How to read a plant tag 101

One of the first lessons to know in gardening is learning how to read a plant tag. This little piece of plastic attached to your plant will tell you the very basics of what that plant needs to grow. If you do not follow the advice of the plant tag, your plant could struggle to survive because it’s not in the conditions it needs.

Plant tag basics

• Light Exposure: This tells us if a plant needs full sun, part sun, or shade. This is critical to the survival of the plant.
• USDA Hardiness/Zone: This is the bit about your growing zone. It’s also a critical piece of information for the survival of your plant. It will usually list a range and you want your growing zone to be in that range for that particular plant to be able to survive in your area.
• Watering: Here you will know what kind of water your plant likes best. This is sometimes harder to control but you want to make sure you can provide an environment where your plant will get enough water but also be able to have the excess water drain away from it.
• Size/Spacing: This will tell you how tall and how wide the plant will get as it grows to maturity. It’s important to give plants room to grow. If not, your garden will look overgrown and messy, be harder to maintain, and the plants will struggle. As a new gardener it’s easy to want to pack those plants together tight. Unless you’re putting them in a pot on your porch, they will do better spaced out correctly. It’s also important to know that a plant will only be able to get as big as you let it. If you’re good about maintenance and pruning, you can keep some larger shrubs and bushes at bay.

Extra tag information

• Uses: This is helpful in letting you know the common uses of the plant ie:cut flower, landscaping hedge, borders, foundations, or containers. It will tell you where your plant will look and grow the best in your landscape or garden.
• Fertilization: This is really helpful in letting you know when the best times to fertilize your plant are. Plants need food but some of them are pickier about when they get it.
• Pruning: A lot of plants need to be pruned. This keeps them healthier and also maintains their shape. If you prune at the wrong time however, you risk opening your plant up to disease or harming it.
• Deer Resistance: Those dang deer! They are good at wreaking havoc in gardens and landscapes. There a some plants that deer won’t touch however and they are great if you live in an area where deer are regular visitors.
• Season of Interest: Some plant tags will have a section that tell you when the plant is blooming and what it does in the other seasons. You’ll want to have a variety of plants that bloom throughout the year and be able to space them out to create interest in your garden.
• Planting Directions: Some plant tags will give you directions on how to plant your plant! If there are directions on how to plant your plant on the plant tag, you’ll want follow them. This will give your plant the best chance of survival.

These plant tags shown are from some of my favorite growers. Proven Winners is a great brand. First Edition Shrubs and Trees is another. I have some really beautiful annuals from Dummen Orange this year also.

If you ever come across a plant that doesn’t have a plant tag, google can help you. I also use the Plantin app daily to help identify and learn more about plants and it’s very useful.

Now you can walk into any nursery and look at the plant tags to find what you want and see if you can help it thrive. Good luck! xo

How to read a plant tag 101: A+