How to Read a Plant Tag

The plant label front features the plant’s common and scientific names, often with a photo of the fully-grown plant. The scientific name (or cultivar) is often in italics below the common name.
When you search for a specific plant within the same family, use the scientific name for the most accurate i.d..

The plant label lists measurements and descriptions of the plant’s fully grown size. This helps you plan placement in your garden.

• Height: The plant’s mature height can be listed on the front or back of the tag. Height is listed as a range from the minimum to the maximum average height. This is helpful for designing your garden.
• Spread: The spread is how wide you can expect the plant to grow. This helps when spacing plants in your garden.
• Habit: The habit or shape of the plant describes how it grows and its general form. Common habits are mounding, trailing and upright.
• Spacing: Give plants room to grow when you follow spacing recommendations. Improper spacing can lead to crowding and stunted roots.

Tip: If the plant tag doesn't include the spread, the spacing recommendation will help.

How much sun exposure a plant needs is often represented by a full or partly shaded sun icon. In general, there are three degrees of sun
tolerance: full sun, partial sun/shade and full shade.

• Full sun: Usually depicted by a sun icon, full sun means the plant needs at least six hours (but sometimes closer to eight or ten hours) of direct sunlight in a day.
• Partial sun/shade: This icon appears as a half-shaded sun. Plants that require partial sun need four to six hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Full shade: Plants that need full shade will have a sun icon that is completely shaded in on their plant tags. Full shade plants enjoy environments that receive only indirect sunlight or less than three hours of direct sunlight per day.

Water requirements are detailed or shown as raindrop icons. A plant label may also list the water requirements by saying the soil should be “dry/well-drained,” “normal” or “moist.”

• Dry or well-drained soil: Indicated by one raindrop icon, maintaining dry soil means allowing the soil to dry completely between
  waterings. Even the soil below the top inch should be dry before watering again.
• Normal: Often indicated by two raindrops, normal means keeping the soil an inch below the surface moist. Allow the top inch of soil – but no more – to dry out before watering again.
• Moist: Moist soil or three raindrops means the soil should always stay moist. Water frequently to prevent the soil from drying out, but do not water to the point that excess water pools on the surface of the soil.

Tip: Remember that new plants typically require frequent watering for the first few months as they establish their root systems. Additionally, potted plants require regular watering.

The zones listed on the back of a plant tag refer to the USDA Hardiness Zones, which measure the lowest winter temperature a plant can survive. The USDA Hardiness Zones are divided into 11 planting zones,
whose average
winter temperatures
differ from their neighboring zones by
an average of
10 degrees Fahrenheit. Learning which zone you live in is a helpful parameter for knowing which plants, particularly perennials, can survive in your climate.

If
you are unfamiliar with zones, however, most plant tags will also list below the zone a minimum temperature the plant can endure. Look for the phrase “hardy to...” followed by a temperature, which indicates the coldest temperatures the plant can survive.

You may also find a related section for “Blooms.” “Blooms” indicates what time of year the plant flowers, which may vary based on your climate and hardiness zone. When planting, remember to take both the hardiness zone and blooming season into consideration to ensure you are not planting too late or too early in the season.

A section for fertilizer specifications may appear on the plant label, or fertilization may be bundled into the “Features” section. Sometimes, no mention of fertilization is present, and you will have to do your own research in this area.

If this section does appear, it will tell you how often to feed the plant for optimal growth. Many annuals require regular fertilization.

The tag may tell you the plant’s best “use.” This is a recommendation based on both the popular applications of the plant and where the plant grows well. For example, this section may tell you the plant grows best in a container or that the plant is used as ground covering. The use recommendation is a helpful guideline for beginning landscapers and gardeners.

The back of the plant label often has additional notes about the plant’s features and care instructions. These notes may include specific planting tips, interesting facts about the plant, the plant’s drought and heat tolerance, when and how to deadhead or wildlife interactions. The most detailed plant tags will have enough care and feature notes to give you a clear idea of the plant’s unique needs without requiring additional research.