ornamentales

Ornamentales, or ornamental plants, are plants grown primarily for their aesthetic value rather than for food, medicine, or industrial use. The term is common in horticulture and landscaping and describes species and cultivars cultivated for beauty—such as flowers, foliage, form, or fragrance—rather than for edible or utilitarian purposes. In some contexts, ornamentales is the term used in other languages to denote ornamental plants, a broad category that includes many botanical groups.

Ornamentales include herbaceous perennials and annuals, bulbs, shrubs, trees, and ornamental grasses. They vary in habit and form, from cascading ground covers to upright specimens, and from highly floriferous to striking for their foliage or bark. Traits emphasized in selection include color, texture, size, fragrance, flowering duration, and seasonality, as well as tolerance to light, soil, and drought. They are used in private gardens, public parks, street plantings, and interior landscapes to create interest, mood, and structure.

Growers and breeders produce ornamentales through seed, cuttings, grafting, and tissue culture. The sector supports nurseries, garden centers, and landscaping firms and plays a key role in plant design, education, and tourism. While ornamentals are not food crops, they can include edible ornamental plants or species valued for ornament and fruit, and sustainable practices emphasize native or well-adapted species and pollinator-friendly choices.