15 RHS Level 2 Plant Examples for Exam Answers

If you’re revising for RHS Level 2, one of the hardest parts is knowing which plants to use in your exam answers, and this can cause much stress.

The solution is to learn a short list of reliable, flexible plant examples that work across lots of topics, from soils and climate to biodiversity and management.

By using these plants well, you can write clearer answers, link your plant choice to the question, and show examiners that you understand how plants fit real garden situations.

Close-up photograph of a flowering Hylotelephium (sedum) plant (commonly known as stonecrop) in a garden setting. At the centre of the image is a tall, pale green, fleshy stem topped with a large, dome-shaped cluster of densely packed, tiny star-like flowers. The blossoms are predominantly deep pink to magenta, with lighter pink and pale tips, creating a textured, almost cushion-like appearance. Surrounding the stem are thick, oval, succulent leaves in bright to medium green, arranged alternately up the stalk, with smooth surfaces and slightly serrated edges that catch the light. In the softly blurred background, additional sedum flower heads and green foliage are visible, along with a dark garden fabric or cover and hints of soil and greenery, suggesting an outdoor garden or landscaped area. The image highlights the plant’s late-summer to early-autumn bloom, its pollinator-friendly flower clusters, and its hardy, drought-tolerant characteristics, making it relevant to articles about perennial garden plants, sedum varieties, autumn flowers, or low-maintenance landscaping.

If you’d like personal help choosing plant examples and improving your answers, you can book a 1-to-1 RHS Level 2 session.

Jump to:
  1. How Examiners Use Plant Examples
  2. The 15 Plant Examples to Learn
  3. Summary: How to Use Them in the Exam
  4. Which Plant Should I Use in My RHS Level 2 Exam Answer?

How Examiners Use Plant Examples

Examiners are not looking for rare or impressive plants. They reward plant choices that clearly match the question and are explained properly.

You get marks for:

  • Choosing a plant that suits the conditions in the question
  • Explaining why it fits (soil, climate, light, use, wildlife, management)
  • Linking the plant directly to what the question is asking

A common plant used well will score more marks than an unusual plant used badly.

The 15 Plant Examples to Learn

Here are 15 plants that work well as go-to examples for RHS Level 2 exam answers.

They cover a mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and grasses, and together they demonstrate your knowledge of soil, climate, wildlife, maintenance, and design.

You do not need to memorise hundreds of plants. If you can use these clearly and accurately, you can apply them to most exam questions

Each example includes a plant name and the types of exam scenarios it works best for.

1. Lavandula angustifolia (english lavender)

  • Dry, free-draining soils
  • Pollinator planting
  • Climate-resilient gardens
  • Low-maintenance borders

2. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (hardy geranium)

  • Groundcover and weed suppression
  • Pollinator support
  • Informal and wildlife planting
  • Sun or light shade

3. Hedera helix (ivy)

  • Evergreen cover
  • Shade tolerance
  • Wildlife habitat (nectar, shelter)
  • Urban and low-input gardens

4. Miscanthus sinensis (chinese silver grass)

  • Climate change adaptation
  • Soil binding and erosion control
  • Structural and winter interest
  • Wildlife shelter

5. Hylotelephium (Sedum) spectabile

  • Drought tolerance
  • Pollinator support (late season)
  • Shallow or poor soils
  • Low-maintenance planting

6. Betula pendula (silver birch)

  • Wildlife value
  • Light canopy tree for underplanting
  • Carbon storage
  • Urban and public green space

7. Allium species (ornamental alliums)

  • Pollinator planting
  • Seasonal interest
  • Structural planting
  • Mixed borders

8. Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (catmint)

  • Pollinator support
  • Dry soil tolerance once established
  • Informal planting styles
  • Long flowering season

9. Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ear)

  • Drought-tolerant planting
  • Leaf adaptation examples
  • Sensory planting
  • Low-input borders

10. Achillea millefolium (yarrow)

  • Dry and poor soils
  • Pollinator support
  • Meadow and wildlife planting
  • Climate-resilient gardens

11. Salvia officinalis (sage)

  • Mediterranean planting
  • Drought tolerance
  • Pollinators
  • Edible and ornamental use

12. Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle)

  • Evergreen groundcover
  • Shade tolerance
  • Soil protection
  • Low-maintenance areas

13. Cornus sanguinea (dogwood)

  • Wildlife value (flowers, berries, stems)
  • Hedging and screening
  • Winter interest
  • Biodiversity planting

14. Liriope muscari (big blue lilyturf)

  • Groundcover
  • Soil stabilisation
  • Shade tolerance
  • Urban planting

15. Verbena bonariensis (purpletop vervain)

  • Pollinator planting
  • Informal and wildlife borders
  • Light, free-draining soils
  • Climate-resilient planting

Summary: How to Use Them in the Exam

These 15 plants cover many of the situations that come up again and again in RHS Level 2 exam questions, from dry soils and shade to pollinators and low-input gardens.

By learning why each plant works in more than one scenario, you can reuse the same examples across questions, save time under pressure, and write focused answers that stay on topic and pick up marks.

These examples are suitable for questions on plant choice, site conditions, biodiversity, and sustainability.

This is not an exhaustive list; if there are other more suitable ones you may remember, use those.

RHS Level 2 Exam Scenario → Plant Picker

Which Plant Should I Use in My RHS Level 2 Exam Answer?

Select the conditions that maybe mentioned in an exam question to see suitable plant examples you could use in Section B and Section C answers.

Exam conditions that maybe mentioned in an exam question

Tip: Choose what the question is asking for. If you select too many conditions, you may get no single perfect match.

Select one or more conditions to see suitable plant examples.
Suitable plant examples

Select one or more conditions to see suitable plant examples.

Lavandula angustifolia (lavender)

Suitable for dry, free-draining soils and pollinator planting; low maintenance once established.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (hardy geranium)

Works as groundcover for weed suppression; useful for pollinators and mixed borders in sun or light shade.

Hedera helix (ivy)

Evergreen cover for shade and urban sites; supports wildlife and can be low maintenance once established.

Miscanthus sinensis (ornamental grass)

Useful for structure and winter interest; can suit climate-resilient planting and low-input urban landscapes.

Hylotelephium (Sedum) spectabile

Drought-tolerant with late-season flowers for pollinators; suits low-maintenance planting on free-draining soils.

Betula pendula (silver birch)

A light-canopy tree with wildlife value; useful in gardens and urban green space as a climate-focused example.

Allium species (ornamental alliums)

Reliable pollinator plant with seasonal structure; fits mixed borders and low-maintenance schemes.

Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’

Long flowering for pollinators; tolerates free-draining soils once established and suits low-maintenance borders.

Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ear)

Drought-tolerant and useful for leaf adaptation examples; suits low-maintenance borders with sensory interest.

Achillea millefolium (yarrow)

Handles drier, poorer soils; supports pollinators and fits meadow-style or climate-resilient planting.

Salvia officinalis (sage)

Mediterranean-style example for drier sites; supports pollinators and can be used as edible or ornamental.

Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle)

Evergreen groundcover for shade; helps protect soil and can be used for low-maintenance areas.

Cornus sanguinea

Good for hedging and biodiversity; adds winter interest and suits wildlife-focused planting in gardens or towns.

Liriope muscari

Groundcover for shade and urban sites; useful for low-maintenance planting and soil protection.

Verbena bonariensis

Pollinator-friendly with a light, airy habit; fits free-draining soils and climate-resilient borders.

How to use this in the exam
  • Name one clear plant example
  • Link it directly to the site condition in the question
  • Briefly explain why it suits the scenario

You only need one good example to score marks.

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