Do you want to improve your plant knowledge? This article is going to help you discover 12 plants that start with the letter W. There is a range of plants in this article from shrubs, fruit, flowers, trees and much more!
Wall Germander (Teucrium Chanaedry)
The wall germander plant is a type of clump forming shrubby plant. This plant is part of the mint family therefore it is commonly grown for its aromatic foliage.
The wall germander is an old fashioned plant that not a lot of people bother with, as there are other plants to choose from. However, this type of plant is a literal bee magnet, so ideal if you want more bees in your garden.
The appearance of this plant is very simple, with shiny dark green leaves. These leaves have toothed edges and provide you with the pleasant aroma.
You will notice the smell more when the leaves are crushed in some way. In the summer to early fall, light to dark purple flowers are seen to appear on this plant. The steams can be dried out and used in potpourri, due to its pleasant smell.
Wallflower (Erysimum)
Wallflowers get their name from the fact that they are commonly seen growing out of the cracks or gaps in cement and brick walls. These are a fast growing plant, with blooms that you can see all year round. They are perfect for containers, or any kind of borders.
These are small and delicate looking flowers. Wallflowers are a four petal type of flower that can be seen in various colors such as: purple, blue, red, yellow and orange. These are hardy blooms that grow well as shrubs or as a ground cover. You should plant your wallflower seeds in either the fall or the spring.
Wandflower (Gaura Lindheimeri)
The wandflower, which is also known as the bee blossom, whirling butterfly and gaura. This plant can range from 13 inches to up to 4 feet in height. However, a lot of new varieties of this plant have been bred to be much smaller and better for containers.
This plant blooms for a very long time. Thus you can expect to see blooms from the early summer all the way into the fall. This is another four petal variety of flower, which are normally seen in either white or pink colors.
The stems are known for being wiry and the foliage can also have hints of gold, cream or pink as well, like the petals. It is best to plant wallflower seeds in either the spring or the fall.
Wasabi (Wasabia Japonica)
Wasabi is a very well known ingredient in a lot of cooking. It is also known as Japanese horseradish, this is due to it being served with sushi. Wasabi is used as a spicy or hot seasoning for some foods.
The wasabi plant can be grown at home and it enjoys complete shade. The entire wasabi plant is actually edible. Therefore the stalk of the plant can be ground up to make a wasabi paste and the leaves can be used in salads or smoothies. Alongside this the stem can be used like celery or chives.
This is a very versatile plant, however it does take a serious gardener to grow it. Yet the stalk won’t be ready for harvesting until the second year since planting.
Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes)
As the name suggests, a water lettuce is a pond plant that floats on the water. The leaves of this plant all have parallel veins and deep ribs, alongside scallops edges.
The leaves huddle together to make rosettes that look like lettuce heads. The foliage itself only grows to 6 inches tall, yet the roots of this plant can grow out to 20 inches deep.
You may not see them, but in the late summer and fall, small pale white and green flowers are produced by this plant. However, they become hidden by all the thick leaves. This plant grows very quickly and can become invasive in certain areas. Perfect for ponds, water gardens and indoor and outdoor containers.
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)
During the summer months is the perfect time to grow watermelons. This type of plant is very easy to care for, as all it needs is sun, warmth and water. The plant itself grows very quickly, but it takes 70 to 90 days for the fruits to mature.
There are a range of other species of melon that you can plant, all which take fewer or extra days to grow. It is preferred that you plant the watermelon seeds when the ground is 70 degree Fahrenheit.
If you live in a warmer climate, you can plant the seeds straight into the ground. However, if you live in a colder climate, it is better to start growing your watermelon plants indoors.
Wax Begonias (Begonia Semperflorens)
This is a very small plant that is seen as a desk or household plant. They are very low maintenance, and provide color during the colder months. These plants can be planted outside and are deer resistant. The only maintenance these plants require is the occasional deadheading and pruning to keep them looking attractive.
Wax Begonias have waxy and glossy leaves that can be seen in green, maroon and bronze colors. While the blooms can be seen in red, white and pink colors. A simple yet beautiful looking plant that requires little maintenance.
Weeping Bottlebrush (Melaleuca Viminalis)
The weeping bottlebrush is also described as the red cascade, due to its red blooms and cascading branches. This is a type of fast growing tree, which is covered in green-gray bark. The leaves of this tree are also the same color as the bark, but the leaves themselves are quite narrow.
The blooms look like bristles in a cylindrical formation. The blooms are always red and they can be seen during the spring and summer. Sometimes you may notice the blooms during the fall, but this is a rare occurrence.
The stamens of the blooms are very pronounced, therefore this plant easily attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. While also this plant produces hard, round brown fruits that are ideal for small animals as a food source.
Wheatgrass (Triticum Aestivum)
Wheatgrass is a common type of wheat, which is used to make nutritional food. Once the seeds have sprouted the grass, this is when you harvest your plant, until other wheat where you wait until the end of its life to harvest it.
Once the grass is about 7 inches high, then this is the perfect time to harvest the wheatgrass. This is a very popular health food as it is full of nutrients such as vitamin c, iron and calcium.
It can be eaten in salads or used in healthy drinks such as smoothies. This plant is easy to grow. You can grow it outside in raised beds, but you’ll find most people choose to grow it indoors.
White Ash (Fraxinus Americana)
White ash is a very common tree and wood that is used to make many different items. The white ash tree is native to the eastern areas of North America. Early fall is the ideal time to plant your white ash plant. The leaves of this tree are a deep green color, but the underside of the leaves are pale in color.
This color changes in the fall to a purple, red or yellow color. The bark of this tree is a gray color. They can be seen in hardwood forests or for landscape purposes. They prefer a lot of sunlight and moist soil to survive.
White Batflower (Tacca Integrifolia)
A white batflower plant looks like any other plant, until the flower begins to bloom. This plant makes an impression when you look at it. You can grow this plant indoors, however it may be difficult to find a source of this type of plant.
Once this plant begins to bloom, clusters of purple flowers are made visible. Yet below these interesting looking flowers hangs extremely long bracts that can be around a foot long.
Above the purple flowers you will notice two white wide flared bracts that almost look like flower petals. The white bracts are seen to look like bat wings and help give this plant their name. This plant will normally bloom between spring to early fall.
Winged Spindle Tree (Euonymus Alatus)
The winged spindle tree is native to Asia but has become increasingly popular in North America for landscapes. The is a type of shrub that is best planted during the spring or fall. This is a dense, rounded and multi stemmed shrub that has deep red foliage.
You will notice small green-yellow flowers during the spring. While in the fall, orange to red colored berries are produced that add some decoration to your garden during the colder months.
The striking colors of this plant is what gardners love. They can tolerate most soil conditions, however this plant can easily take over your garden, if you don’t keep it contained.
Summary
There is a huge variety of plants out there. In this article we have given you 12 plants that begin with the letter W. Hence now you can recognise more plants and know how to grow them.
Plants have always been a big interest of mine, and I’ve always wanted to learn more about the different types of species. I have gained a vast knowledge of the subject over the years, and I have decided to share this information with others.
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