Lawns & Ornamentals

Find links to resources on annuals, perennials, native plants, trees and shrubs, to help you have a more beautiful lawn and home landscape.

Help Choosing Annuals

Find Cornell and other resources that will help you to choose annuals for your soil, climate and shade conditions.

Cool Season grasses and broadleaf weeds in a closeup of a lawn

Sustainable Lawns

Find out how to grow a dense, vigorous lawn that will provide many environmental benefits, in these links, videos and resources from Cornell!

Native Plants

Native plants deserve a place in your garden, and they offer many advantages over non-native species. Find a list of suggested varieties here.

coneflowers and black eyed susans (echinacea & rudbeckia)

Easy Care Perennials

Perennials offer year after year of blooms for your garden, and are a smart investment in your garden. Visit our resources to learn more.

Trees & Shrubs

Ornamental trees and shrubs can enhance the beauty of your home landscaping. Find some suggested varieties here.

Invasive Plants

Many plants that are now considered invasive started out as popular garden ornamentals. Learn more about what plants to avoid in your garden.

Last updated June 18, 2020

Lawns & Ornamentals

Soil Testing

Learn why you should test your soil and how to take a soil sample, on our Soil & Climate pages.

Find Your Zone!

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.

Cornell Garden Based Learning