Comprehensive Plant Database
Search and filter by soil pH, sunlight, functional traits, ecology, and safety
covering every plant type.
| Name | Scientific | Family | Form | Height | pH | Zones | Sun | Water | Difficulty | Conservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone Grass, Golden Japanese Forest Grass | Hakonechloa macra | Poaceae | herb_graminoid | 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) | 5.5–6.8 | 5a-9b | Partial Shade, Full Shade, Partial Sun | Maintain even moisture; avoid allowing roots to dry out completely in summer. | LC | |
| Japanese Maple, Smooth Japanese Maple, Palmate Maple | Acer palmatum | Sapindaceae | tree | 10-25 feet (3-7.5 m) | 5.5–6.8 | 5b - 8b | Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade | Maintain consistent soil moisture, especially during establishment and hot summer periods. Deep, infrequent soaking is preferred over light sprinkling; avoid waterlogged root conditions. | LC | |
| Japanese Pachysandra, Japanese Spurge, Carpet Spurge | Pachysandra terminalis | Buxaceae | subshrub | 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) | 5–6.5 | 4a-8b | Partial Shade, Full Shade | Provide regular moisture until established; once rooted, exhibits good tolerance to dry shade under tree roots. | LC | |
| Kale, Borecole, Curly Kale, Dinosaur Kale | Brassica oleracea | Brassicaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 12-24 inches | 6–7.5 | 2a - 9b | Full Sun, Partial Sun | Requires consistent moisture (1-1.5 inches per week). Mulch heavily to retain soil moisture and keep roots cool. | LC | |
| Kohlrabi, German Turnip, Turnip Cabbage | Brassica oleracea | Brassicaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 1-1.5 feet (30-45 cm) | 6–7.5 | 2a-11b | Full Sun, Partial Sun | Water regularly (1 inch weekly) to promote rapid vegetative growth and maintain crisp, fiber-free stem flesh. | LC | |
| Leek, Garden Leek, Broadleaf Leek | Allium ampeloprasum | Amaryllidaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) | 6.5–7.5 | 3a-9b | Full Sun | Provide regular, moderate moisture (25 mm/week); avoid overhead watering late in the day to minimize leaf rust. | LC | |
| Lemon, True Lemon, Common Lemon | Citrus limon | Rutaceae | tree | 10-20 feet | 5.5–6.5 | 9a - 11b | Full Sun | Deep, regular watering. Allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out between waterings to prevent Phytophthora root rot. | NE | |
| Lemon Balm, Sweet Balm, Melissa | Melissa officinalis | Lamiaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 1.5-2.5 feet (45-75 cm) | 6–7.5 | 4a-9b | Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade | Moderate regular watering; allow upper soil surface to dry slightly between cycles. | LC | |
| Lemongrass, West Indian Lemongrass, Citronella Grass | Cymbopogon citratus | Poaceae | herb_graminoid | 3-5 feet (90-150 cm) | 6–7.5 | 9a-11b | Full Sun | Generous watering during summer; reduce irrigation in winter when dormant. | LC | |
| Lesser Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle, Myrtle, Dwarf Vinca | Vinca minor | Apocynaceae | subshrub | 3-6 inches (8-15 cm) | 6–7.5 | 4a-9b | Partial Shade, Full Shade, Partial Sun | Water regularly during the first growing season to establish root network; highly drought tolerant once established in shaded microclimates. | LC | |
| Asiatic Lily, Oriental Lily, Garden Hybrid Lily | Lilium hybrids | Liliaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 2-5 feet (60-150 cm) | 5.8–6.8 | 3a-9b | Full Sun, Partial Sun | Provide roughly 1 inch of water weekly during active vegetative growth and flowering; ensure perfect sub-surface drainage around the basal plate. | NE | |
| Sacred Lotus, Indian Lotus, Bean of India, Nelumbo | Nelumbo nucifera | Nelumbonaceae | herb_non_graminoid | 3-6 feet (90-180 cm emergent) | 6.5–8 | 4a-11b | Full Sun | Submerge under 15-50 cm of warm standing water with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. | LC |