How to Use Botanical Latin

You can’t get very far as a gardener without using Botanical Latin. Even names you take for granted (Gladiolus, Nasturtium, Rhododendron) are Latin. It is fun & useful to know the common names of plants. Latin names are essential.

Every plant has at least 2 names; the genus & the species. Sometimes there are additional names for subspecies, varieties & cultivars.

The plural of genus is genera. The plural of species is species. These are abbreviated as sp. for species singular & spp. as species plural. Subspecies is abbreviated as ssp., variety as var.

When writing Botanical Latin, capitalize the genus but not the species, subspecies or variety.

Do not worry about mispronouncing Latin names. Each name is pronounced many ways. Listen to people say a name. Pronounce it the way most do, or the way that sounds most pleasing to you.

It is proper to pronounce latinized surnames (Franklinia, Lobelia, Weigela) as they are in the original language. This is seldom done, for obvious reasons.  How many foreign languages can you correctly pronounce?

Cultivar names are almost always not Latin. This is now a rule for naming cultivars. Some Latin cultivar names (‘Alba’, ‘Nana’, ‘Variegata’) were retained from the past. Cultivar names are capitalized & enclosed in single quotation marks.

Buy a dictionary of Botanical Latin to learn the meaning of plant names & for whom plants were named. You may be surprised to read that many Botanical Latin names are Greek (Iris, Hydrangea, Narcissus).

Recommended Reference Book:

Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners
William T Stearn
Cassell Publishers

The Red Garden

 

Lobelia tupa June 2009

Lilium pardalinum June 2009

 

Heuchera americana ‘Bronze Beacon June 2009

 

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ March 2010

Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’ March 2010

Red is vivid, warm, hot. Here are some plants to redden to your garden with foliage, flowers & fruit. Not many plants have red foliage, even fewer purple. Both are included below.  Red flowers range from tomato to wine. Combine them to create striking effects. Wine-red flowers blend with blue & purple, tomato-red with orange & yellow.  Pink flowers look very nice against red or purple foliage.  Lilium pardalinum (Leopard Lily) is a California native that frows well in the Pacific Northwest.  Lobelia tupa is a xeric Chilean native, probably the biggest Lobelia you have ever seen!  Sinocalycalycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine' was named for Richard Hartlage, a director of the Center for Urban Horticulture. See it at the Miller Garden.

Plant List

Small Trees

Acer circinatum (Vine Maple): red fall color

Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ or ‘Garnet’ (Japanese Maple): red foliage

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree): red fruit
Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea': purple foliage

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (Eastern Redbud): purple foliage

Shrubs

Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’: red foliage

Callistemon rigidus or subulatus (Bottlebrush): red flowers

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’: red flowers

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple': purple foliage

Daphniphyllum macropodum: red petioles

Hebe anomala ‘Purpurea Nana’: purple foliage

Hydrangea ‘Lady in Red’: red flowers & purple foliage

Hypericum androsaemum ‘Albury Purple’: purple foliage

Nandina domestica ‘Plum Passion’ (Heavenly Bamboo): purple foliage

Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ (Ninebark): dark reddish foliage

Pieris ‘Forest Flame’: red new foliage

Rhododendron ‘Jean Marie de Montague’: red flowers

x Sinocalycalycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine': red flowers

Viburnum sargentii ‘Onondaga’: red new growth & fall color

Weigela florida ‘Java Red’: red foliage & flowers

Perennials: most with red flowers

Achillea ‘Paprika’ or ‘Cerise Queen’ (Yarrow)

Astilbe ‘Fanal’ (Ostrich Plume)

Centranthus ruber (Valerian)

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Flaming Iris)

Eucomis ‘Oakhurst’ (Pineapple Lily): purple foliage

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Wood Spurge): red roliage

Gladiolus ‘Atom’

Hemerocallis ‘Cranberry Cove’ or ‘Red Volunteer’ (Daylily)

Hesperaloe parviflora (Red Yucca)

Heuchera americana ‘Bronze Beacon’: purple foliage

Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’ (Japanese Blood Grass): red foliage

Knautia macedonica

Kniphofia ‘Nancy’s Red’ (Red Torch LIly)

Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’: purple foliage

Lilium pardalinum (Leopard Lily)

Lobelia tupa

Paeonia ‘America’ or ‘Kansas’ (Peony)

Papaver orientale ‘Brilliant’ (Poppy)

Penstemon pinifolius

Schizostylis coccinea (Crimson Flag)

Sedum ‘Matrona’: purple foliage

Trillium chloropetalum

Tulipa vvedenskyi

Groundcovers & Trailers

Ajuga reptans ‘Bronze Carpet’ (Carpet Bugle): red foliage

Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen): red berries

Sedum ‘Bertram Andersen’: purple foliage

Sedum ‘Vera Jameson’: purple foliage

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Purpureum’: red foliage

Thymus serpyllum ‘Coccineum’ (Red Thyme): red flowers

Dry Shade

Trillium ovatum & Dicentra formosa March 2010

 Ribes sanguineum March 2010

Gaultheria shallon August 2008

Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain' May 2009

Ajuga reptans & Fragaria vesca April 2009

It can be difficult to find plants for Seattle gardens that will grow well in dry shade. Most shade plants prefer moisture. Plants that tolerate dry shade often grow better in part sun. Most of the plants listed below do better in light or partial shade than in deep shade.  Shade can be lightened by pruning the lower branches off overhanging trees.  It is always wise to plan for dry shade to limit supplemental water use. But it is more realistic to water sparingly during summer, than to expect shade plants to do entirely without water. Many of the plants listed below are Washington native plants.  Gaultheria shallon, Mahonia repens & Vaccinium ovatum are Washington native shrubs that do well in dry shade with no supplemental water. Helleborus x hybridus, Maianthemum dilatatum & Polystichum munitum are plants that grow well in shade with little supplemental water.

Shrubs

Aucuba japonica

Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Strawberry Tree)

Berberis darwinii (Barberry)

Buxus (Boxwood)

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ (Dwarf Hinoki Cypress)

Corylus (Hazel)

Elaeagnus pungens (Silverberry)

Euonymus fortunei

Garrya issaquahensis (Silk Tassel)

Gaultheria shallon (Salal)

Ilex cornuta (Chinese Holly)

Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)

Ligustrum japonicum (Privet)

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)

Mahonia nervosa

Mahonia repens

Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)

Osmanthus delavayi

Paeonia delavayi (Tree Peony)

Paeonia lutea (Tree Peony)

Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange)

Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)

Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry)

Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Yeddo Hawthorne)

Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant)

Sarcococca ruscifolia (Sweet Box)

Skimmia japonica

Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry)

Viburnum davidii

Perennials

Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf)

Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone)

Campanula latifolia (Bellflower)

Corydalis lutea

Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)

Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Woodspurge)
Euphorbia x martinii

Francoa ramosa (Maiden’s Wreath)

Francoa sonchifolia

Geranium himalayense (Cranesbill)
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'

Geranium macrorrhizum

Geranium pratense

Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican Hellebore)

Helleborus lividus

Helleborus x hybridus

Helleborus x sternii

Heuchera americana

Heuchera micrantha

Hosta sieboldiana

Iris foetidissima

Iris douglasiana

Liriope muscari (Lily Turf)

Luzula sylvatica (Woodrush)

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)

Narcissus jonquilla (Jonquil)

Paeonia peregrina (Peony)

Polygonatum commutatum (Solomon’s Seal)

Polygonatum odoratum

Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)

Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon’s Seal)

Smilacina stellata

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ears)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cup)

Tolmiea menziesii (Piggyback Plant)

Trillium ovatum (Wakerobin)

Vancouveria hexandra

Groundcovers & Trailers

Aegopodium podagraria (Bishop’s Weed)

Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle)

Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower)

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Galium odoratum (Sweet Woodruff)

Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)

Microbiota decussata (Carpet Cypress)

Sedum forsterianum

Sedum spathulifolium

Vinca minor (Dwarf Periwinkle)

How to Make a Garden

1 Choose the site. Define the space. Contain the size. Don’t overwhelm yourself with work. Start on a small scale.

2 Choose the plants: Is the site mostly shady or sunny? Find plant lists appropriate to the site. Choose trees 1st. The globe is warming: plant trees. Anticipate that these trees will cast shade. Choose plants for shade to plant under & north of your trees. Choose lots of shrubs, maybe 10 different kinds. Shrubs are low maintenance. It is okay to plant 1 of a few of them. Balance those with 2 & 3 of other kinds of shrubs. Choose groundcovers. These are essential to control weeds. Choose many different groundcovers. Plant 2 or 3 plants of the same groundcover together. Plant different groundcovers in different parts of the garden. Plant shady groundcovers under shrubs.

3 Buy lots of compost. You can order it by the truckload from Cedar Grove or buy it in bags. Cover the garden site 2 feet deep. Plant in the compost.

4 Buy the plants. No single nursery will have all of the plants you want & need. Call around. Look in the phone book under Nurseries. Google: Seattle Nurseries. Visit ALL of the nurseries near you. Order plants by mail, if they are unavailable locally.

5 Space the plants at appropriate distances. Find out how big these plants will get. Give them enough room. If you don’t, you will have to move (or remove) them later. Plant shady groundcovers under shrubs. Fill spaces between shrubs with groundcovers. Leave some room for perennials.

6 Add a few perennials. You will want the color & excitement of perennial flowers. But don’t use too many. Perennials require much more work than other plants.

7 Cover open ground with mulch. Buy shredded bark. Let fallen leaves be mulch. Put mulch from your compost pile or worm bin over open spaces in the garden. Always mulch around new plantings. Do not put mulch more than 2 inches deep.

8 Patrol your garden regularly: become territorial. Pull up weeds. See that plants don’t shrivel or turn brown from lack of water. Water regularly during summer. Replace dead plants. Make peace with insects & encourage spiders. Speak firmly to destructive animals. Put snails in paper bags & throw them in the yard waste bin.

9 Buy pruning tools. You need pruners, loppers & a folding pruning saw. Go to a big hardware store. Cut off dead & broken branches. Learn about pruning. Buy a book which illustrates pruning & other gardening techniques. The Sunset Western Garden Book is good to start.

10 Invite people to visit your garden. They will give you useful advice. You will be motivated to improve your garden. Their comments will make you proud. Join the Northwest Perennial Alliance & become 1 of the Open Gardens.

Perennials for Shade

Saruma henryi May 2009

Trillium luteum May 2009

 Primula elatior March 2010

Heuchera americana 'Green Spice' April 2010

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' 0609

Corydalis cava March 2010

 Hacquetia epipactis March 2010

Here is a list of shade perennials for gardens in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest & USDA Zone 8.  They provide a range of color, height & texture. Bloom starts early in spring & lasts until summer.  But shade perennials are often prized for their beautiful foliage, instead of their flowers. You will need to keep snails & slugs from disfiguring the large leaves of some of these perennials. Gather them in a paper bag & toss it into the yard waste bin.  A perennial is any plant, not woody, that lives for at least a few years, although some are short-lived.  Perennials include bulbs, ferns & grasses.  Perennial groundcovers are listed in Groundcovers for Shade. Don't allow shade perennials to dry out completely in summer.  Some of these tolerate some dryness, as noted. But most prefer a moist environment.  If your garden is dry, read Dry Shade. Many of these perennials are common in gardens.  But it may take dedicated searching to find sources for all of them.  Although this list is not complete, it is fairly broad.  A single common name is noted when the plant has a common name.  While some have several common names, others have none at all.  Latin names will be most useful to you in finding uncommon plants.  An excellent reference book for perennials is Perennials: The Definite Reference With Over 2,500 Photographs by Roger Phillips & Martyn Rix.

Aconitum (Monkshood): many species

Actaea pachypoda (Doll's Eyes) Actaea rubra (Red Baneberry): berries highly poisonous

Adiantum pedatum (Maidenhair Fern)

Alchemilla mollis (Lady's Mantle): for part shade, tolerates dryness

Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone): tolerates dryness, spreads widely by stolons, Anemone nemorosa (Wood Anemone) Anemone sylvestris (Wood Anemone): spreads widely by stolons

Aruncus aethusifolius, Aruncus dioicus, Aruncus 'Horatio' (Goatsbeard): tolerates some dryness

Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)

Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf): tolerates some dryness

Astilbe (Ostrich Plume): several species & cultivars

Bergenia (Elephant Ears)

Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern): tolerates some dryness

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' (Bugloss)

Campanula latifolia, Campanula takesimana (Bellflower)

Cimicifuga (Bugbane)

Clintonia uniflora (Queen's Cup): & other species

Corydalis cava, Corydalis flexuosa, Corydalis scouleri (Corydalis)

Darmera peltata (Indian Rhubarb)

Deinanthe bifida, Deinanthe caerulea (Deinanthe)

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's Breeches) Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart) Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart, renamed Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Diphylleia cymosa (Umbrella Leaf)

Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove): short-lived, but returns from seed

Doronicum (Leopard's Bane): several species for part shade

Dryopteris erythrosora (Autumn Fern): tolerates some dryness

Eomecon chionantha (Snow Poppy)

Epimedium (Bishop’s Hat): many species

Erythronium dens-canis (Dog-tooth Violet) Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Wood Spurge)

Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)

Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' (Cranesbill) Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)

Glaucidium palmatum (Japanese Wood Poppy)

Hacquetia epipactis (Hacquetia): tolerates some dryness

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Japanese Forest Grass): & other cultivars

Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican Hellebore): part shade, Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten Rose) Helleborus lividus, Helleborus x sternii (H argutifolius x H lividus): all tolerate dryness

Hepatica americana (Liverwort)

Heuchera americana: many cultivars, Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' (Alumroot)

Hosta (Plantain Lily): many species & cultivars

Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf): tolerates some dryness
Kirengeshoma palmata (Yellow Wax Bells)

Ligularia (Leopard Plant): many species

Liriope muscari (Lily Turf): tolerates dryness

Luzula sylvatica (Wood Rush)

Lysichiton americanus (Skunk Cabbage): for wet places

Meconopsis betonicifolia (Blue Himalayan Poppy): & other species

Milium effusum 'Aureum' (Golden Wood Millet)

Mitella breweri, Mitella diphylla (Miterwort)

Omphalodes cappadocica (Navelwort)

Petasites japonicus, Petasites palmatus (Coltsfoot): spreads widely by rhizomes

Podophyllum hexandrum, Podophyllum peltatum (May Apple)

Polygonatum odoratum (Solomon’s Seal): & other species

Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern): tolerates dryness, Polystichum polyblepharum (Tassel Fern) Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield Fern)

Primula (Primrose): many species & cultivars

Pulmonaria (Lungwort): many cultivars

Rodgersia podophylla (Rodgersia): & other species

Saruma henryi (Saruma)

Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon’s Seal): tolerates some dryness

Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup): tolerates some dryness

Thalictrum aquilegifolium (Meadow Rue): for light shade

Tiarella wherryi (Foam Flower)

Tolmiea menziesii (Piggyback Plant)

Tricyrtis (Toad Lily): several species & cultivars

Triosteum pinnatifidum (White Feverwort): tolerates some dryness

Trillium (Wake Robin, Toad Shade): many species

Uvularia grandiflora (Merry Bells)

Viola sempervirens (Pioneer Violet)

Peony Shade Garden (Cascadia Garden)

Erythronium dens-canis & Hepatica americana February 2010

Asarum caudatum February 2010

Trillium chloropetalum April 2009

Heuchera americana 'Bronze Beacon'

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Yoshinogawa' May 2009

The best part of the Cascadia Garden began with a pink single Paeonia suffruticosa in 1997. Enchanted by the huge pink flowers, I added 4 more between 2001 & 2006. By the spring of 2007 there was enough shade to plant a variety of woodland perennials. After a colorful display of red & orange fall foliage, evergreen & early-blooming perennials are clearly visible beneath the Paeonia suffruticosa until late spring.  Erythronium, Hepatica, Heuchera & Trillium are my favorite plants that hug the ground.

Plant List

Shrubs

Paeonia suffruticosa: pink single

Paeonia suffruticosa: pink double

Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Renkaku’

Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Yoshinogawa’

Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Zi Er Giao’ (see photo above)

Perennials

Aruncus aesthusifolius (Dwarf Goat’s Beard)

Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)

Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern)

Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Bugbane)

Corydalis cava

Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)

Epimedium pinnatum colchicum

Erythronium dens-canis (Dog Tooth Violet)

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Wood Spurge)

Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ (Cranesbill)

Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)

Hacquetia epipactis

Hakonechloa macra ‘Albo Striata’ (Japanese Forest Grass)

Helleborus lividus (Hellebore)

Hepatica americana (Liverwort)

Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’

Heuchera americana ‘Bronze Beacon’

Heuchera americana ‘Green Spice’

Heuchera americana ‘Plum Pudding’

Heuchera americana ‘Velvet Night’

Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ (Solomon’s Seal)

Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)

Primula x juliana ‘Wanda’ (Primrose)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)

Trillium chloropetalum (Giant Trillium)

Trillium cuneatum (Bloody Butcher)

Trillium luteum (Yellow Toadshade)

Trillium ovatum (Western Wake Robin)

Trillium sessile (Toadshade)

Groundcovers

Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger)

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)

Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel)

Sedum forsterianum

The Development of the Cascadia Garden

  Paeonia suffruticosa May 2009

 

Eucomis Circle August 2008

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ January 2009

A slender form of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana March 2009 

 Mt Rainier at dawn from the Cascadia Garden January 2010

The Cascadia Garden began in 1920. Betula pendula, Camellia japonica, Erica carnea, Pieris japonica, Hybrid Tea Roses, Weigela coraeensis, Aucuba japonica, Rhododendron ‘Pink Pearl’ & Skimmia japonica were planted during the 1st 40 years.  Those plants were here when I moved to the property with my parents in 1961, at the age of 2 years.

From 1961 to 1992, the Cascadia Garden was developed mainly by my father. Native plants were transferred from his parents' property on Phantom Lake in the City of Bellevue. Chief among them were Acer circinatum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Gaultheria shallon, Mahonia aquifolium & nervosa, Polystichum munitum & forest perennials Achlys triphylla, Dicentra formosa, Maianthemum dilatatum & Oxalis oregana.  In 1970 Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ was planted. Many hybrid Rhododendron were added during the 1980s. Most of the original garden plants were removed with the notable exceptions of the large & gnarled Pieris japonica & the vigorous Weigela coraeensis. Rhododendron 'Pink Pearl' was relocated. 

After I returned to the property in 1992, development of the garden increased dramatically. A wide array of plants was added. Many smaller gardens were made. A perennial border was begun in 1993 which gradually became a mixed border of blue & yellow, called the Entry Border.

In 1994 the lawn was replaced with a small vegetable garden, a large perennial garden, a rock garden & a xeric garden.  5 Paeonia suffruticosa were planted in the perennial garden. Within 5 years they had grown enough to shelter a garden of woodland perennials beneath. The Peony Shade Garden underplanting was begun in 2003. A slender, pendulous form of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana  had seeded in from nearby gardens. Some were transplanted to better sites. The Bosque was gradually created in the southwest corner of the garden using Acer circinatum, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Sorbus gonggashanica & Thuja plicata.

In 2004 the xeric garden became the Stony Slope Xeric Garden. The area was retained with low stone walls. Large & small stones were scattered throughout. The ground & path were covered in gravel. Plants from dry, stony, mountainous sites in western North America, western & central Asia were planted.

The rock garden was transformed into the 7-foot-wide Privacy Screen along the northern property line. 2 small gardens were created in front: the Eucomis Circle & the West Coast Perennial Garden.