Many gardeners are not comfortable calling plants by their scientific name.
Perhaps it is the uncertainty of saying the name correctly, or perhaps just trying to get their tongue around the multiple syllables. However, there are good reasons why gardeners should make some effort to learn the Latin names of their plants.
First, there is no confusion about what plant you are talking about when you use the Latin name. It refers to one plant and one plant only. Use the common name, and you could be talking about two, possibly even three different plants.
For instance, you are looking for a coneflower plant and ask the nurseryman if he has any for sale. He may show you an Echinacea, a Rudbeckia, or a Ratibida, all of which go by the common name of coneflower but are definitely quite different plants.
Another reason is the helpful hints hidden within the scientific name of a plant. Certain Latin word bases have predictable meanings. Information such as where a plant is native to, the colour of its flowers, the shape of its leaves, or even where to plant it.
The “japonica” in Spiraea japonica tells you that the plant is native to Japan. (By the way, there is no common name for Spiraea.) Sambucus canadensis is a North American elderberry native. Latin names for other countries are England – “anglicus,” Belgium or the Netherlands – “Belgicus,” Greece – “graecus,” Portugal – “lusitanicus,” Sweden – “suecicus,” just to name a few.
There are also clues in Latin as to colour, usually referring to the flowers. Words that denote black are: “ater” – pure black; “carbonaceous” – charcoal black; “ebonaceus” and“ebenus” – ebony black; “niger” – black; “nigrescens” and “nigricans” – blackish or blackening.
White is denoted by the following: “albicans” – whitish or foamy; “albus” – white; “argo” – pure white; “lacteus” – milky white; “nivalis” and “niveus” – snow white. Other colours such as red, blue, green, yellow, brown, etc. also have their Latin terms.
Then there are general colour terms: “bicolor” means bicoloured obviously; “discolor” – of different colours; “floridus” – bright; “fulgens” and “fulgidus” – shining; “opacus” – dark or opaque; “pallidus” – pale; “splendens” – brilliant; “vernicosus” – varnished. (Example: Hamatocaulis vernicosus, varnished hook-moss, is a North American native moss.)
But plants are not just about the place of origin or colour. There are Latin names which describe certain leaf characteristics: “angustifolia” – narrow-leaved; “cardiophyllus, “cordifolius” – with heart-shaped leaves; “dentatus” – toothed, “dissectus” – dissected,deeply divided; “grandifolius” – with large leaves; “longifolius” – long-leaved.
And names that describe the plant’s growth habit: “arboreus” – treelike; “columnaris” – columnar; “procurrens” – spreading, running; “scandens” – climbing; “tortuosus," “tortus,” “tortilis” – tortuous, winding.
Or that describe a scent or taste: “citriodorus” – lemon-scented; “dulcis” – sweet, pleasant; “foetidus” – evil-smelling; “meliodorus” – honey-scented; “odoratus,” “odorus”– scented, fragrant.
And to be helpful to the beginner gardener, there are clues to season, timing and weather buried in the Latin name but for the deciphering: “aestivalis,” “aestivus” – of summer; “annuus” – annual; “autumnalis” – of autumn; “hyemalis” – of winter; “longaevus” – long-lived; “noctiflorus” – night-flowering; “perennis” – perennial; “praecox” – precocious, developing early; “solaris” – sun-loving; “trimestris” – of three months.
I think you can grasp the idea. It is pretty simple, really - with just a wee bit of effort. Criswell Freeman wrote in his book, The Gardener’s Guide to Life (Walnut Grove Press 1997), “Gardening is an educational process that lasts a lifetime. Its diploma consists of a green thumb, a happy heart and a permanently enlarged soul. If you are ready for an advanced degree, Mother Nature is anxious to teach. Her class is always in session.”
Neither John nor I could have said it any better. Our motto: Nos ad hortus. We love to garden!
Leslie Cox co-owns Growing Concern Cottage Garden in Black Creek.
