Plants That Start With S

181 plants Animals and nature Checked 9 Oct 2026

Here are 181 plants that start with S, each with a one-line description so you can tell what it is. The best-known ones come first, then the full list in A to Z order.

S is the richest plant letter on the site, with 181 names. Food crops are everywhere: spinach, squash, strawberry, sesame, soybean and sugarcane. Sage and spearmint lead the herbs, and stevia is a plant used for sweetening.

Sweet and summer are the key prefixes, with sweet corn, sweet potato, sweet basil and summer squash. The sequoia, spruce and sycamore stand tall among the trees. Houseplant names like snake plant, spider plant and stone plant are popular with kids. The smoke tree is a fun rare find.

Plants starting with S: 181
Best known: sage, strawberry
Longest name: scarlet strawberry

Best-known plants that start with S

The ones most people will recognise, good for school lists, quizzes and games.

sage
strawberry
squash
spinach
sesame
spruce
soybean
succulent
sugarcane
sycamore
shamrock
sorghum
spider plant
sweet corn
sweet potato
sorrel
sagebrush
stevia
sugar maple
sweet basil
summer squash
snow pea
sweet pea
silver birch
sequoia
snake plant
spearmint

All plants that start with S

#	Name	What it is
1	sage	any of various plants of the genus Salvia; a cosmopolitan herb
2	sage willow	willow shrub of dry places in the eastern United States having long narrow leaves canescent beneath
3	sagebrush	any of several North American composite subshrubs of the genera Artemis or Seriphidium
4	salt tree	spiny shrub of the Caspian salt plains and Siberia having elegant silvery, downy young foliage and mildly fragrant...
5	salvia	any of various plants of the genus Salvia; a cosmopolitan herb
6	sand cherry	small straggling American cherry growing on sandy soil and having minute scarcely edible purplish-black fruit
7	sand myrtle	low-growing evergreen shrub of New Jersey to Florida grown for its many white star-shaped flowers and glossy foliage
8	sand sage	silver-haired shrub of central and southern United States and Mexico; a troublesome weed on rangelands
9	sapphire berry	deciduous shrub of eastern Asia bearing decorative bright blue fruit
10	satin flower	southeastern European plant cultivated for its fragrant purplish flowers and round flat papery silver-white seedpods...
11	satin leaf	tropical American timber tree with dark hard heavy wood and small plumlike purple fruit
12	savory	any of several aromatic herbs or subshrubs of the genus Satureja having spikes of flowers attractive to bees
13	scale fern	small European fern with chaffy leathery fronds
14	scarlet bush	handsome shrub with showy orange to scarlet or crimson flowers; Florida and West Indies to Mexico and Brazil
15	scarlet maple	maple of eastern and central America; five-lobed leaves turn scarlet and yellow in autumn
16	scarlet oak	medium-large deciduous tree with a thick trunk found in the eastern United States and southern Canada and having...
17	scarlet runner	hairy trailing or prostrate western Australian vine with bright scarlet-pink flowers
18	scarlet strawberry	North American wild strawberry with sweet scarlet fruit; a source of many cultivated strawberries
19	scented fern	fern of eastern North America with pale green fronds and an aroma like hay
20	screw bean	shrub or small tree of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico having spirally twisted pods
21	screw pine	any of various Old World tropical palmlike trees having huge prop roots and edible conelike fruits and leaves like...
22	scrub oak	any of various chiefly American small shrubby oaks often a dominant form on thin dry soils sometimes forming dense...
23	scrub pine	common small shrubby pine of the eastern United States having straggling often twisted or branches and short needles in...
24	sea ash	small deciduous aromatic shrub (or tree) having spiny branches and yellowish flowers; eastern North America
25	sea holly	widely cultivated southern European acanthus with whitish purple-veined flowers
26	sea kale	perennial of coastal sands and shingles of northern Europe and Baltic and Black Seas having racemes of small white...
27	sea lavender	any of various plants of the genus Limonium of temperate salt marshes having spikes of white or mauve flowers
28	sea pea	wild pea of seashores of north temperate zone having tough roots and purple flowers and useful as a sand binder
29	sea pink	tufted thrift of seacoasts and mountains of north temperate zone; occasionally grown as a ground cover
30	self-heal	decumbent blue-flowered European perennial thought to possess healing properties; naturalized throughout North America
31	senna	any of various plants of the genus Senna having pinnately compound leaves and showy usually yellow flowers
32	sensitive fern	beautiful spreading fern of eastern North America and eastern Asia naturalized in western Europe
33	sensitive pea	tropical American plant having leaflets somewhat sensitive to the touch; sometimes placed in genus Cassia
34	sensitive plant	prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia
35	sequoia	giant evergreen conifer with massive reddish trunk
36	serpent fern	tropical American fern with brown scaly rhizomes cultivated for its large deeply lobed deep bluish-green fronds
37	service tree	any of various North American trees or shrubs having showy white flowers and edible blue-black or purplish fruit
38	sesame	East Indian annual erect herb; source of sesame seed or benniseed and sesame oil
39	shamrock	creeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves
40	she-oak	any of several Australian trees of the genus Casuarina
41	sheep laurel	North American dwarf shrub resembling mountain laurel but having narrower leaves and small red flowers
42	shell bean	a bean plant grown primarily for its edible seed rather than its pod
43	shell ginger	cultivated for its shining oblong leaves and arching clusters of white flowers with pink shading and crinkled yellow...
44	shield fern	any of various ferns of the genera Dryopteris or Polystichum or Lastreopsis having somewhat shield-shaped coverings on...
45	shining willow	common North American shrub with shiny lanceolate leaves
46	shore pine	shrubby two-needled pine of coastal northwestern United States; red to yellow-brown bark fissured into small squares
47	silk oak	any of several Australian timber trees having usually fernlike foliage and mottled wood used in cabinetry and veneering
48	silk tree	attractive domed or flat-topped Asiatic tree having bipinnate leaves and flowers with long silky stamens
49	silk vine	deciduous climber for arches and fences having ill-scented but interesting flowers and poisonous yellow fruits
50	silky elm	large tree of Australasia
51	silky oak	medium to tall fast-growing tree with orange flowers and feathery bipinnate leaves silky-hairy beneath
52	silky willow	small shrubby tree of western North America (Alaska to Oregon)
53	silver ash	any of various timber trees of the genus Flindersia
54	silver beech	New Zealand beech with usually pale silvery bark
55	silver bell	any of various deciduous trees of the genus Halesia having white bell-shaped flowers
56	silver berry	deciduous unarmed North American shrub with silvery leaves and fruits
57	silver birch	European birch with silvery white peeling bark and markedly drooping branches
58	silver dollar	southeastern European plant cultivated for its fragrant purplish flowers and round flat papery silver-white seedpods...
59	silver fern	fern of southern tropical Africa having fronds with white undersides
60	silver fir	any of various true firs having leaves white or silvery white beneath
61	silver grass	of Australia and New Zealand
62	silver lime	large tree native to eastern Europe and Asia Minor having leaves with white tomentum on the under side
63	silver linden	large tree native to eastern Europe and Asia Minor having leaves with white tomentum on the under side
64	silver maple	a common North American maple tree
65	silver oak	small slender tree with usually entire grey-green pendulous leaves and white or cream-colored flowers
66	silver pine	tall pine of western North America with stout blue-green needles; bark is grey-brown with rectangular plates when mature
67	silver sage	low much-branched perennial of western United States having silvery leaves; an important browse and shelter plant
68	silver spruce	tall spruce with blue-green needles and dense conic crown
69	silver tree	small South African tree with long silvery silky foliage
70	silver vine	ornamental vine of eastern Asia having yellow edible fruit and leaves with silver-white markings
71	silver willow	North American willow with greyish silky pubescent leaves that usually blacken in drying
72	slippery elm	North American elm having rough leaves that are red when opening; yields a hard wood
73	smoke bush	any of various shrubs of the genus Conospermum with panicles of mostly white woolly flowers
74	smoke tree	greyish-green shrub of desert regions of southwestern United States and Mexico having sparse foliage and terminal...
75	snail flower	perennial tropical American vine cultivated for its racemes of showy yellow and purple flowers having the corolla keel...
76	snake fern	tropical fern widespread in Old World; naturalized in Jamaica and Florida
77	snake plant	hardy houseplant with stiff upright sword-shaped leaves
78	snap pea	variety of pea plant producing peas having crisp rounded edible pods
79	snow gum	small to medium-sized tree of Australia and Tasmania having smooth white to light-grey bark shedding in patches or...
80	snow pea	variety of pea plant producing peas having thin flat edible pods
81	soap tree	tall arborescent yucca of southwestern United States
82	soft wheat	wheat with soft starch kernels used in pastry and breakfast cereals
83	sorghum	economically important Old World tropical cereal grass
84	sorrel	East Indian sparsely prickly annual herb or perennial subshrub widely cultivated for its fleshy calyxes used in tarts...
85	sour cherry	Australian tree with sour red fruit
86	sour dock	European sorrel with large slightly acidic sagittate leaves grown throughout north temperate zone for salad and spring...
87	sour fig	low-growing South African succulent plant having a capsular fruit containing edible pulp
88	sour gum	columnar tree of eastern North America having horizontal limbs and small leaves that emerge late in spring and have...
89	sour orange	any of various common orange trees yielding sour or bitter fruit; used as grafting stock
90	southern beech	any of various beeches of the southern hemisphere having small usually evergreen leaves
91	southern magnolia	evergreen tree of southern United States having large stiff glossy leaves and huge white sweet-smelling flowers
92	sow thistle	any of several Old World coarse prickly-leaved shrubs and subshrubs having milky juice and yellow flowers
93	soybean	erect bushy hairy annual herb having trifoliate leaves and purple to pink flowers
94	spaghetti squash	squash plant bearing oval fruit with smooth yellowish skin and tender stranded flesh resembling spaghetti
95	spearmint	common garden mint used to flavor food and gum
96	spelt	hardy wheat grown mostly in Europe for livestock feed
97	spice bush	deciduous shrub of the eastern United States having highly aromatic leaves and bark and yellow flowers followed by...
98	spice tree	Pacific coast tree having aromatic foliage and small umbellate flowers followed by olivelike fruit
99	spider brake	Asiatic fern introduced in America
100	spider fern	fern of North Africa and Azores and Canary Islands
101	spider flower	native to South America but naturalized in warm parts of United States
102	spider plant	native to South America but naturalized in warm parts of United States
103	spike heath	small evergreen mat-forming shrub of southern Europe and Asia Minor having stiff stems and terminal clusters of small...
104	spike lavender	Mediterranean plant with pale purple flowers that yields spike lavender oil
105	spinach	southwestern Asian plant widely cultivated for its succulent edible dark green leaves
106	spotted gum	large gum tree with mottled bark
107	spring heath	dwarf European shrub with very early blooming bell-shaped red flowers
108	spruce	any coniferous tree of the genus Picea
109	spruce pine	large two-needled pine of southeastern United States with light soft wood
110	squash	any of numerous annual trailing plants of the genus Cucurbita grown for their fleshy edible fruits
111	squash vine	any of numerous annual trailing plants of the genus Cucurbita grown for their fleshy edible fruits
112	squirrel corn	American plant with cream-colored flowers and tuberous roots resembling kernels of corn
113	staff tree	any small tree or twining shrub of the genus Celastrus
114	star apple	evergreen tree of West Indies and Central America having edible purple fruit star-shaped in cross section and dark...
115	star grass	trailing grass native to Europe now cosmopolitan in warm regions
116	star jasmine	evergreen Chinese woody climber with shiny dark green leaves and intensely fragrant white flowers
117	star magnolia	deciduous shrubby magnolia from Japan having fragrant white starlike flowers blooming before leaves unfold
118	star-thistle	Mediterranean annual or biennial herb having pinkish to purple flowers surrounded by spine-tipped scales
119	stem lettuce	lettuce valued especially for its edible stems
120	stevia	any plant of the genus Stevia or the closely related genus Piqueria having glutinous foliage and white or purplish...
121	stone parsley	a slender roadside herb of western Europe and Mediterranean areas that has foliage resembling parsley and has white...
122	stone pine	medium-sized two-needled pine of southern Europe having a spreading crown
123	stone plant	any plant of the genus Lithops native to Africa having solitary yellow or white flowers and thick leaves that resemble...
124	stone root	erect perennial strong-scented with serrate pointed leaves and a loose panicle of yellowish flowers
125	strap fern	fern with long narrow strap-shaped leaves
126	strawberry	any of various low perennial herbs with many runners and bearing white flowers followed by edible fruits having many...
127	strawberry bush	hardy shrub of southeastern United States having clove-scented wood and fragrant red-brown flowers
128	strawberry tomato	stout hairy annual of eastern North America with sweet yellow fruits
129	strawberry tree	small evergreen European shrubby tree bearing many-seeded scarlet berries that are edible but bland
130	striped maple	maple of eastern North America with striped bark and large two-lobed leaves clear yellow in autumn
131	striped violet	leafy-stemmed violet of eastern North America having large white or creamy flowers faintly marked with purple
132	succulent	a plant adapted to arid conditions and characterized by fleshy water-storing tissues that act as water reservoirs
133	sugar maple	maple of eastern and central North America having three-lobed to five-lobed leaves and hard close-grained wood much...
134	sugar palm	Malaysian feather palm with base densely clothed with fibers; yields a sweet sap used in wine and trunk pith yields sago
135	sugar pea	variety of pea plant producing peas having thin flat edible pods
136	sugarcane	tall tropical southeast Asian grass having stout fibrous jointed stalks; sap is a chief source of sugar
137	summer cypress	densely branched Eurasian plant; foliage turns purple-red in autumn
138	summer squash	any of various usually bushy plants producing fruit that is eaten while immature and before the rind or seeds harden
139	summer sweet	shrub of eastern and southern coastal United States having beautiful racemes of spice-scented white flowers
140	sun pitcher	any of several herbs of Guiana highlands having racemes of nodding white or pink flowers
141	sun rose	any plant of the genus Helianthemum; vigorous plants of stony alpine meadows and dry scrub regions
142	swamp ash	small ash of swampy areas of southeastern United States
143	swamp bay	shrub or small tree having rather small fragrant white flowers; abundant in southeastern United States
144	swamp birch	birch of western United States resembling the paper birch but having brownish bark
145	swamp blueberry	high-growing deciduous shrub of eastern North America bearing edible blueish to blackish berries with a distinct bloom
146	swamp candles	North American plant with spikes of yellow flowers, found in wet places
147	swamp gum	medium-sized tree of southern Australia
148	swamp laurel	shrub or small tree having rather small fragrant white flowers; abundant in southeastern United States
149	swamp maple	maple of eastern and central America; five-lobed leaves turn scarlet and yellow in autumn
150	swamp oak	fast-growing medium to large pyramidal deciduous tree of northeastern United States and southeastern Canada having...
151	swamp pine	any of several pines that prefer or endure moist situations such as loblolly pine or longleaf pine
152	swamp willow	North American shrubby willow having dark bark and linear leaves growing close to streams and lakes
153	swede	a cruciferous plant with a thick bulbous edible yellow root
154	sweet almond	small bushy deciduous tree native to Asia and North Africa having pretty pink blossoms and highly prized edible nuts...
155	sweet balm	bushy perennial Old World mint having small white or yellowish flowers and fragrant lemon-flavored leaves
156	sweet basil	annual or perennial of tropical Asia having spikes of small white flowers and aromatic leaves
157	sweet bay	shrub or small tree having rather small fragrant white flowers; abundant in southeastern United States
158	sweet bells	bushy deciduous shrub of the eastern United States with long racemes of pinkish flowers
159	sweet birch	common birch of the eastern United States having spicy brown bark yielding a volatile oil and hard dark wood used for...
160	sweet cherry	large Eurasian tree producing small dark bitter fruit in the wild but edible sweet fruit under cultivation
161	sweet chestnut	wild or cultivated throughout southern Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia
162	sweet corn	a corn plant developed in order to have young ears that are sweet and suitable for eating
163	sweet elder	common elder of central and eastern North America bearing purple-black berries; fruit used in wines and jellies
164	sweet fern	deciduous shrub of eastern North America with sweet scented fernlike leaves and tiny white flowers
165	sweet gale	bog shrub of north temperate zone having bitter-tasting fragrant leaves
166	sweet grass	any of several moisture-loving grasses of the genus Glyceria having sweet flavor or odor
167	sweet gum	a North American tree of the genus Liquidambar having prickly spherical fruit clusters and fragrant sap
168	sweet lemon	lemon tree having fruit with a somewhat insipid sweetish pulp
169	sweet lime	lemon tree having fruit with a somewhat insipid sweetish pulp
170	sweet melon	any of several varieties of vine whose fruit has a netted rind and edible flesh and a musky smell
171	sweet orange	probably native to southern China; widely cultivated as source of table and juice oranges
172	sweet pea	climbing garden plant having fragrant pastel-colored flowers
173	sweet pepper	plant bearing large mild thick-walled usually bell-shaped fruits; the principal salad peppers
174	sweet potato	pantropical vine widely cultivated in several varieties for its large sweet tuberous root with orange flesh
175	sweet violet	European violet typically having purple to white flowers; widely naturalized
176	switch cane	small cane of watery or moist areas in southern United States
177	switch grass	grass of western America used for hay
178	sword bean	twining tropical Old World plant bearing long pods usually with red or brown beans; long cultivated in Orient for food
179	sword fern	any of several tropical ferns having more or less sword-shaped fronds including one from which the Boston fern developed
180	sword grass	any of various grasses or sedges having sword-shaped leaves with sharp edges
181	sycamore	any of several trees of the genus Platanus having thin pale bark that scales off in small plates and lobed leaves and...

Short plants with S

sage
spelt
swede
senna

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Questions people ask

How many plants start with S?

This list has 181 plants starting with S, from well-known ones like sage, strawberry, squash to rarer kinds.

What plants start with S?

Well-known examples are sage, strawberry, squash, spinach, sesame, spruce, soybean, succulent.

Source: Princeton WordNet, a public dictionary database, reviewed by our editors to keep only clear, real members of the list. Meanings are short dictionary glosses.

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