDERATE JASMINE

• Vine/shrub/evergree

n

• Not true jasmine
• Star flowers/leaves

opposite

BLUE RUG JUNIPER

• Evergreen groundcover
• Soft

textured/horizontalis

• Bluish tint trailing over

pot

SHORE JUNIPER

• Evergreen groundcover
• Awl shaped leaves
• Stripe/sharp/shore

ANDORRA JUNIPER

• Evergreen

groundcover

• Soft

textured/horizontalis

• Winter brown tint
• Plumosa compacta in

Dirrs book

• Out and up about

18”

LENTEN ROSE

• Shade perennial
• Flower like rose
• Leaves 5-6 lobes

LANTANA

• Summer sun

perennial

• Fragrant shrub or

groundcover

• Verbena family

LIRIOPE

• Herbaceous
• Clump/grass like
• Muscari like grape

hyacinth spike

• Parallel veins

LOROPETALUM

• Alternate evergreen
• Leaves veins pronounced
• Rough pubescent texture

SAUCER MAGNOLIA

• Alternate leaves
• Large pubescent flower bud
• Deciduous/distinct lenticels

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA

• Alternate/evergreen
• Large pubescent buds
• Shiny leaf with pubescent underneath

LEATHERLEAF MAHONIA

• Alternate

compound

• Spikey leaves
• Yellow flowers/blue

fruit

SUGAR MAPLE

• Opposite simple leaf
• S-U-G-A-R
• Pencil point bud

RED MAPLE

• Opposite simple

leaf

• R-E-D
• Cluster buds

JAPANESE MAPLE

• Opposite simple leaf
• Double terminal buds

MONDO GRASS

• Usually narrower than

liriope

• Shorter stems that liriope
• Parallel veins/blue fruit vs

black

DWARF NANDINA

• Alternate bipinnate to

tri-pinnate

• Usually less than 30”
• Shorter internode

than nandina

NANDINA

• Alternate bipinnate to tri-pinnate
• Grows usually taller than 30”
• Longer internodes than dwarf
• Often leggy

LIVE OAK

• Alternate simple evergreen
• Leaf darker above, gray below
• Cupped often
• Brownish midrib

PIN OAK

• Alternate simple
• 5-7 deep U shaped lobes
• 2” petiole
• Branches at right angles

WHITE OAK

• Alternate simple rounded leaf
• Large fruit up to an inch
• Bark gray with blocky look

TEA OLIVE OSMANTHUS

• Opposite simple leaf
• Distinct vein below
• Finely serrated
• Fragrant flower

PACHYSANDRA

• Evergreen groundcover/shade
• Related to boxwood
• Whorled leaflets
• Serrated at the ends of leaf

PIERIS

•

Alternate simple

•

Evergreen

•

Serrated

•

New growth often
reddish/whorled

•

Mass of bell shaped
flowers

MUGO PINE

• Needles in paris
• Up to 3” long
• Typically shrub pine

EASTERN WHITE PINE

• W-H-I-T-E
• 5 needles
• Often with white stripe
• Smooth bark
• Tends to hold branches

JAPANESE PITTOSPORUM

• Alternate simple
• Leaf slightly rounded
• Often variegated

YELLOW (TULIPTREE) POPLAR

•

Alternate simple

•

Cat face/tulip

•

Duck bill buds

•

Flowers

VARIGATED PRIVET HEDGE

•

Opposite leaves/oblong
shape

•

Variegated

•

Can be invasive

•

New sterile
varieties/sunshine/golden
ticket

GLOSSY PRIVET

• Opposite leaves/oblong shape
• Variegated – SOMETIMES
• Larger than sinense leaf and plant

PYRACANTHA

• Alternate simple

leaf/coccinea

• Slightly serrated
• Thorny thus the

name firethorn

• Orange red fruit

FLOWERING QUINCE

• Alternate simple
• Large stipules
• Elbows lack of terminal bud
• Fruit 2” in diameter

EASTERN REDBUD

•

Heart shaped alternate leaf

•

Rick-rack stems

•

Reddish purple buds to
pink flowers

RHODODENDRON

• Alternate simple leaf
• Oblong leaves almost

in whorls

• Dark green above,

paler below

HYBRID TEA ROSE

• Alternate compound

leaf

• Usually with thorns on

stem

ROSEMARY

• Woody perennial herb
• Very fragrant
• Can flower

SAGO PALM

• Pseudo whorl
• Unbranched trunk
• Fern like leaves

SALVIA

• Herbaceous perennial
• Hardy
• Rough textured leaf
• Tall flower spike

SEDUM

• Small growing perennial
• Rounded succulent

leaves

• Opposite leaves

ANTHONY WATERER SPIREA

• Alternate

simple leaf

• Lance shaped

serrated

• Pinkish flowers

VANHOUTTEI SPIREA

• Dark green leaves
• Diamond shaped
• Serrated on end
• Arching stem pattern
• Flowers in spring

SNOWBALL VIBURNUM

• Opposite/simple
• Deciduous
• Large white flowers

VINCA (PERIWINKLE)

• Vine opposite leaves
• Smooth margins
• Bluish flowers

BAYBERRY WAX MYRTLE

• Alternate simple

leaves

• Shallow toothed
• Leaves crushed

fragrant

• Small round drupe

purplish

WEEPING WILLOW

• Alternate simple leaf
• Long narrow serrated

leaf

• Overall shape of planted

in weeping

WINTERCREEPER

• Vine opposite leaves
• Often feet to attach

to objects

• Serrated leaves
• Can be deciduous

CHINESE WISTERIA

• Alternate pinnately

compound

• Vine/small tree
• 7-13 leaflets

PLUM YEW

• Linear leaves arranged in

2 planes

• Evergreen
• Can be upright or

prostrate

• 2 gray bands beneath leaf

YUCCA (ADAMS NEEDLE)

• Leaf sword like spikey
• Typically has threaded like
• Filament peeling
• White flower spike
• Not as stiff as other yuccas

EMERALD ZOYSIA

•

Leaves typically

•

80-90 degree angle

•

Smaller than centipede

•

Usually smooth to touch

Multiple Choice

what is it

• Yacca

• Emerald Zoysia

• grass

• Blue grass