Scrophulariaceae includes butterfly bush, a fragrant shrub from Asia grown for its colorful flower spikes that attract pollinators and brighten summer gardens.
Families
120 posts
Commelinaceae includes Tradescantia zebrina, a trailing plant with striped leaves grown indoors for its vibrant foliage and easy propagation.
Primulaceae includes creeping Jenny, a mat-forming plant with yellow flowers and rounded leaves, used as ground cover in gardens and wet habitats.
Asphodelaceae includes <em>Aloe vera</em>, a succulent valued for its medicinal leaf gel and adaptability to arid climates, alongside many ornamental and drought-tolerant species.
Laminariaceae is a family of large brown kelp, forming underwater forests in cold coastal waters. Kombu is a key commercial product.
Santalaceae includes Indian sandalwood, a tropical tree grown for its fragrant wood and oil used in perfumes, incense, and traditional medicine.
Physalacriaceae includes enoki mushrooms, slender fungi prized for their mild taste and culinary use in East Asian dishes.
Tremellaceae includes snow fungus, a jelly-like mushroom used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine for its texture and health benefits.
Saururaceae includes chameleon plant, a Southeast Asian herb used in cooking and traditional medicine, known for its strong aroma and healing properties.
Simmondsiaceae includes jojoba, a desert shrub grown for its oil-rich seeds used in cosmetics, skincare, and eco-friendly industrial products.
Hypericaceae includes St. John’s wort, a medicinal herb known for its yellow flowers, mood-related uses, and adaptability to temperate climates.
Marasmiaceae includes shiitake mushrooms, valued for their savory flavor, nutritional benefits, and role in forest decomposition.
Hericiaceae includes <em>Hericium</em> species like lion’s mane, known for their tooth-like fruiting bodies, wood-decomposing role, and promising medicinal properties.
Strophariaceae includes pioppino, a mushroom grown on hardwood for its nutty flavor and firm texture, widely used in Asian and Mediterranean cooking.
Auriculariaceae includes fungi like jelly ear or wood ear, valued for its texture in cuisine and role in forest ecosystems as a decomposer.
Tricholomataceae includes matsutake, a wild forest mushroom valued in Japanese cuisine for its spicy aroma and symbiotic growth with pine trees.
Dilleniaceae includes species like elephant apple, known for their bold flowers, edible fruits, and role in tropical forest ecosystems.
Montiaceae includes miner’s lettuce, a leafy green valued for its mild taste, nutritional benefits, and adaptability to cool, moist environments.
Verbenaceae includes lemon verbena, a South American shrub grown for its fragrant leaves used in teas, desserts, and herbal remedies.
Ranunculaceae includes black seed, a spice plant grown for its flavorful seeds and long history of use in traditional medicine.
Pinaceae includes Scots pine, a hardy conifer prized for its timber, ecological role in northern forests, and adaptability across cold climates.
Erythroxylaceae includes coca, a South American shrub known for its cultural and medicinal use in the Andes and its role as the source of cocaine.
Boraginaceae includes borage, cultivated for its edible flowers and leaves, medicinal uses, and value in supporting garden pollinators.
Elaeagnaceae includes goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora), a hardy shrub prized for its nutritious berries, soil-enriching roots, and role in low-maintenance, sustainable gardens.
Ulmaceae includes European nettle tree, a Mediterranean tree grown for shade, edible fruit, and durable wood, often planted in urban and rural landscapes.
Caprifoliaceae includes honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), a cold-hardy shrub grown for nutrient-rich blue fruits and valued in northern orchard systems.
Tropaeolaceae includes mashua, a climbing Andean plant grown for its edible tubers and bright flowers, valued for food, pest control, and ornament.
Aizoaceae, or the fig-marigold family, includes succulents adapted to arid regions. A key commercial crop is Sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis).
Plantaginaceae includes buck’s horn plantain, a coastal herb valued for its antler-like edible leaves and resilience in poor, sandy soils.
Myricaceae includes Chinese bayberry, a fruit tree prized for its sweet-tart berries, ornamental value, and long history of cultivation in East Asia.
Pandanaceae is a family that includes pandan, a tropical plant valued for its aromatic leaves and culinary use across Southeast Asia.
Apocynaceae includes the Natal plum, grown for its fragrant flowers, edible red fruit, and ornamental use in warm-climate gardens and hedges.
Salicaceae includes kei apple, a thorny shrub from southern Africa grown for its tart, vitamin-rich fruit and use as a hardy living fence.
Chrysobalanaceae includes species like cocoplum, valued for edible fruit and resilience in coastal habitats and restoration plantings.
Calophyllaceae includes the mammee apple, a tropical tree prized for its fragrant fruit, traditional remedies, and role in regional food culture.
Malpighiaceae includes acerola, a tropical fruit valued for its high vitamin C content, grown in warm climates for juices, supplements, and preserves.
Burseraceae includes the frankincense tree, a resin-producing species from arid regions valued for its aromatic gum used in rituals, medicine, and fragrance.
Cupressaceae includes giants like the sequoia and adaptable species like juniper, valued for timber, ornamental use, and their role in forest ecosystems.
Adoxaceae includes shrubs like elderberry, valued for ornamental traits and cultivated for fruit used in food, drinks, and herbal remedies.
Capparaceae includes the caper bush, cultivated for edible flower buds used as flavorful condiments in Mediterranean dishes.
Amaryllidaceae is a family of bulbous plants with striking flowers, found in tropical and temperate regions. A key commercial crop is onion (Allium cepa).
Caryophyllaceae includes flowers like carnations, known for their beauty, pleasant scent, and role in gardens and celebrations.
Liliaceae includes tulips, ornamental bulbs prized for their vivid spring blooms, cultural symbolism, and commercial importance in temperate regions.
Schisandraceae includes star anise, a tree from Asia grown for its aromatic fruit used in cooking, traditional medicine, and pharmaceutical production.
Portulacaceae includes purslane, a drought-tolerant herb grown for its edible leaves and valued for nutrition and garden appeal.
Zingiberaceae includes ginger, a tropical herb cultivated for its aromatic rhizomes used in cooking, herbal remedies, and traditional medicine.
Vitaceae includes grapevine, a globally cultivated vine grown for its fruit used in wine, juice, and fresh consumption, with major cultural and economic value.
Urticaceae includes ramie, a tall Asian herb cultivated for its durable fibers used in textiles and paper, and valued for soil conservation.
Ulvaceae includes sea lettuce, a green alga found in coastal waters, valued for its edibility, ecological role, and adaptability to tidal environments.
Theaceae includes the tea plant, a shrub grown in Asia and beyond for its young leaves, which are processed into one of the world’s most popular drinks.