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Plants that start with S

The most well-known plants and fungi, listed by their common names.

Showing 1-20 of 37

Sis forSage

Sage is a shrub originally from the Mediterranean region. It has pale greyish furry leaves, and grows all year around. Is used to flavour fatty meat dishes, and as an ingredient in sausages in some countries. It is very commonly used with onions as stuffing for chicken or pork.
Salvation Jane, also known as Patterson's curse or Viper's Bugloss, was a garden plant in Europe but once introduced to Australia it became one of the worst weeds in the country. It grows to about 60cm tall and has purple flowers. It is toxic and can kill some animals like sheep and horses if they eat too much of it.

Sis forSap

Sap is the thick, sticky fluid that is inside tree branches and stems. You can't see it until the plant is damaged in some way, like having a branch cut off or some kind of insect bores a hole into it.
Many kinds of sap are sweet and are eaten by birds and insects. People collect the sap from maple trees to make maple syrup. Latex is made from sap as well.

Sis forScallion

A scallion, also called a green onion or spring onion, is a type of onion that doesn't have a large bulb at the bottom and is grown for its leaves and stems. They are commonly used in stir-fries and salads.

Sis forSeaweed

Seaweed is the common name for any very large kinds of algae that grow in the sea. Seaweed comes in all shapes and sizes, but the majority is long and thin and strap-like.
Some kinds of seaweed are edible, and can be used raw or cooked in soups or in sushi.

Sis forSeed

Baby plants grow from seeds. If you bury a seed in soil and keep it moist, after a few days it will crack open and grow. Roots grow first from the seed, then the leaves. The seeds in the picture are sunflower seeds, just beginning to sprout.
Sesame seeds are the seeds of a plant from Africa and India that grows to about a metre high. The seeds can be pressed to extract the oil but are used most often sprinkled on other foods as a flavour and garnish. You often see them stuck to the top of loaves of bread.
The sesame seeds in the picture are on top of some cooked spinach.

Sis forShallot

Shallots, also called eschallots, are a type of onion, but with a sweeter and milder flavour. Like garlic, they grow in clusters that can be separated.

Sis forShrub

Shrubs, sometimes called bushes, are small trees that branch from near the ground instead of having a long, bare trunk. Shrubs are often grown in people's gardens.
Silverbeet is a vegetable better known as chard in many countries.
Snake plant is also called viper's bowstring hemp, mother-in-law's tongue or Saint George's sword. It is a very hardy plant, and spreads by growing below the ground and then sending up new leaves.
Snapdragons are an old-fashioned flower. The flower can be squeezed to make it open like a dragon's mouth, which is why they are called snapdragons.
They should be planted in well-drained soil in full sun. They can be planted at any time of year, and take about 8-10 weeks to flower. They come in a big range of colours, but shades of pink and white are most common.

Sis forSorghum

Sorghum is a type of grass that is grown for its seeds for food and also for fiber to make things from. It is grown mainly in Africa, and is used both for human and animal food. It can be popped like popcorn and can be made into couscous.

Sis forSoursop

Soursop is a tropical found in warm places like South and Central America and South Asia. It is also called graviola. The fruit is oval and has green, bumpy skin, with soft white or pale yellow flesh inside.

Sis forSoybean

Soybeans, or soya beans are a type of legume that are used for many, many purposes. Soy beans can be used to make soy sauce, tofu, soy milk and a great many other things. They can also be cooked and eaten when they are still green and fresh. Soy beans must be cooked before they can be eaten.
Soy beans contain protein that is close to exactly what humans need, and are a great food source for vegetarians.
Spider plants are a very common, easy to grow plant. They will grow in a wide range of conditions, and will grow indoors too. They can remove air pollution from inside your house or office. New spider plants are easy to grow by pinning down into some soil the baby plants that grow on the end of long spikes on the adult plant, and then cutting them off when they have roots.

Sis forSpinach

Spinach is an edible green leafy plant that grows to about a foot tall. It is from Nepal and southeast Asia. Spinach can survive very severe frosts.
It is usually eaten cooked, on its own or with other food. Spinach goes well with cheese and garlic.

Sis forSpinifex

Spinifex is the common name for a type of tussocky grass that grows in arid regions of Australia. It has very sharp leaves.
As spinifex ages it grows outwards and dies in the centre and will form a circle that can be several metres across.

Sis forSpore

Spores are the way some bacteria, fungi, ferns and algae reproduce. One spore can grow into a whole new organism.
Spores are similar to seeds but they only need one parent not a male and a female parent like is needed to make seeds. Spores are also much smaller than seeds and do not have food reserves inside them.

Sis forSprig

A sprig is a small part of a plant, with some leaves, flowers or both attached.