Logo
Denver Botanic Gardens
Gardens Navigator
Print
Print This

Guide to the Gardens' Major Plant Families

title image
This tour, for educational use by our docents, ambassadors and other volunteers, covers several different plant families that are most common in the Denver Botanic Gardens living collections. I hope you will be able to learn to see how families are differentiated, based on flowers, leaves and other key features.
Guide to the Gardens' Major Plant Families
1Bambusa vulgaris (Common Bamboo)

Poaceae; jointed stems

thumbnail image
2Achnatherum calamagrostis (Silver Spike Grass)

Poaceae; flower culms

thumbnail image
3Carex grayi (Gray's Sedge)

Cyperaceae; note the nutlet fruit

thumbnail image
4Tradescantia 'Lucky Charm' (Spiderwort)

Commeliniaceae - 3 petals; alternate, entire leaves.

thumbnail image
5Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' (Crocus)

Iridaceae

thumbnail image
6Fritillaria persica (Persian Fritillary)

Liliaceae

thumbnail image
7Lilium henryi (Henry's Lily)

Liliaceae

thumbnail image
8Erythronium 'Pagoda' (Dog's Tooth Violet)

Liliaceae

thumbnail image
9Colchicum 'Lilac Wonder' (Autumn Crocus)

Colchicaceae

thumbnail image
10Aloe broomii (Aloe)

Xanthorrhoeaceae

thumbnail image
11Asphodeline lutea (Yellow Asphodel)

Xanthorrhoeaceae

thumbnail image
12Eremurus 'Oase' (Foxtail Lily)

Xanthorrhoeaceae

thumbnail image
13Eremurus 'Romance' (Foxtail Lily)

Xanthorrhoeaceae

thumbnail image
14Agave parryi (Mescal)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
15Camassia cusickii 'Zwanenburg' (Cusick's Quamash)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
16Scilla luciliae (Glory-of-the-Snow )

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
17Cordyline fruticosa 'Lita' (Ti Plant)

Asparagaceae: Tropical plant

thumbnail image
18Hesperaloe parviflora (Red Yucca)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
19Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' (Grape Hyacinth)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
20Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon's Seal)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
21Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica (Striped Squill)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
22Yucca baileyi (Navajo Yucca)

Asparagaceae

thumbnail image
23Allium christophii (Star of Persia)

Amaryllidaceae

thumbnail image
24Eucrosia morleyana

Amaryllidaceae

thumbnail image
25Galanthus elwesii (Giant Snowdrop)

Amaryllidaceae

thumbnail image
26Narcissus 'Barrett Browning' (Daffodil)

Amaryllidaceae

thumbnail image
27Anthurium andraeanum 'Florida' (Flamingo Flower)

Araceae: Flower is a spathe & spadix

thumbnail image
28Angelica acutiloba

Apiaceae

thumbnail image
29Astrantia major 'Alba' (Masterwort)

Apiaceae

thumbnail image
30Seseli gummiferum (Moon Carrot)

Apiaceae

thumbnail image
31Amsonia tabernaemontana (Texas Star)

Apocynaceae

thumbnail image
32Hoya macgillivrayi (Hoya)

Apocynaceae: Tropical

thumbnail image
33Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' (White Sage)

Asteraceae

thumbnail image
34Berlandiera lyrata (Green-Eyes)

Asteraceae

thumbnail image
35Erigeron compositus (Fernleaf Fleabane)

Asteraceae

thumbnail image
36Gaillardia aristata (Blanket Flower)

Asteraceae

thumbnail image
37Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' (Goldenrod)

Asteraceae

thumbnail image
38Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss)

Boraginaceae

thumbnail image
39Echium russicum compact form (Red Feathers)

Boraginaceae

thumbnail image
40Glandora oleifolia (Olive-leaved Gromwell)

Boraginaceae

thumbnail image
41Pulmonaria officinalis 'Sissinghurst White' (Lungwort)

Boraginaceae

thumbnail image
42Aethionema grandiflorum (Persian Stonecress)

Brassicaceae

thumbnail image
43Alyssoides utriculata (Bladderpod)

Brassicaceae

thumbnail image
44Crambe cordifolia (Colewort)

Brassicaceae

thumbnail image
45Campanula betulifolia (Birch Leaved Bellflower)

Campanulaceae

thumbnail image
46Amorpha canescens (Lead Plant)

Fabaceae

thumbnail image
47Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)

Fabaceae

thumbnail image
48Lamium album (White Dead Nettle)

Lamiaceae

thumbnail image
49Glaucium corniculatum (Red Horned Poppy)

Papaveraceae

thumbnail image
50Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Veronica)

Plantaginaceae

thumbnail image
51Digitalis grandiflora (Yellow Foxglove)

Plantaginaceae

thumbnail image
52Penstemon 'Dark Towers' (Penstemon)

Plantaginaceae

thumbnail image
53Ipomopsis rubra (Standing Cypress)

Polemoniaceae

thumbnail image
54Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine)

Ranunculaceae

thumbnail image
55Bergenia crassifolia (Siberian Tea)

Saxifragaceae

thumbnail image
56Mukdenia rossii (Mukdenia)

Saxifragaceae

thumbnail image