Gazania, aka Treasure Flower.
Evergreen Candytuft
Rose — a beautiful, tight bud
Day Lily
Flower Names…
Identifying plants can be hard enough, but many plants have not only a complex sounding scientific name, but also common names – plural. A flower man be known as a bluebonnet in Texas and a Lupin elsewhere for instance.
The flat fellas and I decided to try and get a better under of plant and flower names, and started by asking Gemini AI for some information to help us start learning… and forming more questions.
You’re right to be curious about flower names! It can be quite confusing. Here’s a breakdown to help:
1. Common Names vs. Scientific Names
Common names are like nicknames, varying by region and language. “Shoe Black Plant” is a common name, likely used locally because someone thought its leaves were good for shining shoes (though I wouldn’t recommend trying that!).
These names are easy to remember but can be imprecise.
Scientific names are like a flower’s official, universal ID. They’re in Latin and have two parts:
Genus: A broader grouping, like a family name (e.g., Hibiscus)
Species: The specific type within that group (e.g., Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Think of it like people: Your common name might be “Joe,” but your scientific name is your full legal name, “Joseph Campbell,” which is more specific.
2. Is Shoe Black Plant a Hibiscus?
Possibly! To know for sure, we’d need to find its scientific name. Many plants have common names that include a more general term. For example, “Mountain Laurel” isn’t a true Laurel (genus Laurus).
3. Why the Complex Names?
Scientific names help avoid confusion. Imagine scientists worldwide using “Shoe Black Plant” – they’d be talking about different things! Latin provides a standard.
4. Other Terms
Cultivar: This refers to a plant variety produced by humans through breeding. It’s added after the species name, often in single quotes (e.g., Hibiscus rosasinensis ‘Red Dragon’).
Family: An even broader grouping than genus (e.g., Hibiscus is in the Malvaceae family).
In summary:
Common names are friendly but can be ambiguous.
Scientific names are precise and universal.
