Source-Backed Plant Care
Make better choices for every part of your yard
Plant guides, side-by-side comparisons, and yard planning tools, with material claims traced to university extension and botanical-garden sources.
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Find the right plants for your yard, kitchen, or windowsill.
Featured Plants
Popular picks across every category — from low-maintenance houseplants to productive vegetable varieties.
Wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina, also sold as inch plant or wandering dude, makes trailing…
St. Augustine
Stenotaphrum secundatum
St. Augustinegrass forms a broad-bladed warm-season lawn from sod, plugs or…
Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Brussels sprouts are not a quick brassica with many tiny heads.
Baby Rubber Plant
Peperomia obtusifolia
Baby Rubber Plant is a compact Peperomia with glossy, water-storing leaves and…
Alocasia Dragon Scale
Alocasia baginda 'Dragon Scale'
Alocasia Dragon Scale has thick, quilted-looking leaves with dark veins.
Ti Plant
Cordyline fruticosa
Ti Plant grows broad red, pink, purple, or green leaves in crowns at the tops…
Scindapsus Treubii
Scindapsus treubii
Scindapsus treubii is a slow wet-tropical climber with thick glossy leaves.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Eastern redbud is a small North American tree with pea-like flowers that open…
Why Trust KnowTheYard
How Every Guide Is Made
We follow a three-step editorial process that puts accuracy above everything else.
Research & Source
Every guide starts with peer-reviewed studies, university extension publications, and documented growing data — not opinions or anecdotes.
Write & Verify
Each guide is drafted around what a gardener can observe and act on, then every material claim is cross-referenced against the published sources it cites.
Editorial Review
An editor checks structure, claim wording, safety limits, and labels before publication, and sends any claim the sources do not carry back for evidence.
Practical Guides
Practical how-to guides across every aspect of yard care.
Latest Guides
Step-by-step instructions from seed to harvest, lawn to landscape.
Best Yellow Flowers for Color From Spring to Fall
The best yellow flowers can carry a garden from early daffodils and forsythia…
9 min read
Take a Fifth of a Rosemary, and Never the Bare Wood
Two numbers decide most of what happens to a rosemary bush.
11 min read
Best Ground Cover Plants for Sun, Shade, and Slopes
The best ground cover is a plant that survives the site and performs the job…
18 min read
Where Do Lawn Grubs Come From? The Beetle Cycle Behind Them
Lawn grubs come from eggs that adult scarab beetles lay in the soil under turf…
8 min readPlant Comparisons
Side-by-side breakdowns to help you choose the right plant for your yard.
Holly vs Boxwood
Boxwood and small-leaved hollies can both form low, clipped hedges.
Morning Sun vs Afternoon Sun
Morning sun gives direct light while air and surfaces are cooler, which often…
Rosemary vs Thyme
Common thyme usually fits a smaller herb bed and tolerates colder winters than…
Bermuda Grass vs Tall Fescue
Bermuda grass is usually the stronger fit for a hot, sunny lawn with frequent…
Fall Gardening
What to Do in Your Yard Right Now
Plant Fall Crops
Lettuce, spinach, kale, and radishes thrive in cooler fall temperatures.
Plant Trees & Shrubs
Fall planting gives roots time to establish before winter dormancy sets in.
Add Compost to Beds
Top-dress garden beds with compost now so nutrients break down over winter.
Plant Spring Bulbs
Tulips, daffodils, and crocuses need cold exposure — plant 6 weeks before hard frost.
Common Plant Problems
Diagnose issues and get solutions backed by research.
Powdery Mildew on Cucumber
Powdery mildew on Cucumber forms expanding white colonies on older leaves, then…
Squash Vine Borer on Zucchini
A zucchini vine that wilts in the morning and leaks moist greenish or orange…
Aloe Vera Brown Spots
Brown spots on Aloe Vera come from opposite causes that print the same color…
Rhododendron Bud Blast
True rhododendron bud blast leaves brown flower buds attached and later covers…
Yard Planning Tools
Interactive tools to help you plan, compare, and find the right plants.
Who Is Accountable
Every guide is published by the KnowTheYard Editorial Team, with its sources listed on the page and a date when the page last changed.
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