What’s in a Botanic Name?

Have you ever wondered what the long, Latin(ish), unpronounceable names are that you see on every label of a plant? Are they important? What do they mean? Here’s the short story on a somewhat long explanation.

Let’s first take a look at the two names that are associated with every plant out there (yes, every single plant on the planet has a unique botanical name). Botanical names are usually made up of two words. The first word (always capitalized) is the bigger group (genus) that a plant belongs to. Take the cactus which all belong to the family group, Cactaceae. The second word (never capitalized) relates to the specific plant. So, Carnegiea gigantea refers to the cactus known as the saguaro. Notice the botanic name is italicized and by the “rules” it should also be underlined, but this is not always practiced.

So, if Carnegiea is the name for cactus, what other families are out there? (In honor of this being the letter B in the A to Z blogging challenge, these are a few that start with the letter B):

• Baileya multiradiata, Desert Marigold
• Berlandiera lyrata, Chocolate Flower (a must have in every desert garden – it smells like chocolate!)
• Brandegea bigelovii, Desert Starvine

But what do these designations signify? While a comprehensive exploration exceeds the scope of this discourse, let’s unravel a couple of examples. Consider Berlandiera lyrata, where “lyrata” hints at its leaf shape reminiscent of a lyre, while “multiradiata” aptly describes its profusion of rays, a characteristic trait of marigolds. Furthermore, “gigantea” in Carnegiea gigantea evokes the colossal stature of the saguaro, befitting its towering presence in the desert landscape.

Is the botanical name important? YES! Can you just go to the store and ask for a Texas Ranger? NO! I answer these questions in all caps because I experienced this first hand. When I moved to our home here in Tucson, I was busy at the local garden centers filling my half acre yard with desert dwelling plants. In one area I put in three Texas Rangers. These were to grow to 6′ to 8′ in height and width. The size is perfect for the spot I put them in. One problem cropped up though. I planted the three with a giant hole between plant #1 and #2 so I needed one more Texas Ranger to fill the gap. I went back to the nursery not realizing that not every Texas Ranger is the same. I grabbed one that turned out to be a different species that only grows to 4′ and is a different color. There are about 10 different species of Texas Ranger so my next trip to the garden center I went armed with the botanical name; Leucophyllum pruinosum, not Leucophyllum maygophullum.

Next time you are looking at a new plant, get to know the botanical name. You may never remember it, but it is what sets each plant apart from another.

If you have had any plant foibles I’d love to hear about them. Leave your story in the comments.
Until then,
Happy Gardening!!

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This post was brought to you by the letter B and written specially for the 2024 A to Z blogging challenge.