Got a plant list from an AI chatbot? How to check it

To check a plant list, take each plant in turn and confirm seven things against sources you can trust: its correct botanical name, that your zone is inside its range, that it copes with your summers, that it suits the sun your spot gets, that its mature size fits your bed, whether it is toxic to your pets, and whether it is invasive in your state. Then make sure you can actually buy it. That works for a list from an AI chat assistant, a friend, a magazine, a nursery employee or FloraVista. A plant that fails any of them should come off the list.

AI chat assistants are good at producing plausible lists fast, and many of their suggestions are sensible. But they usually write from patterns in text rather than checking each plant against a database, so names, sizes and zone ranges can come out slightly wrong, and they don't know your yard unless you describe it. The checklist below catches the usual problems.

The checklist

1. Is it the right plant?

Common names are shared and confused. "Russian sage" is now Salvia yangii; "lamb's ears" is Stachys byzantina; "sage" alone could be dozens of plants. Look up the botanical name and make sure it matches the description you were given. If a botanical name doesn't appear in any reputable plant database, or belongs to a different plant than the common name, cross it off and ask again.

Also check for cultivars. A list might say "dwarf Alberta spruce" or a specific variety of hydrangea; sizes and zones vary a lot between varieties of the same species.

2. Does it survive your winter?

Find your zone on the USDA map by ZIP code, or with our zone by ZIP tool. Then find the plant's zone range from an independent source and compare. If your zone is at the edge of the range, the plant may survive in a sheltered spot but struggle in an exposed one.

3. Does it handle your summer?

The hardiness zone measures only winter cold. A plant can survive your winters and still fail in your summer heat or humidity. Lavender in the humid Southeast and many alpine plants in hot climates are classic examples. The easiest check is whether the plant shows up on your state extension service's recommended lists or is commonly sold at independent nurseries near you. See hardiness zone vs heat for more.

4. Does it match your sun?

Count the hours of direct sun your bed gets on a summer day. As a rough guide: 6 or more hours is full sun, about 4 to 6 is part sun, 2 to 4 is part shade, and under 2 is shade. Many lists fail here because the person asking said "partly sunny" and the plants chosen were full-sun plants. Afternoon sun is hotter than morning sun, so a "part shade" plant may cope with 5 hours of morning sun but not 5 hours of afternoon sun.

5. Will it fit?

Compare each plant's mature width with the depth of your bed. A shrub that grows 6 ft wide does not belong in a 3 ft deep strip along a path. Then check the quantities: divide the area each group will take by the square of its spacing. A list that says "10 boxwoods" for a 12 × 4 ft bed may be right for a tight hedge of a small variety and badly wrong for a large one. See how many plants do I need for the method.

6. Is it safe for your pets?

Look up every plant on the ASPCA lists if dogs or cats use the yard. Several common garden plants are toxic, some seriously: sago palm, oleander, foxglove, lily of the valley and azaleas, plus lilies and daylilies for cats. See dog-safe plants for full-sun beds.

7. Is it invasive where you live?

Invasive status is set by state, and it changes. Plants that are fine in one state are banned or listed in the next: Japanese barberry, burning bush, Bradford (Callery) pear, English ivy, periwinkle and several privets are on lists in many states. Search "[your state] invasive plant list" and look for a result from a state agency or university. Garden centers sometimes still sell plants that are listed, so a plant being in stock does not mean it is fine to plant.

Plus: can you buy it?

A list full of rare plants is a list you can't plant. Call or check one or two local nurseries before you commit, and have a substitute in mind for each plant. Ask the nursery staff, too: they usually know which plants do well locally.

Questions to ask whoever gave you the list

Whether it came from a chatbot, a designer or a neighbor, these make the list better:

• "What zone and how many hours of sun did you assume?"
• "What is the mature width of each plant, and how far apart should they go?"
• "Which of these are toxic to dogs or cats?"
• "Are any of these invasive in [your state]?"
• "What are two substitutes for each, in case my nursery doesn't have it?"

If you are using an AI chat assistant, it helps to give it your ZIP code, bed size, sun hours and pets up front, then ask it to state its assumptions. Then still check the answers yourself.

Applies to us too

FloraVista builds its lists by fixed rules from a plant table rather than by asking an AI to choose. The table is still awaiting review by a horticulturist, so you should run these same checks on our lists. If something looks wrong, every list has a button to report it. You can see how the rules work in how FloraVista chooses plants, or try it on your own bed.