- Feb 5, 2002
- 166,602
- 56,234
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
You don’t need to know the botanical names of plants to be quite successful with gardening. Many a gardener has happily gardened for decades on end, never knowing the difference between an Acer and an Althaea, and yet never mistaking a maple tree for a hollyhock. But there does often come a time in a gardener’s life when botanical names become not only interesting but useful, and it is in preparation for that possible moment in your life that we offer the following primer on botanical names.
First, if you hear the phrases “binomial nomenclature” or “binary nomenclature,” don’t let them throw you for a loop. Those are simply terms that mean “named with two names.” Most people you come across, with the notable exception of certain members of the music and recording industry, are also named with two names. And that’s the first thing to keep in mind: Plant names are pretty much like people names.
Like many people names, plant names tell you both the name of the general group to which the plant belongs, and the specific name of that particular plant. If I were a plant, for instance, my general group name would be my family name — Storey — and my specific name, to distinguish me from all the other members of the Storey family, would be my first name: Tyler. Instead of Tyler Storey, my plant name would be Storey Tyler. And that’s the second thing to keep in mind: Plant names are like people names, but their “family” names always go first. In many parts of the world, that’s also true for people, but let’s not confuse things.
Continued below.
A Primer on Botanical Names – Hearth & Field
First, if you hear the phrases “binomial nomenclature” or “binary nomenclature,” don’t let them throw you for a loop. Those are simply terms that mean “named with two names.” Most people you come across, with the notable exception of certain members of the music and recording industry, are also named with two names. And that’s the first thing to keep in mind: Plant names are pretty much like people names.
Like many people names, plant names tell you both the name of the general group to which the plant belongs, and the specific name of that particular plant. If I were a plant, for instance, my general group name would be my family name — Storey — and my specific name, to distinguish me from all the other members of the Storey family, would be my first name: Tyler. Instead of Tyler Storey, my plant name would be Storey Tyler. And that’s the second thing to keep in mind: Plant names are like people names, but their “family” names always go first. In many parts of the world, that’s also true for people, but let’s not confuse things.
Continued below.
A Primer on Botanical Names – Hearth & Field
