True story this! My next door neighbours child put a red berry from an arum in my garden in her mouth and started screaming with the burning. Her mother, panicking rang the poisons unit in the hospital calling the plant Jack in the Pulpit. The guy with the big book in the hospital told her he had, I think, eleven plants listed with that name!! One, I remember, was from Tasmania. Obviously sorted it out in time, but it always think it is a good example of the very good reasons for trying to engage with the botanical names.
Gypsophila here, too. Or now that I come to say it to myself gypsophily which I know isn't right.
as has just been said, the botanical name gives so much help in understanding the plant and it's needs in terms of position, support, soil etc. for instance, forsythia Formosa comes from a warm forested place so one might guess it needs other tall things to scramble through. Labradorica would give the idea a plant would cope with cold areas, and the word racemosa describes it's structure, racemes. And so on. But it's great that there is no end to the learning, something like cooking or literature. Having a name stuck on, like Bowles', or wilsonii, doesn't help much and refers to its discoverer or whoever brought it to these regions. I believe there is a general guideline in pronouncing the Latin names, and that is , that the second last syllable is the one to be stressed, tho that is far from infallible.
I have absolutely no objection to using the botanical name for a plant, but the reason I posted the common name is because I couldn't remember the botanical name. As I said, it took me a couple of years to stumble upon the name of the plant and when I finally found it I could have sworn I'd bookmarked the page, but evidently I didn't. Had I remembered the botanical name there would have been no need for me to post this topic! It had nothing to do with inverted snobbery, just a bad memory. I had a vague recollection that the page I had seen on the internet about this plant mentioned the fact that it was commonly known as a Bumble Bee plant because of its marked attraction to bees, and it stuck in my head because the very reason I liked the plant is that attraction to bees. That's all....
Pariate, Please, please don't think anyone was mocking your use of the common name. It certainly wasn't my intention, nor I'm sure of others. If you only know the common name, then that's good enough to go on, but the thread just developed. Please don't think it was in any way a swipe at you , or anyone else who uses common names. I'm sorry if I caused any offence.
Pariate - the good thing is that now you know what plant you liked and can ask for it at a GC if you don't see it yourself. I've never heard of it being called Bumble Bee plant and was quite surprised at that as I've never seen it as a plant which was particularly loved by bees, that's why I suggested Cotoneaster! I have a white Escallonia as I don't like the pink ones. I like the botanical names simply because it often gives you the description of the plant and makes it easier if you're looking for something specific online or at a nursery.
I pronounce Heuchera the same way Hostafan. My Dad was a Londoner, but after living up here for a very long time he was able to say 'loch' without any problem!
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Okay, sorry that I misinterpreted! To be honest, because I know so little about gardening, I tend to think that all my questions must make experienced gardeners despair somewhat, but was really worried by the thought that I was guilty of a true gardening faux pas!
Thank you all for your help on the plant, I'm so, so glad I've found it again, and thank you also for your last few posts reassuring me about my last post.
*Trots off to post another thread about planting climbers on supports, hoping that this won't be another obviously newbie question*
Okay, sorry that I misinterpreted! To be honest, because I know so little about gardening, I tend to think that all my questions must make experienced gardeners despair somewhat, but was really worried by the thought that I was guilty of a true gardening faux pas!
Thank you all for your help on the plant, I'm so, so glad I've found it again, and thank you also for your last few posts reassuring me about my last post.
Trots off to post another thread about planting climbers on supports, hoping that this won't be another obviously newbie question*
We like it when we get a few easier questions pariate - it means we stand a good chance of knowing the answers
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
True story this! My next door neighbours child put a red berry from an arum in my garden in her mouth and started screaming with the burning. Her mother, panicking rang the poisons unit in the hospital calling the plant Jack in the Pulpit. The guy with the big book in the hospital told her he had, I think, eleven plants listed with that name!! One, I remember, was from Tasmania. Obviously sorted it out in time, but it always think it is a good example of the very good reasons for trying to engage with the botanical names.
Gypsophila here, too. Or now that I come to say it to myself gypsophily which I know isn't right.
as has just been said, the botanical name gives so much help in understanding the plant and it's needs in terms of position, support, soil etc. for instance, forsythia Formosa comes from a warm forested place so one might guess it needs other tall things to scramble through. Labradorica would give the idea a plant would cope with cold areas, and the word racemosa describes it's structure, racemes. And so on. But it's great that there is no end to the learning, something like cooking or literature. Having a name stuck on, like Bowles', or wilsonii, doesn't help much and refers to its discoverer or whoever brought it to these regions. I believe there is a general guideline in pronouncing the Latin names, and that is , that the second last syllable is the one to be stressed, tho that is far from infallible.
I have absolutely no objection to using the botanical name for a plant, but the reason I posted the common name is because I couldn't remember the botanical name. As I said, it took me a couple of years to stumble upon the name of the plant and when I finally found it I could have sworn I'd bookmarked the page, but evidently I didn't. Had I remembered the botanical name there would have been no need for me to post this topic! It had nothing to do with inverted snobbery, just a bad memory. I had a vague recollection that the page I had seen on the internet about this plant mentioned the fact that it was commonly known as a Bumble Bee plant because of its marked attraction to bees, and it stuck in my head because the very reason I liked the plant is that attraction to bees. That's all....
Don't take the discussion re 'proper names' personally pariate.
Discussion wandered off the original question once it was solved.
Wandering off is a specialty of the forum
In the sticks near Peterborough
Pariate, Please, please don't think anyone was mocking your use of the common name. It certainly wasn't my intention, nor I'm sure of others. If you only know the common name, then that's good enough to go on, but the thread just developed. Please don't think it was in any way a swipe at you , or anyone else who uses common names. I'm sorry if I caused any offence.
Pariate - the good thing is that now you know what plant you liked and can ask for it at a GC if you don't see it yourself. I've never heard of it being called Bumble Bee plant and was quite surprised at that as I've never seen it as a plant which was particularly loved by bees, that's why I suggested Cotoneaster! I have a white Escallonia as I don't like the pink ones. I like the botanical names simply because it often gives you the description of the plant and makes it easier if you're looking for something specific online or at a nursery.
I pronounce Heuchera the same way Hostafan. My Dad was a Londoner, but after living up here for a very long time he was able to say 'loch' without any problem!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Okay, sorry that I misinterpreted! To be honest, because I know so little about gardening, I tend to think that all my questions must make experienced gardeners despair somewhat, but was really worried by the thought that I was guilty of a true gardening faux pas!
Thank you all for your help on the plant, I'm so, so glad I've found it again, and thank you also for your last few posts reassuring me about my last post.
*Trots off to post another thread about planting climbers on supports, hoping that this won't be another obviously newbie question*
We were all 'newbies' at one time too
A while back we had a thread about all the daft things we had done in our gardens and the mistakes we had made. It was a great laugh!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Glad we've cleared it all up Pairate. As Fairygirl says, we were all newbies at one time.
Post as many threads as you like. In this weather , it's the nearest we get to gardening.
We like it when we get a few easier questions pariate - it means we stand a good chance of knowing the answers
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.