Plant Orders

Explore 50 plant orders — the broadest level of plant classification. Orders group related families that share fundamental evolutionary characteristics, from flower symmetry to seed structure.

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Alismatales

4976 plants
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Apiales

6004 plants
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Aquifoliales

578 plants
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Araucariales

231 plants
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Arecales

2550 plants
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Asparagales

41054 plants
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Asterales

37395 plants

The daisy and sunflower order. Asteraceae is the largest family of flowering plants with over 32,000 species. Includes lettuce, artichoke, …
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Boraginales

2095 plants
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Brassicales

5257 plants
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Canellales

118 plants
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Caryophyllales

12606 plants

The carnation order, including cacti, beets, spinach, and carnivorous plants like sundews and Venus flytraps. Highly diverse in arid environments. …
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Celastrales

1357 plants
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Chloranthales

73 plants
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Commelinales

942 plants
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Cornales

678 plants
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Cucurbitales

3245 plants
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Cupressales

200 plants
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Cycadales

381 plants
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Dioscoreales

897 plants
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Dipsacales

1119 plants
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Ephedrales

74 plants
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Ericales

13499 plants
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Fabales

24252 plants

The legume order, containing nitrogen-fixing plants critical to agriculture. Includes beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts. The Fabaceae family alone has …
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Fagales

1614 plants
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Gentianales

23295 plants

An order including coffee, gardenia, and periwinkle. Contains the Rubiaceae family (coffee, quinine) and Apocynaceae family (oleander, plumeria). Over 17,000 …
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Geraniales

819 plants
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Ginkgoales

1 plants
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Gnetales

44 plants
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Lamiales

27710 plants

An order of mint, olive, and lavender relatives. Includes many aromatic herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano) and ornamental plants (snapdragon, …
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Laurales

3738 plants
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Liliales

1807 plants
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Magnoliales

3531 plants
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Malpighiales

18234 plants

One of the largest orders of flowering plants with about 16,000 species. Includes willows, violets, passion flowers, flax, coca, and …
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Malvales

7462 plants
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Myrtales

15169 plants

An order including myrtles, eucalyptus, cloves, and pomegranate. Eucalyptus dominates Australian forests. Contains many aromatic and timber species.
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Nymphaeales

108 plants
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Oxalidales

2051 plants
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Pandanales

1522 plants
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Pinales

274 plants
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Piperales

4636 plants
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Poales

24839 plants

The grass order, including cereals (wheat, rice, corn), bamboo, and sedges. Grasses cover about 40% of Earth's land surface. Contains …
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Proteales

1862 plants
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Ranunculales

6057 plants
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Rosales

10883 plants

An order of flowering plants including roses, elms, figs, and hemp. Contains about 7,700 species across 9 families. Economically important …
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Santalales

2427 plants
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Sapindales

6890 plants

The maple and citrus order. Includes citrus fruits, maples, cashews, mangoes, frankincense, and mahogany. Important for fruits, timber, and spices.
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Saxifragales

2965 plants
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Solanales

4812 plants
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Welwitschiales

1 plants
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Zingiberales

2937 plants