Glossary of terms used on this site

B

Bedding Plants

A plant that has already been grown to blooming or near-blooming size before being planted out in a usually formal area for seasonal display of colorful flowers and/or foliage. Summer and Winter annuals are a good example of bedding plants.

Biological control

Disease or pest control by parasites, predators, or other pathogenic microorganisms against the problem organism.

Bract

A bract is a reduced, leaf-like structure that is associated with a flower. For example, the colorful portions of a Bougainvillea "flower" are actually bracts. The flower is the small white flower inside the bracts.

Bromeliad

Bromeliads are a group of plants that have stiff, waxy leaves that form a cup-shaped body. This "cup" catches and retains water during wet weather, and the plant uses this water to live through dry spells. Most bromeliads are xerophytes (able to tolerate a dry environment) and epiphytes (living attached to another plant and not rooted in the ground).

Bulb

A bulb is an underground stem, usually globular, that has fleshy leaves emerging from the top and roots emerging from the bottom. The fleshy leaves store food. Some examples are: Amaryllis, Agapanthus, Caladiums, Day Lilies, and Canna Lilies.

Butterfly Plants

Plants that attract butterflies either because of their flowers (nectar source) or their foliage (larval source). Most flowering plants attract adult butterflies- particularly plants with clusters of flowers like: Lantana, Porterweed, Salvias, Plumbago, Duranta "Sapphire Showers" and Pentas. Butterflies are larval-source specific. Milkweed attracts Monarchs, Queens and Soldiers. Passiflora vines (particularly the 'Blue eyed Susan', 'Lavender Lady', 'White Wedding' and 'Suberosa') attract Zebra Longwings, Julias and Gulf Fritillaries.