Summary
Are you peculiar about howplantsget their names?Names for plantscome from all variety of place , admit animate being , geographical features , and even people . While the two - term naming system in Latin ( also calledbinary language ) for animal andplant identificationdidn’t amount into burden until the mid-1700s , humans have long had commonplant names(even beforeplant identifierapps ) . Whether taking afterfamous namesorhistoric name , there are thousands ofplantsand cultivars named after people .
plant scientist name plants afterroyals , such as Queen Anne ’s Lace and Sweet William , or in the case of St John ’s Wort , after prophets from biblical metre . Learn more about sevenplant namesthat come from real people .
1Queen Anne’s Lace
Which queen is this crown-like flower named after?
Queen Anne ’s Lace ( Daucus carota ) is one of the most popularnames for plantsafter a person , but peculiarly , historians are n’t entirely sure which Queen Anne got this laurels . King James I had a wife appoint Queen Anne ( of Denmark ) , who live on from 1574 to 1619 . Lace was democratic during this clip , and some legends land that the Queen Anne ’s Lace blossom resemble Queen Anne ’s headdress , which was showy and tightly - knit like the white-hot flowers in nature .
However , the stock ofhistoric namesandplant namesis often disputed based on the source . Historians mostly correspond that this plant is more likely to have-to doe with to Queen Anne II ( 1665 to 1714 ) . After 18 pregnancies , she only had one subsist fry . As such , Queen Anne ’s Lace is commonly associate with child loss . Queen Anne II also , according to caption , contain a contest to produce a piece of lace asstunning as the flower . None were able to , so the flora took the name , " exist lacing . "
Other usual name for Queen Anne ’s Lace :
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2Sweet William
Meaning protector, William is a popular name for royals
Are you a connoisseurplant identifier ? Sweet William ( Dianthus barbatus ) is another stunning flowering flora that alludes aroyal connection , but no one is quite sure which William the plant takes after . Manysources statethat thefamous namecomes from William Augustus , duke of Cumberland . He led British forces in the Battle of Culloden in 1746 .
However , others state that the name hunt back to Thomas Tusser ( 1524 to 1580 ) , an English poet . The first mention of the plant date to 1596 by herbalist John Gerard . Whichever story is true , Sweet William comes in a variety of colors , including , red ( most vulgar in the furious ) , white , pinkish , imperial , and bi - colour .
Common names for Sweet William include :
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3Clematis Elizabeth
Named after one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history
What is one of the mostfamous namesin the universe of flora cultivar ? During her 70 - twelvemonth sovereignty , there were countlessplantsand cultivars named in accolade of Queen Elizabeth II . Born in 1926 , she was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth kingdom from 1952 until her death in 2022 , making her the longest - reign monarch butterfly in British Commonwealth history .
There aremany roses named in her honor , but theclematisis one of the most salient and well - known names for plants after the Queen . While theClematis ' Elizabeth ' is a cultivar , it was one of the firstplant namesfor Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s .
create spectacular wan - pinkish petal , this Montana Group cultivar is ahardy plantthat can live up to 50 years .
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4St John’s Wort
Ancient plant names from biblical times
What ’s one of the mosthistoric namesfor plants ? St John ’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) is aperennial planttraditionally used in medicine as far back as ancient Greece . The name comes from John the Baptist , a Jewish preacher in the early 1st century . The banquet of John the Baptist is a holiday celebrating this famous figure and coincides with the month that this flower oftenblooms , June . Its bright yellow blooming make it leisurely to know , meaning you should n’t call for aplant identifier .
St John ’s wort has medicinal properties , and people use St John ’s wort to plow wounds , depression , and insomnia . However , the flora is also be intimate to react with sure medicinal drug , such as anti - downer .
Common names for St John ’s wort :
Image credits:Bernard Spragg via Wikimedia Commons
Always consult your doctor before consuming any plant life .
5Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass
A more modern discovery brings grasses to life
Feather reed grass is anadmired decorative grassaddition for manyperennial gardens , but did you know it also has ahistoric name ? Karl Foerster ( 1875 to 1970 ) , a German gardener , discovered this coinage in the thirties . As the tale go , he was riding a train and pulled the emergency brake brake so as to get off and collect the plant , which later took his name .
While the German plant breeder may not be as famous as Queen Elizabeth II , Karl Foerster created newplant namesand successfully crossbreed - bred approximately 370plantsin his lifetime . He is the reason that grass increase in popularity for employment in garden design .
6Coreopsis Jethro Tull
The origins of this name date back further than the rock band
name for plantsaren’t always what they may seem . While a plant name Jethro Tull may conjure in your mindfamous nameslike Ian Anderson and David Goodier of the British rock band , that is not where this sensational plant gets its name . Jethro Tull ( 1674 to 1741 ) was an English agriculturalist and is the most likely source for the name of the plant . Jethro Tull , the piece ( from who the circle Jethro Tull need its name ) , was an farming pioneer who launch the farming revolution , and his inventions and ideas helped to advance British agriculture .
He invented the horse - drawn semen drill , leave for row planting , and easy weeding . plant in rows is still a system that gardener are familiar with and utilize today .
Common name for Coreopsis Jethro Tull :
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7Rebutia Einsteinii
Named after the world’s most famous scientist
Ever wonder if there areplant namesafterfamous names , like the greatest scientist of all clock time ? Wonder no longer , there is a industrial plant named after the celebrated Albert Einstein ( 1879 to 1955 ) . The German - carry theoretical physicist grow the theory of relativity , made meaning contributions to quantum mechanics , and is world - famous for write the world ’s most noted equation ( E = mc2).Much like the humankind himself , thiscactusis rare and alone , and cultivation and propagation are challenge . As such , this would be a good specimen to use a works identifier to reassert .
Alberto Vojtech Fric ( 1882 to 1944 ) , a Czech botanist , had the nickname " Cactus Hunter , " and named this cactus after the great Albert Einstein .
Plant Names That Come From Real People
So where donames for plantscome from ? While many plants take the name of the people who discover or created them , others takehistoric namesorfamous name . Whether it ’s royal like Queen Anne II and Queen Elizabeth II or universe - renowned scientists like Albert Einstein , it ’s great to learn about the origin ofplant figure . There is a lot of significance in a name , and with countless definitions and interpretations , it ’s fascinating to discover what past generations observed about these plants ' key characteristics .
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