By Carol Schroding, Gardening Enthusiast & former owner of Northeast Native Perennials
Why do we use the Latin or botanical names of plants? Why bother learning these botanical names vs. the common names? If you are gardening with native plants, this is especially important. You want to be sure you are getting the correct plant that is native to your area!
A common name is simply the name for a plant that has caught on over time. Common names often derive from the Genus name. For example, Phlox. There are approximately 60 different species of Phlox native to the U.S. But not all are native to our area of the country. Phlox longiflora (Long-leaved Phlox) is native to the Southwest, while Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox) is native to Eastern North America. Other common names come from medicinal uses of the plant by Native Americans or early settlers or for another attribute of the plant. For example: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) has a bright yellow root (thus the name) and was used as medicine and a yellow dye by Native Americans.
A botanical or scientific name is made up of two words: the first corresponding to the plant’s genus and the second to its species. These two words (also called binomial) come from the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, developed in the 18th century and used universally. Common names often overlap, but the botanical name is unique to a specific plant.
You don’t need to memorize the botanical names but do your research, so that you are sure you are getting the plants that you want for your garden.
Thank you, Carol, for your article explaining plant names and for reminding us that it’s never too early to start dreaming about spring and researching the plants we want to add to our gardens!
Carol was lucky enough to photograph this (rare to most of us) Scarlet Tanager right in her own backyard!
If you are like me and you are feeding the birds for winter, when food is more scarce, it’s likely you may also be thinking about how you can feed them naturally through what you plant.
When we think about planting for the birds, we often think about seeds and berries. Yes, they are important! But remember that insects and their larva are an extremely important food source for the birds in addition to the seeds, berries, pollen and nectar. In fact, in spring and early summer songbirds will feed their young almost exclusively on insects and caterpillars. Without them, most baby birds would not survive.
If you have space for a big tree, make it an Oak! Oak trees host over 500 species of Butterfly and Moth caterpillars that provide vital food for our birds. Some of the other top producing host native trees are Cherry, Willow, Birch, Poplar and Maple for example. If you don’t have room for a tree, or even if you do, research what native shrubs are most beneficial in hosting this most important bird food source, that is suitable for your landscape. Check out https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org for specific plants for your area (enter your zip code), ranked by number of possible insects hosted! Or stay tuned for future articles!
