What information should I save when researching a plant for my garden?

Make one research card per plant, and separate what you observe in your garden from what a reference says. Start with the plant’s common name, botanical name if available, variety or cultivar if known, and how certain you are about the identification. Then note the planned garden location and the conditions you can observe there.

For a tree or shrub, useful site fields include soil type and drainage, available water, sunlight, exposure to drying winds, and local microclimate. These are among the factors UMN Extension identifies for assessing whether a tree or shrub suits a site; its guidance is specific to trees and shrubs and Minnesota conditions. Matching plant needs to site conditions can support performance and longevity. [S1] For other plant types or locations, use references relevant to that plant and region rather than treating this source as universal.

For every requirement you copy into your notes, attach a source and the date you checked it. That way, “needs full sun” is not an unsupported note: you can see which reference said it and revisit the claim if sources differ.

Use two clearly labeled sections. In “Garden observations,” record what you have noticed or measured, when you observed it, and any uncertainty. In “Plant requirements,” record the reference’s wording or a careful paraphrase, plus its source. Don’t turn a guess about your site into a confirmed condition, or present a general plant description as a precise requirement.

A compact comparison helps:

• Garden condition: “Light at planned spot — [observation and date].”
• Reference claim: “Light requirement — [claim as stated or paraphrased].”
• Check: “[Does this appear to match? What remains uncertain?]”

For a tree or shrub, compare site factors such as soil drainage, water availability, sunlight, drying winds, and microclimate with the plant’s stated needs. UMN Extension describes matching needs to site conditions as helpful for performance and longevity, but its page does not establish a note-taking format or settle the suitability of any particular plant in your garden. [S1]

Save enough detail to find and interpret the reference later: the author or organization, page or publication title, publication or update date if shown, date you accessed it, and the specific claim it supports. Add a page number or section heading when available. If the reference does not show a date, write “no date shown” rather than guessing.

Keep claims separate when they come from different references. If two sources appear to disagree, save both claims and their context; don’t silently combine them into one precise rule. Also note what the source covers. For example, the cited UMN Extension page concerns trees and shrubs in Minnesota, so it should not be presented as universal advice for every plant or region. [S1]

Here is a fictional example using placeholders. It illustrates recordkeeping, not a recommendation about a real plant:

Example card — hypothetical

• Plant: [Example shrub]; identity: [name not verified]
• Planned spot: [location in garden]
• Garden observations: sunlight [observation, date]; soil and drainage [observation, date]; water availability [observation]; wind exposure and microclimate [observation]
• Reference claim: [requirement, paraphrased]
• Source: [organization, title, section, publication date if shown]
• Checked: [date]
• Match or open question: [what seems suitable; what needs checking]

Reusable card

• Plant name / botanical name / variety:
• Identification confidence and how to verify:
• Planned location and region:
• Garden observations, with dates:
• Plant requirements, claim by claim:
• Source for each claim and date checked:
• Differences between sources or unresolved questions:
• Suitability comparison and next information to gather:

For the tree-and-shrub fields, the UMN Extension reference supports recording soil type and drainage, water, sunlight, drying-wind exposure, and microclimate. [S1] The card itself is a practical organizing format, not a template prescribed by that reference.