Plants get their names through two very different systems. Every plant has a universal scientific name built from Latin and Greek roots, and most also carry one or more common names that vary by region and language. Whether you want to understand the logic behind scientific names, learn why common names can be misleading, or pick a fun nickname for your houseplant, the naming of plants follows patterns worth knowing.
Why Common Names Fall Short
Common names are convenient but unreliable. The tree Nyssa sylvatica, native to the eastern United States, goes by at least four common names: Sour Gum, Black Gum, Black Tupelo, and Pepperidge. Red Maple is called Scarlet Maple or Swamp Maple depending on where you live. Worse, the same common name sometimes refers to completely different plants in different regions. A plant called “ironweed” in Georgia belongs to the genus Sida, while ironweed in the Midwest is an entirely different plant in the genus Vernonia.
Common names can also suggest relationships that don’t exist. Only one of these is a true cedar (genus Cedrus): Japanese Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, and Deodar Cedar. The last one, Deodar Cedar, is the only genuine cedar. The rest belong to four completely unrelated genera. And many rare plants have no common name at all. This is exactly why scientists developed a universal naming system.
How Scientific Names Work
The scientific system for naming plants is called binomial nomenclature, meaning every species gets a two-part name. The first part is the genus (a group of closely related species), and the second is the specific epithet (identifying that one species within the genus). Together they form a unique combination that refers to exactly one kind of plant worldwide, regardless of language.
The formatting rules are simple. Both parts are italicized (or underlined in handwriting). The genus is always capitalized, and the specific epithet is always lowercase. So it’s Rosa indica, never Rosa Indica or Rosa indica. When a genus name like Salvia or Impatiens crosses over into casual use as a common name, you drop the italics and the capital letter: “I planted some impatiens.”
After the first mention, you can abbreviate the genus to its initial: R. indica. If a third name appears, it refers to a subspecies or variety. An author name sometimes follows the species name in formal writing, crediting whoever first described the plant, but you won’t encounter that outside scientific literature.
The Classification Ladder
The two-part name is just the bottom rung of a larger organizational system. Scientists sort plants into eight nested levels, from broadest to most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum (sometimes called division), class, order, family, genus, and species. A rose, for example, sits in the domain Eukarya, kingdom Plantae, phylum Tracheophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae, genus Rosa, species Rosa indica.
For everyday plant lovers, the most useful levels are family, genus, and species. Knowing that a plant belongs to the family Rosaceae tells you it’s related to roses, apples, and strawberries. The genus groups it with its closest relatives. The species pins it down to one specific plant.
What the Latin and Greek Actually Mean
Scientific names aren’t random strings of syllables. They’re built from Latin and Greek roots that usually describe something about the plant. Once you recognize a handful of these roots, unfamiliar names start making sense.
- anthos (Greek): flower. Seen in names like Chrysanthemum.
- phyton (Greek): plant. The suffix -phyta appears in group names like Tracheophyta (vascular plants).
- khloros (Greek): green. The origin of chlorophyll and Chlorophytum (spider plant).
- khrysos (Greek): gold. Chrysanthemum literally means “gold flower.”
- rhodon (Greek): rose or red. Rhododendron means “rose tree.”
- gymnos (Greek): naked. Gymnosperms are “naked seed” plants, like pines, whose seeds aren’t enclosed in fruit.
- sperma (Greek): seed. Combined with gymnos or angio- (vessel) to describe the two great groups of seed plants.
- magni (Latin): large or great.
- bi- (Latin) or di- (Greek): two. Tells you something about the plant comes in pairs.
- monos (Greek): single or alone.
Species names often describe the plant’s appearance, habitat, or origin. A species called alba is white, sylvatica grows in forests, japonica comes from Japan. Names ending in -ensis indicate a place of origin, like canadensis.
Plants Named After People
Many plants carry names honoring a person, usually the botanist who discovered or studied them. These are called eponyms. The person’s surname is Latinized and turned into a specific epithet, typically by adding -ii for a man (as in Magnolia denudata named patterns) or -iae for a woman. Dahlia, the entire genus, honors the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
This tradition has recently come under scrutiny. The upcoming Madrid Code, resulting from amendments approved in July 2024, added a formal recommendation warning botanists to avoid publishing names that could be viewed as inappropriate, disagreeable, or offensive by any national, ethnic, or cultural group. A special committee on ethics in nomenclature will report back at the next International Botanical Congress in Cape Town in 2029.
How New Plant Species Get Named
The rules for naming plants are governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). The most recently published edition is the Shenzhen Code from 2018, though it was amended in Madrid in July 2024, with the resulting Madrid Code expected in print by mid-2025.
To officially name a new species, a botanist must publish a formal description of the plant, including how it differs from related species. The publication must designate a “type specimen,” a specific preserved plant (usually pressed and stored in a herbarium) that serves as the permanent reference point for that name. Think of it as the plant equivalent of a master key: if there’s ever a question about what species a name refers to, scientists go back to that specimen.
The name also needs to be registered with the International Plant Names Index (IPNI). The process involves creating an account, submitting the name details (whether it’s a brand-new name, a new combination, or a replacement), and receiving a unique identifier called a Life Sciences Identifier. That identifier then gets cited in the published description. Without valid publication and a designated type specimen, a name has no official standing.
Naming Your Houseplants for Fun
On the lighter side, giving pet names to houseplants has become a genuine hobby. There’s no wrong approach, but a few strategies tend to produce names that stick.
The simplest method is matching a name to the plant’s personality. Low-maintenance plants that never give you trouble earn sweet names like Honey or Sweetpea. A Venus flytrap might become Bug Eater. You can also draw from the plant’s color or form: “Verde” (Spanish for green) or “Momo” (Japanese for peach) add a little flair.
Celebrity puns are a popular category. A cypress tree becomes Miley Cyprus. A group of herbs becomes the Spice Girls. Three plants on a shelf become Harry, Ron, and Hermione, or the Powerpuff Girls, or Charlie’s Plants. If you have a pair, Bonnie and Clyde or Peanut Butter and Jelly both work. The key is that the name makes you smile when you water them, which, for many plant owners, is reason enough to bother naming them at all.