Do you really need to know those Latin plant names?

Acacia constricta (Whitethorn Acacia)

Have you ever wondered what those tongue twisting Latin plant names mean? Although they may look daunting to pronounce, they actually have a rhyme and reason. Here are a few examples of how to decipher the scientific name of plants and why it pays to know.

Plant names are based on genus and species, specifically referencing a certain plant and recognized everywhere as that plant. Common names are confusing and not accurate; a plant may have several different common names, but only one scientific name. This can have you walking out of the nursery with the wrong plant.

Latin names are descriptive of the plant’s appearance, or in some cases where it comes from. Mexicana in the name means it is from Mexico. Whitethorn acacia, one of our native plants, is called Acacia constricta. It is in the genus Acacia, and the species name, constricta, references the seed pods with deep constrictions between the seeds inside, separating each seed into a chamber.

Many Latin names give you an indication of flower color. For example, plant names with the word alba or albus means they have white flowers or other plant parts. Incanus means gray or hoary; like Poliomintha incanus, which is hoary mint, one of our desert native shrubs. Plants with yellow parts will have names such as citrinus, corceus and luteus.

It pays to know the Latin name over the common name especially when you are selecting plants a bit out of the ordinary. That way you are sure you are getting the exact species you think you are.