Gardening has become an activity that I just can't get enough of. Recently I tasked myself to learn the names of all the plants in my garden. I pretty much knew their common or colloquial names, but I wanted to know their botanical names.
Admittedly, my motivation was ego. I wanted to sound as marvelous as other folks who spout off botanical names. But as I was matching the names to the plants, I realized that botanical names—also called Latin names—serve a purpose.
A plant's botanical name is unique, with certain exceptions. Now that the Internet makes it easy to converse with a far-flung gardening community, using botanical names guarantees that we are all taking about the same plant.
The botanical names of plants include both the genus and species. This binomial, or two-name, system was developed by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s.
A genus is a group of plants sharing a set of common characteristics. Plants in the same genus may have similar fruits, leaves or flowers.
A genus is larger than a species; think of it like a last name. The species, the second part of the binomial, sets the plant apart from others in the genus. Think of it like the first names that distinguish one sibling from another. In a Latin name, the genus comes first and is always capitalized; the species is always lowercase. Typically, botanical names are italicized.
Botanical names eliminate the confusion or miscommunication that can arise when people use a common name, like daisy or poppy. Which daisy? The African daisy, a common name, is in the Osteospermum genus. The Mexican daisy, another common name, is in the Erigeron genus.
Many botanical names hint at the plant's characteristics. Take the botanical name for the red maple, Acer rubrum. Acer is the genus. If you see that word on a plant tag at the nursery, you know the tree is a maple. Rubrum suggests redness. Acer rubrum is, in fact, a red-leafed maple.
How did I know that Acer refers to a maple? I searched online for a University of California index of plant names. In my experience, University of California sites are a great source for research-based information. If you are interested in California native plants, check out http://www.calflora.org/. You can look up plants by common or botanical names.
Sunset Western Garden Book has a pronunciation guide for botanical names, but I like the following link from Fine Gardening magazine: http://www.finegardening.com/pronunciation-guide. On this site, you can actually hear botanical names spoken. I was practicing the other day when my husband stuck his head around the corner and asked who I was talking to.
In the past, hearing others use Latin plant names would make my mind sort of shut down. Learning why these designations are used and what they mean has opened a whole new world for me. In fact, I now approach the subject like a game, as I try to translate, understand and pronounce each plant's botanical name. I take pictures of plants with my phone and use an app to help me identify them. Then I listen to the plant's botanical name, repeat it and then add it to my personal pictorial plant library. And I must say, I do sound marvelous.
Workshops: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a workshop on “Home Composting” at American Canyon Senior Center on Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Learn the basics of backyard composting, and turn your yard waste and kitchen scraps into a rich soil amendment or mulch. Learn about tools, techniques and bin types. Register online at www.cityofnapa.org/compost. Or pick up a registration form at the Master Gardeners' office (address below). No phone registration. Directions will be sent when your registration is complete.
U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a workshop on “Growing Ornamentals and Flowers” on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Mid-City Nursery, 3635 Broadway, American Canyon. Learn about the maintenance and care of ornamentals. Master Gardeners will discuss hydrozoning, how to plant for seasonal color year round, and how to encourage pollinators in your garden. On-line registration (credit card only);
Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.