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Gardeners dig Latin - 'Dead' language comes alive in plant world

You say "tomato."

I say "tomahto."

Botanists say "Lycopersicon esculentum."

Let's call the whole thing off, say many gardeners who get skittish at the very thought of learning botanical Latin.

Lycopersicon esculentum may sound like a mouthful, but botanical Latin lets folks around the world talk to each other about the plants they love, no matter what language they use in daily conversation.

This is obviously critical in matters of science; but it's equally important if you're just trying to find the same houseplant your neighbor is. That's because many plants have multiple common names depending on the part of the country, as well as the part of the world, where you garden. Because it's so exact, botanical Latin is the only label guaranteed to get you what you want.

This universal gardening tongue is the creation of Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, who was born 300 years ago. A celebration of Linnaeus and his legacy began on Jan. 28, the nameday for Karl in Sweden. It culminates in that country with a one-week festival centered on Linnaeus' birthday, May 23.

Linnaeus developed the binomial, or double, naming system to classify all living organisms. It greatly simplified the scientific naming of plants and animals at a time (the mid-1700s) when new species were being discovered at what we would today consider an amazing rate.

Even in the first years of the 20th century, famed plant explorer E. H. Wilson was estimated to have introduced 2,000 new species in a four-month period. You can recognize many of his plant discoveries because they bear his name ("wilsonii").

The Heronswood Nursery catalog succinctly describes the Linnaean system: "Each plant name has two parts. The genus is the first and capitalized. The species is the second and always in lower case. The third name, if it exists, may be a selected form ('cultivar'), found in single quotes, or a variety (var.) which indicates it is a naturally occurring variant of the species."

That plants have two names seems simple and straightforward, but "a lot of people are really scared of botanical Latin," notes Kris Koch, an educator with UW Cooperative Extension in Waukesha County. "There's a "connotation of 'science' -- sterile information that normal people can't know."
Koch loves houseplants, ferns in particular, and discovered there are tons of ferns all labeled "Boston." To get the exact "Boston" fern she was searching for meant using botanical Latin.

"Everyone used it in Rhode Island," where Koch used to live, making it the norm for any garden chat. Latin names for plants are very descriptive and contain lots of useful information, says Koch, who will decipher the terminology in her presentation.

For starters, everyone should get a copy of "The Pronouncing Dictionary of Plant Names." This little guide fits in a pocket, has about 65 pages and just enough info to get you started.

She emphasizes that her presentation will teach some simple foundations of Latin to make the language "digestible without overwhelming you."

"Look at the genus or species name to figure out what is being described," says Koch, using the example of the shrub, Viburnum dentata. " 'Dentata,' so dent, dental, like a tooth" -- so it tells you it's a plant whose leaves have jagged edges.

Koch's presentation is guaranteed to make you comfortable with Latin as well as conversant with this vital "garden speak."

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Latin Gardening