Glossary - A
Here you will find a list of common garden terms that begin with A.
- Abdomen - the posterior section of the arthropod body.
- Abiotic - nonliving.
- Abortive - incomplete, or partially developed; ie: a seed or frosted bud.
- Abscission Layer - a layer of cells at the base of the leaf stem, where the leaf breaks from a main stem; which causes the leaf or flower to fall.
- Accent plant - an individual plant that contrasts with its surroundings and catches your attention.
- Acclimate - to adapt to new environmental conditions.
- Achene - a small, dry, indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a thin wall, as in the sunflower.
- Acid medium - a compost that contains little to no lime, and has a pH of less than 7. Also called 'sour soil'.
- Acid rain - contains sulphur dioxide and other pollutants.
- Acidity - quality of being sour; degree of sourness; having a pH of less than 7.
- Acre - a land measurement of 43,560 feet. A square acre is 208.75 feet on each side.
- Acuminate - having a sharp, gradually tapered point.
- Adult phase - when plants are capable of producing fruit and flowers.
- Adventitious - plant parts, such as shoots and roots, produced in an unusual position on a plant or at an unusual time of development.
- Aeration - to be exposed to air; to cause air to circulate through a medium.
- Aerial Root - a root which grows out from the stem above ground level.
- Aerobic - describes organisms living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen; ie: a compost pile.
- Agar - a gelatinous substance made from certain marine algae used for sterile propagation of plants, most often orchids.
- Aggregates - (soil); clumps or cemented units of mineral and organic matter.
- Air layering - a method of propagating plants by wounding a stem or branch, applying a hormone to the wound, wrapping the stem or branch with damp sphagnum moss and polyethylene plastic to encourage root formation, and finally removing the rooted stem or branch as an independent plant.
- Algae - aquatic plants that lack a vascular system. Some are microscopic and others are large. Examples are pond scum, kelp and red tides.
- Allelopathic - a plant that produces chemicals that affect other plants growing nearby.
- Alley - a garden walk or lane that is bordered by trees and/or shrubs.
- Alkalinity - having a pH greater than 7.
- Alternate host - a secondary host that becomes infected and is necessary for alternating generations of a disease-causing organism.
- Amendment - an alteration or addition to soil to correct a problem.
- Amphibious - the ability of plants to grow in both aquatic and exposed soil.
- Anaerobic - able to live and grow where there is no air.
- Anatomy - the internal structure of a plant.
- Anchor Root - a large root that holds a plant in the soil.
- Annual Tree Ring - a concentric circle of wood produced in tree trunks. They can be used to tell the age of a tree.
- Annuals - plants that complete their life cycle in a year or less.
- Anther - the upper part of the stamen where the pollen is produced.
- Anthracnose - a leaf, shoot or twig blight, from a fungi.
- Aphids - small sap-sucking insects. They can infect foliage and kill a plant. They secrete a sugary substance that attracts ants.
- Apical bud - a bud at the apex or terminal position on a plant or branch.
- Aquatic - a plant which grows in or around water.
- Arbor - a free-standing garden structure. It can support vines or provide a focal point in the landscape.
- Arborcide - an herbicide chemical that kills trees.
- Arboriculture - the science of tree care.
- Arboretum - pl. arboreta; a place where trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.
- Arborist - a tree specialist.
- Arthropod - invertebrate animals (insects, arachnids and crustaceans) that have a jointed body and limbs and usually a hard shell or exoskeleton that is molted periodically.
- Asexual propogation - the duplication of a plant from a cell, tissue or organ of the plant.
- Awl-shaped - a narrow leaf that tapers to a stiff point.
- Axil - the angle between the leaf and the stem.
- Axillary bud - a bud that grows in the axil of a plant.
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