Decoding the Language of Plant Nerds: Understanding Botanical Latin
In this article, you will learn the benefits of using botanical Latin, and why it’s especially important for professionals in horticulture and botany. You’ll also hear a personal story about how using botanical Latin saved time and avoided confusion. Get ready to impress your friends with your newfound botanical knowledge.
Do you have plant-nerd friends and every time they talk about plants it sounds like they’re speaking another language? Well, that’s because they are! They’re using botanical Latin names to identify and specify what plants they’re talking about.
Botanical Latin is the universal language of plant names. We owe the language and its usage to a man named Linnaeus from the 18th century. Botanical Latin is also known as binomial nomenclature, as it uses two names to help categorize plants. The first part is the genus, and the second part is the specific epithet. Together, the genus and specific epithet make a species.
You may be thinking, “What’s so bad about common names for plants?” Let me tell you a story.
I work part-time at a wholesale nursery in Oregon. One summer a customer asked me, “Do you sell mock orange?” I said, “Sure we do!” and went to show him the “mock orange” plants. I knew mock orange is a common name for Philadelphus lewisii, a deciduous shrub with pretty white flowers.
When we arrived at the Philadelphus section he looked at me and said, “Nope, that is not what I’m looking for.” It was a moment of utter confusion for us both. I asked him to show me on his phone what the plant looked like. He searched for a second and showed me his phone. I saw Pittosporum shrubs!
This landscaper needed to purchase Pittosporum tobira, a tough landscape shrub from Japan. Both Philadelphus and Pittosporum shrubs are commonly called mock orange.
I quickly redirected him to the Pittosporum shrubs and sighed in relief as he exclaimed, “These are it!”
Now when customers ask for mock orange I first ask them which plant they need, Pittosporum or Philadelphus. Using scientific plant names saves me time, and it helps me avoid confusion when I am communicating with people about plants.
As you can see from my story, it is especially important for professionals in horticulture, botany, and gardening to use scientific Latin names. These groups include foragers. A forager can research the scientific Latin name of a plant and avoid plant misidentification or possible exposure to toxic plants.
One major fault of common names is their lack of specificity. “Sage” refers to any number of plants in the genus Salvia. A fern can be in the genera Anthurium, Polystichum, and so many others. A daisy can be in the genera Leucanthemum, Chrysanthemum, or Bellis.
Whereas common names can be used infinitely, scientific names can only be used once. Philadelphus lewisii is one plant, and there are no other plants in the world with that scientific name.
The allure of common names lies in their simplicity and commonality. They are easier to use in everyday conversation and typically reflect the plant's characteristics. When you hear mock orange you assume the plant mimics an orange tree in some way. Pittosporum and Philadelphus flowers have the strong fragrance of citrus, which is why they both have the common name mock orange.
Although common names are easier to learn, it is far more important to stay safe when working with plants. Botanical Latin names help people working with plants avoid making mistakes, and they help ensure consistency in plant identification worldwide (Bennett and Balick).
A common name here or there won’t hurt, but I encourage you to research the Latin plant names. The more names you know, the more plant connections you’ll see. Start with just one name and you’ll stun your friends one day when you blurt out, “Oh, what a beautiful Philadelphus lewisii!”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you’ve made it this far I encourage you to check out more here. Thank you, and happy growing!
Sources
Bennett, Bradley C., and Michael J. Balick. “Does the Name Really Matter? The Importance of Botanical Nomenclature and Plant Taxonomy in Biomedical Research.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 152, no. 3, Mar. 2014, pp. 387–392, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24321863/, 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.042. Accessed 13 Jan. 2023.
Photo Credits
1st Philadelphus lewisii photo - Photo by Михаил Ковалевский from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-shrub-with-white-flowers-8575130/
2nd Philadelphus lewisii photo - Photo by Dids from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/leaves-of-philadelphus-coronarius-in-garden-4091182/
