Plant is a general word for living things like flowers, trees, grass, and vegetables. A plant can grow in a garden, a park, a pot, or in the wild. People say houseplant for a plant kept inside the home, and wild plant for one that grows on its own in nature. In English, plants are part of Nature, and many of them appear in Landscapes such as fields, hills, and forests. In different Seasons, the same garden can look very different as plants grow, bloom, or lose their leaves.

Everyday plant words for gardens

Word	Definition	Example
plant	A plant is a living thing that grows in soil and needs water and light.	I water the plant every morning.
garden	A garden is a place where people grow flowers or vegetables.	My grandmother has a small garden behind her house.
park	A park is a public place with grass, trees, and sometimes flowers.	We walked through the park after lunch.
pot	A pot is a container for growing a plant indoors or outside.	This herb grows well in a pot near the window.
soil	Soil is the earth where plants grow.	The soil feels soft after the rain.
seedling	A seedling is a very young plant.	The seedling is small but strong.
wild	If a plant grows wild, it grows in nature without help from people.	These flowers grow wild near the road.
bed	A bed is a small area of ground for growing plants together.	We planted tulips in a flower bed.
shrub	A shrub is a small bushy plant with many stems.	A green shrub grows next to the gate.
greenhouse	A greenhouse is a glass building where plants can grow in warm air.	Tomatoes grow early in the greenhouse.

Scramble

A tree is a large plant with a trunk and branches. An oak is a common strong tree with broad leaves. A pine is a tree with needles instead of flat leaves. A maple is known for its leaves and, in many places, for bright color in autumn. People often see these trees along a street, in a park, or in a yard. A tree can grow alone near a house, or it can stand in a group of trees in a larger landscape.

Common tree words in town spaces

Word	Definition	Example
tree	A tree is a tall plant with a trunk and branches.	A large tree shades the bench.
oak	An oak is a strong tree with broad leaves and acorns.	The old oak stands near the school.
pine	A pine is an evergreen tree with needle leaves and cones.	We saw a tall pine on the hill.
maple	A maple is a tree known for its shaped leaves and sweet sap.	The maple turns red in autumn.
trunk	The trunk is the main stem of a tree.	The cat climbed halfway up the trunk.
branch	A branch is one of the parts that grows out from a tree trunk.	A bird sat on the branch.
shade	Shade is a cool area away from direct sunlight.	We rested in the shade of the tree.
yard	A yard is the ground around a house.	There is a small apple tree in the yard.
street	A street is a road in a town or city.	Tall trees line the street.
acorn	An acorn is the nut of an oak tree.	A squirrel found an acorn on the path.

Scramble

A flower is the colorful part of a plant. A rose is a common flower with layered petals, and people often give roses as gifts. A tulip has a smooth, cup-shaped flower, and a daisy has a simple round center with white petals. In a garden, you can pick a flower from a plant, or you can cut flowers with scissors or a knife for a vase. People pick a single flower by hand, but they cut flowers when they want to arrange them or keep them indoors.

Flower words and gentle care

Word	Definition	Example
flower	A flower is the colorful part of a plant.	This flower opens in the morning.
rose	A rose is a flower with soft petals and often thorns on the stem.	She gave me a red rose.
tulip	A tulip is a flower with a smooth cup shape.	The yellow tulip looks bright in the garden.
daisy	A daisy is a small flower with white petals and a yellow center.	A daisy grew near the path.
petal	A petal is one of the soft parts of a flower.	One petal fell onto the table.
bud	A bud is a flower that has not opened yet.	The bud opened after two days.
pick	To pick flowers means to take them from the plant.	Please do not pick the flowers in the park.
cut	To cut flowers means to remove them with a tool such as scissors.	We cut two roses for the vase.
vase	A vase is a container for holding cut flowers.	The daisies are in a blue vase.
thorn	A thorn is a sharp point on some plants.	Be careful with the thorn on the rose stem.

Scramble

An herb is a plant with leaves or stems people use for flavor or smell. Basil has a sweet, fresh taste and is common in pasta and tomato dishes. Mint tastes cool and fresh, so people use it in tea, desserts, and drinks. Parsley is a green herb that people add to soups, salads, and sauces. Many people grow herbs in a small pot on a kitchen windowsill or in a garden bed near the house.

Cooking herbs in the kitchen garden

Word	Definition	Example
herb	An herb is a plant used for flavor or smell in food.	Mint is a fresh herb for tea.
basil	Basil is a herb with a sweet smell and taste.	I put basil on the pasta.
mint	Mint is a herb with a cool fresh taste.	We added mint to the salad.
parsley	Parsley is a green herb often used to decorate or flavor food.	The soup tastes better with parsley.
chive	A chive is a thin herb with a mild onion taste.	She sprinkled chive over the potatoes.
rosemary	Rosemary is a strong smelling herb with needle like leaves.	The chicken smells good with rosemary.
thyme	Thyme is a small herb often used in cooking.	This sauce needs a little thyme.
sprig	A sprig is a small piece of a plant or herb.	Add one sprig of mint to the drink.
season	To season food means to add herbs or spices for flavor.	We season the soup with parsley.
flavor	Flavor is the taste of food or drink.	The basil gives the dish a strong flavor.

Scramble

A carrot is an orange vegetable that grows underground. A tomato grows on a plant above the ground, even though people often cook it like a vegetable. Lettuce is a leafy vegetable used in salads and sandwiches. These words are common in a vegetable patch, a kitchen garden, or a market. In gardening, people say a tomato plant or a lettuce plant because the vegetable comes from a living plant in the ground or in a pot.

Garden vegetables for patch growing

Word	Definition	Example
vegetable	A vegetable is a plant part that people eat as food.	Carrots are a popular vegetable.
carrot	A carrot is a long orange vegetable that grows under the ground.	I sliced a fresh carrot for lunch.
tomato	A tomato is a red fruit that people use like a vegetable in cooking.	The tomato is ripe and juicy.
lettuce	Lettuce is a leafy green vegetable used in salads.	We made a salad with lettuce.
patch	A patch is a small area of ground used for growing plants.	The beans grow in a sunny patch.
row	A row is a line of plants grown one after another.	The carrots are planted in one row.
harvest	To harvest means to collect ripe crops from the garden.	We harvest the tomatoes in August.
ripe	A ripe vegetable or fruit is ready to eat.	This tomato is ripe now.
crisp	Crisp means fresh and firm, often about lettuce or vegetables.	The lettuce is cool and crisp.
basket	A basket is a container for carrying fruit or vegetables.	She carried the carrots in a basket.

Scramble

An apple grows on a tree, so it is tree fruit. An orange also grows on a tree in warm places. A berry is a small fruit, often soft and juicy, that can grow on bushes or low plants. In everyday English, people talk about fruit from trees, fruit from bushes, and fruit from plants in the garden. Apples and oranges usually come from trees, while many berries grow low and close to the ground.

Fruit words from trees and bushes

Word	Definition	Example
fruit	A fruit is a sweet plant food that usually has seeds inside.	Apple is my favorite fruit.
apple	An apple is a round fruit that can be red green or yellow.	I ate an apple after school.
orange	An orange is a round fruit with a thick peel and juice inside.	She peeled an orange for breakfast.
berry	A berry is a small soft fruit.	We picked a sweet berry from the bush.
peel	The peel is the outside skin of some fruits.	The peel of the orange is easy to remove.
juice	Juice is the liquid inside some fruits.	Fresh juice tastes sweet in summer.
orchard	An orchard is a place where fruit trees grow.	The family visited an apple orchard.
bush	A bush is a low plant with many stems.	Berries grow on the bush by the fence.
seed	A seed is a small part that can grow into a new plant.	Each apple has a seed inside.
pulp	Pulp is the soft inside part of some fruits.	The orange pulp is sweet and juicy.

Scramble

A seed is the small part from which a new plant grows. A bean is both a seed and a food, so the word can mean the seed inside a pod or the cooked food on a plate. A bulb is a round underground part that stores food for a new plant, like an onion bulb or a flower bulb. People say plant a seed when they put it in soil and wait for it to grow. Gardeners also plant beans, which start as seeds, and many flowers grow from bulbs placed in the ground.

Words for starting new plants

Word	Definition	Example
seed	A seed is a small part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.	We planted one seed in each pot.
bean	A bean is a seed that can grow into a plant and can also be eaten.	The bean started to grow after three days.
bulb	A bulb is a round plant part that can grow into a new flower.	We buried the bulb in the soil.
sprout	To sprout means to begin growing into a young plant.	The seed will sprout soon.
plant	To plant means to put a seed or bulb into soil.	We plant seeds in spring.
dig	To dig means to make a hole in the ground.	Please dig a small hole for the bulb.
cover	To cover something means to put soil or another material over it.	Cover the seed with a little soil.
germinate	To germinate means to start growing after a seed is planted.	The seeds germinate in warm soil.
packet	A packet is a small bag or box that holds seeds.	This packet has sunflower seeds.
shoot	A shoot is a new small stem or leaf from a plant.	A green shoot came up in the pot.

Scramble

A leaf is the flat green part of a plant. Some trees have broad leaves, while conifers have needles, which are thin, sharp leaves like those on a pine. A stem holds the plant upright and carries water and food. A root grows under the soil and takes in water. A taproot is one main root that grows deep, while fibrous roots are many thin roots spreading out near the surface. A vine is a plant with long stems that spread or climb, and ivy is a common climbing plant on walls and fences. Clematis is another climbing plant with flowers, often grown on a trellis or along a garden fence.

Plant parts and climbing growth words

Word	Definition	Example
leaf	A leaf is the flat green part of a plant.	One leaf fell into the water.
needle	A needle is a thin leaf on some trees like pine trees.	The pine needle is soft and green.
stem	A stem is the main part that holds a plant up.	The flower has a thin stem.
root	A root is the part of a plant that grows under the ground.	The root helps the plant take in water.
taproot	A taproot is one main root that grows deep into the ground.	The carrot has a long taproot.
fibrous roots	Fibrous roots are many thin roots that spread near the soil surface.	Grass has fibrous roots.
vine	A vine is a plant that grows long and often climbs.	The vine grows over the wall.
ivy	Ivy is a climbing plant with many leaves.	Green ivy covers the fence.
clematis	Clematis is a climbing plant that has large colorful flowers.	The clematis blooms near the door.
climb	To climb means to grow or move upward using support.	This plant can climb a trellis.

Scramble

Garden care often uses short action verbs. To water a plant is to give it water. To prune a tree or bush is to cut away some branches or stems. To weed a garden is to remove unwanted plants that grow where they are not wanted. To pot a plant is to put it into a pot, usually for growing inside or on a patio. People water flowers in hot weather, prune a rose bush after it blooms, weed a vegetable patch, and pot herbs for a kitchen windowsill.

Garden care action words

Word	Definition	Example
water	To water a plant means to give it water.	I water the tomatoes every evening.
prune	To prune means to cut back parts of a plant to help it grow well.	We prune the rose bush in spring.
weed	To weed means to remove unwanted plants from the garden.	I weed the flower bed on Saturdays.
pot	To pot a plant means to put it into a pot with soil.	We pot the basil plant today.
mulch	Mulch is material put on soil to help keep water in and stop weeds.	The gardener adds mulch around the tree.
trim	To trim means to cut a little from a plant to keep it neat.	Please trim the hedge.
feed	To feed a plant means to give it plant food.	We feed the flowers in summer.
support	A support is something that helps a plant stay upright.	The tomato plant needs a support.
compost	Compost is rotted plant material that helps soil.	We add compost to the garden bed.
spray	To spray means to put water or liquid in small drops on plants.	I spray the leaves on hot days.

Scramble