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What’s in a name? Does it really matter if we know the scientific names of plants? Can’t we just call them what we’ve called them for years? Sometimes, common names can create confusion. Latin names make it easier to communicate and exchange information, and using them can prevent costly mistakes.
When people see others using Latin names for plants on the forums, they often wonder why. Whether we call it a rose or Rosa rugosa, wouldn't it smell as sweet? Some say they don't care about the official names, they just want to grow pretty flowers. That's fine, but botanical Latin can be useful. Knowing a plant's genus and species helps you use resources like PlantFiles and lets you distinguish between plants with the same common name when you're trading or placing orders.
Snail Vine? Corkscrew Vine? Help! For years, I saw this special vine in catalogs. The bloom looked lovely, and the scent sounded luscious. But some catalogs called it Corkscrew Vine, and others called it Snail Vine. I started hearing complaints that not everybody seemed to be receiving the same plant when they ordered this vine, despite the fact that the catalog descriptions and high prices were the same.
Then I discovered that two different plants, Vigna caracalla and Phaseolus caracalla, were each known by the same two common names, Snail Vine and Corkscrew Vine. No wonder there was confusion! V. caracalla has cream and purple blossoms and a strong, sweet fragrance. The purple blooms of P. caracalla lack fragrance. Both are great garden plants, but Vigna caracalla is usually the more expensive and sought-after one. Disappointed shoppers were getting "Corkscrew Vine," as promised, but they were not getting V. caracalla. Latin names do matter!
Latin names aren't just for the pros When I joined Dave's Garden and started looking around the forums, I was a little intimidated by all the people who referred to plants by their Latin names. I was embarrassed that I didn't know the names myself, and I'd have to look them up in PlantFiles if wanted to follow the conversation. I began realizing that learning the Latin names myself would let me avoid a lot of confusion.
I decided the only way to learn these names was to make myself use them. When I organized all my seed packets into a binder with plastic pocket pages, I put them in alphabetical order by Latin name. I had to look up a lot of Latin names of common plants like columbines (Aquilegia vulgaria) and marigolds (Tagetes) in PlantFiles. Sometimes I'd have to look them up again to remind myself where to look for the seeds. But eventually, the scientific names stuck in my memory, and now I can recognize and use them.
Genus species ‘Cultivar' When you look at the scientific name of a plant, what do the different words signify? The Latin name gives first the genus and then the species of the plant, sometimes followed by a cultivar name.
An example of this nomenclature is Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Summer Sun'. If you know that sunflowers belong to the genus Helianthus, you'll have an idea that a flower species named helianthoides is likely to be sunflower-like. In fact, a common name for this plant is False Sunflower.
Latin names are generally either italicized or underlined. The genus name (the first word) is capitalized and may be abbreviated (as in V. caracalla). Where applicable, subspecies may be indicated by the Latin abbreviation "var." If a specific cultivar of the plant is specified, the cultivar name is in regular type and is set off by single quotation marks.
Same name, different plant? I often suggest that people mark seed packets with Latin names as well as common ones. With the Latin name, I know I can find all the information I need in PlantFiles. A surprising number of plants with very different heights, habitats, and growing requirements have the same common name. If you search PlantFiles for "Daisy," you'll find 649 entries!
I had a mystery swap packet labeled "Milkweed," potentially containing seeds for one of over 75 species of Asclepias. A. incarnata is hardy and likes water. A. syriaca is drought tolerant, 4-6 feet tall, and can be hard to dig out once established. A. curassavica is tropical. Some species are native prairie plants or have other special requirements. So many possibilities! If I'd known what I had, maybe I'd have been able to persuade a seed to germinate.
Communicating across borders Although most of the members of Dave's Garden live in the United States, we have a growing international membership. Scientific names are invaluable when communicating across linguistic and cultural barriers. On a recent airline trip, I sat next to a woman from the Netherlands. We had just enough language in common to discover a mutual interest in gardening, but to our dismay many flower names just didn't translate well. If we hadn't known some Latin names, our conversation would have been very brief.
Latin is used for scientific names because it's a "dead," unchanging language. Whether you are researching 200 year old plantation records, reading a German botanical journal, or buying seeds from Thailand, the Latin name will tell you exactly what plant is being discussed.
Taxonomy - the classification of living things Every plant has a place in a whole series of categories - from kingdom to phylum, class, subclass, order, family, and finally to genus and species. [1] A species is generally defined by reproduction: plants within the same species can cross and produce fertile offspring. Plants in the same genus are closely related, but usually can't interbreed. Within a species, named cultivars have distinctive characteristics that "come true" from one generation to the next, either from seed or by vegetative propagation.
Just do it! You don't have to try to learn the Latin names of every plant in your garden all at once. Look up a couple of botanical names when you're sorting your seeds. When you search for information in PlantFiles, don't just skip over the family, genus, and species names at the top. After a while, the names will become familiar, and they won't seem so awkward to use. Then, you'll start to appreciate their usefulness. What's in a name? Actually, quite a lot!
I'd like to thank the following DGers for contributing the beautiful images to PlantFiles that appear above: Todd_Boland (Rosa rugosa 'Therese Bugnet'), Kniphofia (Asclepias incarnata), Justaysam (Phaseolus caracalla), and Dave (Vigna caracalla). The other photos were taken by me in my garden.
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill gardens in Frederick, MD. This week, I've been cutting lavender, putting up pluots (plum-apricot fruits), and pulling weeds (always, LOL). I love being outside in the cooler morning -- coffee cup in one hand, watering hose in the other -- watching the birds and butterflies among the flowers.(Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Posted by treelover3 (from Minneapolis, MN) on July 20, 2008 at 9:22 PM:
Hi Criiter,
Great article. Many folks may already be using the Latin names of plants and not even know it. Coleus (Genus name just recently changed to something totally unpronounceable), Delphinium, Dieffenbachia (dumb cane), Impatiens, etc. are all the Latin names of the plants that have come into common use. It is sometimes difficult to know the "correct" way to say the Latin name, but in speaking to other gardeners you will sometimes hear the name of the plant that you have had trouble pronouncing. Cotinus coggygria (Smoke bush) is one name that I never knew how to pronounce and I finally heard it pronounced while speaking to someone. (It's Ko-Tine-us Ko-Gig-ri-a)
Here is a link to the Midwest Landscape Plants database and there is a button on each entry that you can press to hear how the Latin name of the plant is pronounced - it's a great resource.
Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on July 21, 2008 at 12:10 AM:
Thanks for that link, Mike!
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Posted by treelover3 (from Minneapolis, MN) on July 21, 2008 at 9:00 AM:
Hmm... I guess I should have tested the link before I posted it - the link doesn't seem to be working. I have emailed the webmaster to find out what's going on. I accessed the site not too long ago, so maybe they are having server problems or something like that.
Mike
tl³
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on July 21, 2008 at 12:28 PM:
The site came up for me, but I need to download a player of some sort before I can hear the sound links... I'll get to it... :-)
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Subject: Critter I can't agree more..
Posted by lcosden (from Pawling, NY) on March 4, 2008 at 5:35 PM:
Jill, you got the essence of what we all think here.. As long as I have a latin name (or the DGer's name to ask for the latin name), I'm good to go.. Nothing else required cuz I can check that up but latin name.. Yup.. Have to say, I have a ton of noid stuff that people send and I have no idea if it's going to grow cuz I'm right on the border (zone 5) of most plants (zone 6) that I'm interested in.. So, hopefully people take your article to heart and stop baffling me.. :)
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 5:43 PM:
Oh, I know! And I feel bad looking at the seeds, knowing somebody put a lot of effort into harvesting, cleaning, and packing them... and now I have no idea if I'll be able to grow them or not, especially if they were included as an "extra" in a trade. (I try to look up everything that I ask for ahead of time.)
Right now, I've got two packs left over from a recent swap event that are marked "Hibiscus"... and I have no way to tell if they're hardy or tropical varieties. They were passed along from somebody who got them from somebody else who got them in a group swap -- no DG name, no description on the packet, and I don't even know who to pass them along to. Maybe somebody in a southern zone will be willing to try them...
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Posted by lcosden (from Pawling, NY) on March 5, 2008 at 1:09 PM:
LOL Critter.. I have those too.. I'm trying to decide if I want to attempt them to see if they are the hardy variety.. LOL.. Mine just say red&white hibiscus mix.. LOL.. I also have a million packets of "poppy" seeds.. Not sure if I want to try all of them.. I like the frilly ones but not the regular golden CA ones that I grew up with.. LOL..
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Subject: Grrrrrr!
Posted by Chantell (from Middle of, VA) on March 4, 2008 at 4:10 PM:
Just teasin' - God bless you!! I think I'm simply going to print out your article and reread it till it STICKS in my head. Mercy...so many kind DGers have tried to explain it in the past!! Guess now all I need to do is make sure Becky's around to actually pronounce those Latin names FOR me...LOL
Hugs, my friend...great job!!!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 4:25 PM:
ROFL!
Dave has been adding pronunciations to a lot of the PF entries... You may see a little bar next to the Latin name for the genus, with an arrow that you can click to "play" the recording and hear Dave say the name!
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Posted by Chantell (from Middle of, VA) on March 4, 2008 at 4:27 PM:
Hey now...there's a tutorial I REALLY need...maybe I'll impress Becky next time I see her...ha!!
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Subject: JL: Hudson Seeds
Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on March 4, 2008 at 3:30 PM:
Now why would I start a thread with a seed sellers' name in this discussion. Here's why. I wanted a plant so badly, I could taste it. I'm a relatively new gardener, I'm also a Type A personality and my frost date is about ten days away. OK, I saw a plant here on DG, wanted it, had to have it, experienced plant lust. At about the same time, I was researching seed carriers for best seed prices and good reviews here on DG.
Enter JL Hudson, they had the seeds I wanted, they were willing to send a catalog with the order and everyone here wsa saying how great this JL Hudson is. BAM!
You KNOW my type A self went straight to the site and looked for the plant. I searched under Pride of Barbados. I couldn't find it. I started looking a little more closely at the JL Judson site and BAM, I had a realization. The seeds were listed in their LATIN names.
I had to return to DG and look for Pride of Barbados, find the Latin name and then go back to the P for Poinciana. AS a TYPE A, I didn't want to spend time reseaching, I wanted to spend $$$ on seeds.
Well, that little lesson taught me something valuable. LEARN THE LATIN. And so I shall.
Thanks for the article and thanks JL Hudson who sent the seeds so QUICKLY. I must admit, I am impressed and have the next order ready to go which includes Brassica. I'm learning the Latin to save time. You ought to get some Brassica too, it's good fer ya.
;)
-Misty
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:47 PM:
Thanks for sharing that story! The great part about JL Hudson listing their seeds that way is that you know for sure which plant they're describing. You won't end up with Tagetes marigolds when you wanted Calendula!
I like Brassica...
:-)
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Subject: Speaks Latin that Satin Doll
Posted by Pamgarden (from Central, VA) on March 4, 2008 at 2:01 PM:
Love your article, Critter, sometimes when DH and I go out walking, we play a game to identify the Latin names of the trees we see. The beautiful mountain trails and walkways at Monticello have hundreds of labeled trees, as do many arboretums, that help identify a tree even in the dead of winter when no leaves are available. Once you learn a few of their names and become able to identify the tree wherver and whenever it's seen, it gets addictive. Same in the garden with plants and flowers.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:25 PM:
Thanks! My grandfather could identify most of the trees in his area by their bark... I always was impressed by that!
There's been some talk in the MidAtlantic forum of a group trip to Monticello this spring. I haven't been down there in much too long! :-)
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names!
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Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on March 9, 2008 at 1:38 PM:
Book Description
An exciting new approach to learning about botany. Teaches the structure and function of plants and surveys the entire plant kingdom.
This is an incredibly detailed and thorough examination of the anatomy and physiology of plants. A great way to for visual learners to supplement their learning experience.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 9, 2008 at 1:39 PM:
Cool! Thanks for sharing that.
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Subject: Loved it and I'm trying
Posted by Indynannyof8 (from Brownstown, IN) on March 4, 2008 at 12:09 PM:
Critter
Your article just reinforces my struggle and determination to use the Latin names. In my gardening club I have one friend with whom I can "talk Latin" LOL Not a lot but we are beginning.
Thanks!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:22 PM:
You're welcome! I'm still trying, too. It gets easier as you go along, but I shake my head when I have to go to PF because I forget the Latin name for something really ordinary like Marigolds... or I forget that the Latin name for Zinnias is Zinnia LOL.
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names!
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Subject: Gratias Ago Tibi
Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 10:49 AM:
:)
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:20 PM:
Dea, you're cute! I confess, I don't know Latin to write/speak it... although I can figure out the "gratias," I'll have to get DH to translate the rest...
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names!
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:36 PM:
will do !
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Subject: Great Article!
Posted by plantladylin (from East Central, FL) on March 4, 2008 at 10:11 AM:
Jill: Thank you so much for this great article! In my younger years I knew most of the Latin names of almost every plant I owned. With age, the memory started fading and I began to refer to them by their common name, thus forgetting the proper Latin names. Since joining DG I have become aware of, and was stunned to find so many plants with the same, or very similar common name. Someone here in the garden prompted me to try to always use the Latin name, which has at times had me doing some research and searching the internet. I have come to really love Plant Files and enjoy researching and reading about all kinds of plants, even those that don't grow in my area.
Thank you once again for a very informative and educational article!
Lin
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Posted by tcs1366 (from Itasca, IL) on March 4, 2008 at 2:22 PM:
Jill,
great article.
I too have been trying to at least use the latin name, even if i dont learn them or, and even learn to pronounce them.
but -- this past fall, while researching Black Eyed Susan .... i found there are many plants called BES's
so I began looking into it more .... and now, as i build my spreadsheets, the scientific name is always included.
Terese
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM:
I'm glad it was useful, although it sounds like both of you are about where I'm at now in terms of relying on PF and trying to use the Latin names to keep track of your plants. LOL, my "working title" in my head as I was writing was "Latin names -- they're more useful than you think!"
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names!
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Posted by plantladylin (from East Central, FL) on March 4, 2008 at 3:20 PM:
Oh, I will watch for that one, Thanks Critter!
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Posted by roybird (from Santa Fe, NM) on March 4, 2008 at 7:12 PM:
The Latin names are hard to get used to but they really tell us so much about plants. Thank you for the article.
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Posted by Grow_Jo (from Calgary, AB) on March 4, 2008 at 11:42 PM:
Jill - another great article! Well done.
Joanne
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 11:46 PM:
Thanks, Jo & Roy!
You're going to enjoy Elizabeth's article tomorrow, too. :-)
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Subject: OH CRITTER!!!
Posted by distantkin (from Saint Cloud, MN) on March 4, 2008 at 9:41 AM:
Thank you so much for this article. I have tried many times to explain the reason why I feel the most important thing to be placed on a label is the LATIN name. You have done this for me beautifully!!
Now I can refer everyone to your article.
I work with many new members, so I will never make it mandatory for a trade, but now I have a place to send people when they ask me why I like and use Latin names! ((HUGS))
I appreciate this article very much!!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:14 PM:
I'm with you! It's hard to explain why Latin names are so useful on seed packets without sounding pedantic. :-) A bonus of sending people to PF to look up names for plants they "already know" is that they often end up finding out something new other than just the botanical name... I use PF a lot to see if a plant in my garden might be suitable for somebody with more shade, in a warmer zone, etc... and if I hadn't started looking up Latin names in PF, I probably wouldn't have gotten into the habit of using it so much.
And you're right about not making it mandatory. It's better to just encourage people in that direction than to make it a requirement -- new traders have enough already that they feel uncertain about!
IMO, the very most important piece of information on a seed packet is the name of the DGer... because if I have that, I can ask questions about pretty much everything else! :-)
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names.
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Subject: thanks!
Posted by Dutchlady1 (from Naples, FL) on March 4, 2008 at 7:18 AM:
A great way to put it into perspective for the lay-person. I had a friend who got me started on using 'proper' names and am slowly getting there...
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Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on March 4, 2008 at 8:30 AM:
Great article, critter! Well worth a bit of extra effort the pay off makes life a whole lot easier!
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Posted by LariAnn (from Miami, FL) on March 4, 2008 at 9:28 AM:
Jill,
Excellent information and article! This will go a long ways in helping many gardeners get up to speed on really knowing their plants. Thanks!
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Posted by Todd_Boland (from St. John's, NL) on March 4, 2008 at 9:44 AM:
Well done Jill! I am always trying to get gardeners to use the latin name but most are quite reticent to do so. This article will help explain why we want them to use the Latin names.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 4, 2008 at 3:09 PM:
:-)
I was reluctant at first also, until I read some threads that made it clear how confusing it could be to rely on common names... then I figured I'd better get with the program and at least try to learn some of the Latin names!
Be sure to catch tomorrow's article by Elizabeth (shearson) on the History & Origin of Botanical Plant Names!
...
Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on March 4, 2008 at 7:32 PM:
Thanks. I agree it's hard for a newbie gardener to 'get' why to use latin names and your article gives them some understanding for it. I once had a book about latin for gardeners that made so much of the nomenclature easy to understand. I hope I still have it packed in a box somewhere!
When people see others using Latin names for plants on the forums, they often wonder why. Whether we call it a rose or Rosa rugosa, wouldn't it smell as sweet? Some say they don't care about the official names, they just want to grow pretty flowers. That's fine, but botanical Latin can be useful. Knowing a plant's genus and species helps you use resources like PlantFiles and lets you distinguish between plants with the same common name when you're trading or placing orders.
For years, I saw this special vine in catalogs. The bloom looked lovely, and the scent sounded luscious. But some catalogs called it Corkscrew Vine, and others called it Snail Vine. I started hearing complaints that not everybody seemed to be receiving the same plant when they ordered this vine, despite the fact that the catalog descriptions and high prices were the same. 
"Corkscrew Vine," as promised, but they were not getting V. caracalla. Latin names do matter!
columbines (Aquilegia vulgaria) and marigolds (Tagetes) in PlantFiles. Sometimes I'd have to look them up again to remind myself where to look for the seeds. But eventually, the scientific names stuck in my memory, and now I can recognize and use them.
that sunflowers belong to the genus Helianthus, you'll have an idea that a flower species named helianthoides is likely to be sunflower-like. In fact, a common name for this plant is False Sunflower.
I had a mystery swap packet labeled "Milkweed," potentially containing seeds for one of over 75 species of Asclepias. A. incarnata is hardy and likes water. A. syriaca is drought tolerant, 4-6 feet tall, and can be hard to dig out once established. A. curassavica is tropical. Some species are native prairie plants or have other special requirements. So many possibilities! If I'd known what I had, maybe I'd have been able to persuade a seed to germinate. 
Taxonomy - the classification of living things
