Oh la la! Plants With Suggestive Names
One usually thinks of botanists as a sober lot, given to spending hours counting leaf hairs under a microscope. So,Continue Reading
Category: Horticultural nomenclature
How the Spider Plant Got Its Name
I’ve always assumed the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) got its name from its hanging stems, ones that drip down likeContinue Reading
How to Remember Botanical Names
Novice gardeners are often terrified of botanical names. Given their Latin and Greek origins, learning them often seems daunting. So why not justContinue Reading
The African Violet Changes Its Name
The African violet, one of the world’s most popular houseplants, has a new botanical name. (To further understand why botanicalContinue Reading
What is a Cultivar?
The novice gardener regularly encounters the word “cultivar” without necessarily understanding its meaning. Yet it’s so simple. A cultivar isContinue Reading
Is Wasabi Coleus Edible?
The coleus sold under the name ‘Wasabi’ (Coleus scutellarioides ‘Wasabi’) is a horticultural variety (cultivar) known for the light-green coloringContinue Reading
Plants Names Written in Stone
Ever since I have been gardening (therefore for over 50 years!), I have been looking for an effective way toContinue Reading
Understanding Botanical Names
If you garden and want to communicate with other gardeners, common names just don’t cut the mustard. The same plantContinue Reading
Pronouncing Botanical Names
Impressed when a guest speaker rolls off a complicated botanical name as if it were the easiest thing in theContinue Reading