The USDA plants database is a fabulous resource – and it’s online!
We’re eventually entering a high gear for the coming gardening season. Back in the day, I relied on a few dozens encyclopedic reference books, as well as a dozen or more specialty books (specified tomes on ferns, bulbs, perennials and annuals) to help me plan my garden annually. While I spent a lot of happy hour daydreaming in the cooler months, it was a lot of work to compile a consistent garden plan. Even so, now, I start with the online USDA plants database to research the best candidates. Unlike (ahem) other government websites, the USDA plants database website is well-organized and perfectly replete with news I can use. This site isn’t difficult to navigate and does not lead you allover the map before discovering precisely what you are seeking. Now, this site has turned my first stop for facts about plants. Here, we take a mini-tour to give you an idea of the goodies you will find.
We begin with the image gallery, comprised of 40,000+ images of plants, which you can organize in a number of particular searches. You’re invited to add to the USDA plants database with your own digital images – the more, the merrier, wouldn’t you say?
Among the best features is found under ‘Plants Topics’, handily settled on the left-side navigation bar. Here, you will discover more than 800 Fact Sheets and Plant Guides, which are downloadable, either in an Adobe (.pdf) or MS Word (.doc) format. The fact sheets are more concise than the Plant Guides, providing you with basic information about a given plant, e.g. uses in the garden, cultivation information and a brief description. The Plant Guides contain deeper and detailed information. You can skim through those of interest online and then download those you will be planning to integrate into your garden plan.
Another cool feature of the USDA Plants Database is its advanced search and search help. You can search for plants by their basic or scientific name, by state, region or throughout the country.
If you are looking for creating an eco-friendly garden, the USDA Plants database helps you get the job done right, with information on invasive and noxious weeds, alternative crops, wetland plants and threatened and endangered plant species. Is the plant you are dealing culturally significant? The database provides the answer.
Besides the Fact Sheets and Plant Guides, you can download a complete Plants Checklist or confine yourself to your State’s Plants Checklist. Download plant posters, which can make a terrific kitchen decorating touch, or spark the enthusiasm of a school-age child.
There are also a number of tools available for use on the site, including a crop nutrient tool (really convenient), plant identification keys and ecological site information system.
Last, but surely not least in our mini-tour, is the astonishingly comprehensive list of links on the USDA Plants Database. If there’s any aspect of garden plants that have you baffled, you will discover a lead on the links’ page, which, incidentally has links for both teachers and kids.
Check over the USDA Plants Database and take a virtual trip. This website is sure to become a favorite stop for any gardener, young or old! Give them a visit!
