The scientific name of a plant is unique to that species. There will not be a different plant with the same name.
More and more, our discussions are global. Online gardening interest groups include members from different countries. We know that even English language varies between India and New Zealand. It even varies in the United Kingdom between England, Scotland and Ireland. So using binomial nomenclature helps gardeners ensure that we are all talking about the same thing.
Binomial nomenclature is especially helpful to beginner gardeners. People are so generous with advice, telling you to grow this or that. Even if they used the name Rudbeckia, instead of black-eyed-susan, there are several species of Rudbeckia (that behave differently).
The common names, milkweed, pleusy root (what is that, even?) or butterfly weed allows for misunderstanding. A good catalog would include binomial nomenclature to ensure that the customer is buying the right plant. Another example, evening primrose, might refer to three different species of plants, Oenethera biennis, Oenethera speciosa or Oenethera fruticosa. They are quite different in how they look and grow.
Gloriosa daisy or orange coneflower are other names for black-eyed Susan, which might be Rudbeckia hirta or Rudbeckia fulgida. Are these related to the black-eyed Susan vine? No, that’s Thunbergia alata. What we, in New Jersey, call the coneflower is really Echinacea purpurea.
In other countries, bell pepper are called capsicums and chili peppers, chilies. Neither are peppers. Black pepper is Piper nigrum, bell pepper is Capsicum annuum and chilies might be C. annuum, chinense or frutescens. Does the Dutchman’s Pipe have anything to do with the Dutchman’s Breeches? Not in any way.
Binomial nomenclature (two-name naming system) is the scientific system of naming species of organisms according to their genus and species.
The first part of the name identifies the genus; the second part identifies the species within the genus. The genus is always capitalized, while the species is not; both parts are italicized.
When a plant is a hybrid between two species, its species name is preceded by an “x”.
If there is a third name after species, that would be the variety (natural) or cultivar (man made). It would be in single quotes and capitalized (as would a proper noun), but not italicized . Asclepias tuberosa ‘Gay Butterflies’
Learning Latin
Latin is used because it was the universal language in Western Europe at the time naming began. Botanical names often describe something noteworthy about a plant, how it looks, where it grows, etc..
Here are some examples:
| angustifolia | narrow-leaved |
| annua | annual |
| caerulea | blue |
| chinensis | from China |
| coccinea | red |
| decidua | deciduous |
| esculenta | edible |
| flora plena | with double flowers |
| foetida | with an unpleasant smell |
| glabra | smooth |
| grandiflora | large-flowered |
| hirsuta | hairy |
| humilis | short |
| japonica | from Japan |
| latifolia | wide-leaved |
| longiflora | with long flowers |
| longifolia | with long leaves |
| macrophylla | with large leaves |
| micrantha | small flowered |
| nana | small |
| officinalis | with herbal uses |
| parviflora | small flowered |
| parvifolia | with small leaves |
| perennis | perennial |
| praecox | early, of spring |
| purpurea | deep pink |
| quercifolia | oak-leaved |
| rosea | rose pink |
| sanguinea | blood-red |
| sativa | cultivated |
| sylvestris | of woods |
| vernalis | of spring |
| viridis | green |
| vulgaris | common |
More and more, our discussions are global. Online gardening interest groups include members from different countries. We know that even English language varies between India and New Zealand. It even varies in the United Kingdom between England, Scotland and Ireland. So using binomial nomenclature helps gardeners ensure that we are all talking about the same thing.