When Plants are Named for Celebrities
By Larry Hodgson There’s a long history of giving plants a scientific name in honor of an important person. Such aContinue Reading
Category: Horticultural nomenclature
Identifying a Mystery Tomato
By Larry Hodgson Question: I’ve sent you the photo of the tomatoes that grew in our garden this summer. Can youContinue Reading
What Is an Invasive Plant?
By Larry Hodgson Over the last few months, usually after I’ve published a list of plants for various uses (groundcoversContinue Reading
Geranium or Pelargonium? More than 230 Years of Confusion
By Larry Hodgson For over 230 years now, gardeners have known that their garden geraniums (zonal geraniums, scented geraniums, ivyContinue Reading
How the Potato Got Its Name
By Larry Hodgson Back in the 16th century, two new tubers were introduced into the British Isles at much theContinue Reading
Lavatera No More
Lavatera × clementii ‘Rosea’ is now Malva × clementii ‘Rosea’. Photo: gardenersdream.co.uk Yes, the genus Lavatera is gone, taxonomically speaking at least, and itsContinue Reading
Geranium or Pelargonium: Old Names Die Hard!
Name the mystery plant! Photo: http://www.crocus.co.uk Quick! What is the name of the plant in the photo above? I’ll bet 9 gardenersContinue Reading
Will the Real Marigold Please Stand Up?
Both of these are marigolds, but are in fact very different plants. Tagetes patula (left) and Calendula officinalis (right). CommonContinue Reading
Citrus: A Confusion of Names
Just a sample of the wide variety of citrus fruits. Photo: Bernhard Voß, Wikimedia Commons Collective nouns are names forContinue Reading
Why Plant Names Change
Question: You mentioned in one of your articles that the coleus had a new botanical name. Who decides these name changes?Continue Reading