Plants that start with G

Garlic is a member of the onion family. Garlic is used as a seasoning in many different varieties of food. Garlic is very strong and can make your breath smell bad the day after you eat it. The bulb of the garlic is usually made of several different sections called cloves that can be pulled apart and peeled individually.

It was once thought that garlic warded off vampires.

Scientific name: gazania rigens

Gazanias are a very hardy, low-growing plant originally from South Africa. It grows in very dry climates and in poor soil, and will tolerate frost, drought and coastal conditions. They are often mass planted as a ground cover in dry areas. They have been selectively bred to have flowers in a variety of colours, from white and yellow through to pink, although orange and yellow are the most common.

They are easy to grow from seed, and will self-sow and spread rapidly, so are regarded as a weed in some parts of Australia. They can also be grown from cuttings.

Ginger is a root which is used in cooking. It is used to make gingerbread men, in gravies, stir-fries, curries and cakes. It has a strong, sharp taste.

It can be used as a medicine too, particularly for easing morning sickness, or to aid digestion.

Gooseberries are the fruit of a straggly, thorny bush originally from Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia. It grows in rocky areas, even quite high up cold mountains.

Gourds are a kind of fruiting vine in the pumpkin family. The fruit is dried out and the hard shell is used for many purposes. Gourds can be used as bottles, bowls and to make musical instruments.

Grapefruits are a member of the citrus family, like oranges and lemons, and grows on a similar tree. Grapefruit are large and yellow, but are not as sweet as oranges and have very thick skin, or rind. They come in two main colors, plain yellow with yellow flesh, and 'ruby', with reddish-pink flesh and darker skin. Grapefruits are usually squeezed for juice or cut in half and eaten for breakfast. The grapefruit in the picture are cut up ready for a lot of people to eat them for breakfast.

Grapes are the fruit of the grape vine. Grapes can be black, blue, yellow, red or green. Grapes can be eaten raw, dried into sultanas, made into jam or made into wine. Grapes grow on the vine in bunches.

Grasses are a kind of plant that grows long leaves and stems from ground level without much branching. The way grass grows makes it ideal to use as a lawn. Bamboo is a type of really tall grass.

Grevilleas are a large group of flowering plants found in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. Different types of grevillea grow from very small shrubs to large trees.

There are many different varieties of guava, with different thicknesses of skin and different coloured flesh. Guavas are grown in tropical areas but the adult plants can survive mild frosts. Guava is often made into juice or made into a dessert.