cespitose [ SES-pi-tohs ] variant of caespitose, adjective: growing in (dense) tufts
crown [ kroun ] noun: the above-ground section at which the root of a seed plant joins the stem; the top (leaves and branches) of a tree; a corona or crown-like appendage or structure, as that of a narcissus or a pappus
ramet [REY-mit ] noun: an independent member of a clone
When choosing a plant for your garden, it is essential to understand how the plant spreads: by seed or vegetatively through roots or stems. Learn about the plant’s root system—taproot, fibrous roots, or adventitious roots—and whether it has modified stems, like rhizomes, stolons, tubers, corms, or bulbs as well as whether it has suckers or is cespitose. This knowledge will help you determine if the plant is likely to outgrow its allotted space and potentially interfere with or outcompete nearby species. Additionally, it will inform maintenance efforts and ease of removal.
Three types of growth that are sometimes difficult to distinguish are rhizomatous, stoloniferous, and cespitose. Rhizomes produce new shoots from horizontal underground stems, while stolons produce new shoots from above-ground horizontal stems that root at the nodes. The genetically identical offshoots (clones) that arise from a parent plant through asexual or clonal reproduction—by rhizomatous, stoloniferous, cespitose, or suckering growth—are called ramets.
Photo © Mary Free
If a plant exhibits guerilla growth—characterized by rapid and aggressive spreading—it can produce large clonal populations, with ramets that can wander far from the parent plant, as seen in invasive bamboo and native Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern). If a plant’s growth habit is phalanx, the ramets remain closer to the parent, creating a more compact colony, often seen in Ajuga reptans (bugleweed) and in natives Asarum canadense (common wild ginger) and Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern).
In comparison, a cespitose plant typically grows from a crown, forming a dense, compact tuft with usually localized spread. The parent plant develops from seed and produces juvenile ramets. The number of generations in a ramet family varies by species. For example, cespitose native Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) produces three connected ramet generations (Briske & Derner, 1998). Older generations provide resources to the newer ones; however, as the plant expands and ages, ramet families may “become separated as the initial ramet generations die and decompose,” producing a hollow crown (Briske & Derner, 1998). Researchers debate the lifespan of these clonal fragments and whether they significantly contribute to the maintenance of the clonal population, or if cespitose populations are primarily sustained through self-seeding.
Additionally, botanists and published flora may differ as often as they agree in their descriptions of these types of plants. For example, the Flora of North America (FNA) and Flora of Virginia (FVA) concur that native Silene caroliniana (wild pink) is cespitose with a taproot; the Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (FC) says it is tufted—often synonymous with cespitose. Alternatively, FNA describes native Carex grayi (Gray’s sedge) as “cespitose or not, short-rhizomatous,” while FVA describes it as “cespitose, rhizomes lacking,” and FC refers to it as “densely cespitose.” Another example concerns the genus Sisyrinchium, which FNA describes as “often cespitose, rhizomatous (sometimes only obscurely, especially when cespitose) or not, sometimes with thickened, fleshy roots.” In contrast, FVA says “Roots fibrous. Plants low, tufted” and FC labels it simply “cespitose.”
(narrow-leaved blue-eyed-grass) displays a tufted growth habit in a residential garden in June. Photo © Elaine Mills
Consequently, especially for those concerned about limited space, you may need to consult multiple sources, including experienced gardeners or nurseries, before you make your plant choice. Visits to demonstration or public gardens to observe the growth patterns of particular plants during different seasons can also help inform your decision.
Different Types of Crowns
References
Briske DD and Derner JD. 1998. Clonal biology of caespitose grasses. Population Biology of Grasses. Chapter 4, pages 106-135. Cambridge University Press.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 25+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org. (accessed February 25, 2026)
Radford AE, Ahles HE, Bell CR. 1964–1983. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press.
Weakley AS, Ludwig JC, Townsend JF. 2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press.