Common Names – What are they good for?

 

For those of us who talk about plants a lot, common names can be as vexing as they are useful. Common names for the same plant can vary, they can also be used for more than one plant, and they can be confusing as they apply to different groups (coneflower, anyone?).

Redbud, is it? Looks purple to me.

Latin or Scientific plant names haven’t been around as long as common names. I mentioned in an earlier post that Carl Linnaeus proposed the binomial Latin-based structure only 300 years ago. As I said then, this was a far better system than before:  It’s incredible to think that Magnolia grandiflora was once called Magnolia foliis lanceolatis persistentibus, caule erecto arboreo by one person while another called it Magnolia altissima, flore ingenti candido. Common names included “Greater Magnolia” and “Larger Laurel leave’d Tulip Tree.” According to the author, names grew longer as new but similar species were discovered and “some names ran to half a page.”

Scientific names can also be difficult to pronounce, hard to remember, and every now and then the taxonomists change them. I get that. Yet, they give us a name to use around the word, across all languages and common names. I have been to gardens in other countries and the use of the Scientific name allows me to recognize the plant without knowing the local language or common name. Recently I went to the Ghent University Museum in Belgium and found some of our native plants there.

Our native spicebush and many others were in the garden

Let’s get back to common names, because they can be interesting in their own right. My favorite is the collection of names for Carpinus caroliniana. Common names for this Georgia native include: musclewood, ironwood, American hornbeam, blue-beech, water-beech, and leantree. The first 3 are super common and you almost have to mention them all to get someone to recognize what you’re talking about.

Common names might reference the location where the plant was first named, such as Canadian goldenrod for Solidago canadensis. Even that can be inconsistent such as American elderberry for Sambucus canadensis. A comment on a recent GNPS Facebook post implied that a Canadian was outraged that the USA had claimed the plant as American when it was native to Canada (another person clarified that Canada was part of the greater area called North America so the name was still valid).

We shouldn’t have to explain common names. They are just that: a common name that was applied by someone and picked up by others as an easy way to reference the plant. Like Scientific names, some common names recognize people, or denote places, or describe characteristics of the plant: Small’s ragwort, Georgia aster, tall thistle. Many of our natives have been saddled with ‘weed’ in their common names which seems to imply that they are inferior. Others are just plain amusing, perplexing, or even archaic. Here are some of the strange ones I’ve found:

• Flyr's nemesis (Brickellia cordifolia) – more info on that one here.
• Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – so often people ask why it is not ‘purple bud’ instead.
• Fleabane (Erigeron) – named for its usage as a flea deterrent in medieval homes and beds.
• Barbara’s buttons (Marshallia) – alas, the Barbara referenced is unknown, an example of how common names can lose their point of reference.
• Tread-softly (Cnidoscolus stimulosus) – are we afraid to call it what it is? It stings you!
• Turkey tangle fogfruit or frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) – yes, people spell it both ways, even more confusing! Don’t get me started on farkleberry which is also called sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum); just admit you said it wrong!
• Hairy balls plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) – hard to disagree with this one but do people really say it? By the way, don’t plant this exotic in Georgia.
• Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) – overly cautious name there, it only means that the seed pod will explode.
• Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) – named not for staying put in the ground (ironically it is an aggressive spreader) but because you can move the flowers and they stay put.

Marshallia mohrii

Cnidoscolus stimulosus

I could go on and on (and will likely think of some great ones right after I hit the publish button). Post in the comments some of your favorites!

 

A Tale of Two Penstemons

 

Long ago, perhaps sometime around 2008, I bought a beardtongue perennial at Home Depot. It was grown by a fairly local nursery and was labeled as Blue Ridge beardtongue (Penstemon smallii). I planted it in my yard, it grew well and made babies which I then shared with others and donated to plant sales. About the same time as I was passing around those babies, my friend Sheri was growing Gulf beardtongue or Brazos penstemon (Penstemon tenuis). As we donated them to the plant sale from our two populations, we joked about how similar they were. You can see where this is going, right?

After we finally figured out that my plant had been mislabeled, I pined wistfully for what I thought I had. It didn’t seem likely that I’d run across this species unless I went north. Enter another friend’s contribution to this story: Richard bought a plant of the real thing (Penstemon smallii) and shared seeds with Sheri and me. Plants from those seeds (all credit to Sheri for growing them) are now finally blooming in my garden!

Penstemon smallii (from seed)

Looking at the key for Penstemon, of the two species, Blue Ridge beardtongue has slightly larger flowers which can be densely bearded, and colors are more purple than pink. The largest leaves can also be about 1/3 larger. That is, generally it is a more robust plant. I can see all those characteristics in the plant I have now.

Plants above: Seed-grown Penstemon smallii on left, purchased Penstemon tenuis on right.

I try to learn from my plant mistakes and I try to help others learn what I learned. I should have done some research much sooner. 

How Can I Help (the book)

 

Doug Tallamy’s new book is entitled “How Can I Help: Saving Nature With Your Yard.” Many of us have heard him speak a number of times and it’s always a treat (you can find videos of him to watch for free on YouTube). This book is a thoughtful collection of many of the questions posed to him with answers that give good, clear explanations (including details that he might not always have time to give in live situations).

The questions are grouped by chapters such as Ecology and Evolution, Native and Non-Native Plants, Home Landscapes, and more (ten chapters in all). One chapter is devoted just to Oaks, a legacy of his book, The Nature of Oaks, and subsequent talks on oaks. I particularly enjoyed seeing the photo of the female flower on oak on page 89!

How can we use this information? The Q&A approach helps answer some of our own questions (page 74 has questions about using cultivars, for example), and the book gives us answers to use for some of the questions that we might get ourselves when talking to people about native plants. I particularly like his answer on page 145 about “If the new species [exotic imports] are more fit than the species here, then they deserve to replace them.” His answer on why that is not true is very thorough and includes points about how modern humans have moved plants faster than ecosystems can adapt. 

The chapter on Pest Control includes his famous recommendations on mosquito control; that chapter also includes questions on other pests, including deer.

The Home Landscapes chapter includes a wide range of questions including using glyphosate, trees for smaller spaces, assisted migration, and sub-sections on HOA issues and Leaf Litter. From small yards to large tracts of land, from beginners to experienced gardeners, there are questions for all levels in this book. And for those without property, volunteering is always a way to help.

I especially enjoyed seeing that he starts some answers with “It depends!” (see page 223 for two of them) when answers are not black and white. He does go on to answer the question, acknowledging that when it comes to choosing native plants and using them, there are factors that must be considered.

If you’d like to read an interview with him about the book, the Associated Press interviewed him in April about it. Here is a link to that interview. 

I found the interview while I was looking for the answer to a question of my own: why 499 questions? Why not 500? It was a strange point but I was curious so I contacted him. He said it was the publisher’s choice and that he could have included more. 

I’d say that the intense interest that he’s had since 2006 (and all the questions that people ask!) indicates that the desire to be more impactful in the home landscape is growing nicely.

Plant an oak!

A resource section and index is included at the end of the book.

May 2025 Moment in Nature

You've got to celebrate those plants that take your breath away. This week I rounded the corner to my backyard and caught sight of this plant: bigleaf snowbell (Styrax grandifolius). It's been in that location for a number of years, blooming modestly over time. This year the bloom volume is amazing. Every single branch sports these small white flowers and the overall effect is more magical than my camera can capture.

Bigleaf snowbell (Styrax grandifolius)

Native bee on snowbell

As I tried to capture the beauty, the gentle hum of two bees indicated they were going after the pollen and nectar of these graceful blooms. While this was certainly my #momentinnature for May, it's been extra special to visit this small tree all week to enjoy it again and again.

Spring is an amazing time. Get out there and find your moments.