Photo Credit: Maureen Gilmer

You don’t have to search for plant tags – most often they’re prominently displayed so customers can quickly identify plants.

What’s on a plant label? If it’s a good one, just about everything you need to know to take good care of the plant you just bought: information on its growth habit (how tall and wide it’ll get and what shape it could take), what light the plant needs, fertility requirements, hardiness zones and even its proper names.

Some plant tags don’t stop there. They include pictures, info on how far a plant should be spaced, how often it should be watered, what type of drainage and soil it needs, and the plant’s pest tolerance. Some even include a nursery’s Website.

Nursery and garden center professionals take a lot of pride and put a great deal of thought into creating these plant labels – and with good reason: They want home gardeners to use each plant appropriately…and then hopefully return to the store to buy more. Of course, that’s no big surprise – it’s really all about “branding,” that great marketing tool intended to get us interested in a plant and then let us know which nursery grew it.

But for home gardeners, it’s just about growing a healthy, beautiful, thriving garden.

Photo Credit: Jessie Keith

See a plant you like in a public garden? Look for the plant label in the planting bed – most public gardens tag their plants with the botanical and often the common name. Write down the ones of the plants you like, then read more about them on the Learn2Grow Plant Database.

While plant tags act as one big advertisement, they are informative. Consider this creative verbiage on a tag about the lovely ‘Regina’ iris (Neomarica caerulea ‘Regina’): “‘Regina’ is a new discovery from Brazil that has the iris world talking. This exciting new bearded iris has lovely, deep-blue flowers. It’s a repeat bloomer, continuing to flower from late fall to early winter. ‘Regina’ stands 3 feet tall, thriving in sun to partial shade. ‘Regina’ should be in every iris lover’s garden!” This mix of dazzling words and solid gardening information on the label can get almost any iris fan to want to at least try this fantastic new plant in the garden.

And don’t overlook the photos, too. Sure, they help growers sell their product, but they also help home gardeners envision the plant in their own landscapes. Does the bloom color fit into your planting scheme? Will the plant’s overall look fit into your formal garden design, or is it too reserved for your natural garden? Photos help you “try before you buy” – at least in your mind’s eye.