Women's Names That Are Also Plant, Flower Names

A famous Veronica is Saint Veronica, a woman associated with a miracle-story. Saint Veronica is said to have wiped Christ's face with a veil during his Calvary ordeal. His image is said to have been transferred onto this cloth, which came to be known as the "Veil of Veronica," a relic not unlike the Shroud of Turin.

In terms of plants, the genus, Veronica can take many forms. Veronica umbrosa 'Georgia Blue' is a vine-like ground cover that stays short as it sprawls across the earth. I, myself grow Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' in my landscaping. It's an upright type with flower spikes (a bit like a salvia). To learn more about it, click the link below.

You get a two-for-one deal with heather. That's because the plant, heather belongs to the Erica genus. So whether your mom is named Heather or Erica, this plant would be an appropriate Mother's Day gift for her.

Heather Locklear is one of the more famous Heathers.

What I grow, specifically, is called a "winter jasmine" plant (Jasminum nudiflorum). Since it's only borderline-hardy in my region, I go to great lengths to protect this plant from cold. First of all, I located it in a microclimate: namely, on the south side of my house, where temperatures are warmer than elsewhere on my property.

But I wasn't content with taking that one measure to shield it from winter's fury. In addition, using 2x4s and plastic, I built a shelter for my winter jasmine. I keep it within its shelter from December to March. On warm days during this period, I lift the lid on the shelter so as not to "cook" my winter jasmine plant.

One of the better-known Jasmines is a Disney cartoon character.

Whenever I hear "Daphne," I can't help but think of the character on one of my favorite TV sitcoms, Frasier, played by Jane Leeves. Jane may be better known in some circles for her role in Hot in Cleveland (she also appeared in Seinfeld when she was quite young), but I'll always think of her as Daphne.

The plant, Daphne is a shrub. It puts out clusters of flowers in spring. While the flowers are pretty, I value them much more for the divine way they smell. The particular type I grow, Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie,' has another cool feature: it has variegated leaves.

Holly is not grown for its flowers, its outstanding features being its foliage and/or berries. This fact does not, however, mean that you shouldn't pay attention to holly flowers. Hollies are dioecious, so it behooves you to provide a male plant if you expect your female to yield berries. Problem is, it's not that easy to tell a male holly from a female. To do so, you have to study the flowers closely.

Regarding our topic of women's names that are also plant or flower names, Holly Hunter probably comes to mind first for many as one of the plant's namesakes in the human world.

Susan has, of course, for decades been one of the more common women's names that are also plant or flower names. For that matter, it's been one of the more common women's names, period, for a long time. You can probably name numerous well-known Susans, both historical figures and stars in pop culture. One of the most-discussed Susans of recent years is the singer, Susan Boyle.

The popularity of the name, Susan seems fitting, because black-eyed susan is an extremely common flower. Sometimes, its ubiquitousness is held against it ("common" is, unfortunately, often equated with "not worth growing" in the gardening community). That's too bad, because black-eyed susan has numerous good qualities to recommend it. Click the link below to learn more about it.

Growing this plant comes with a caveat, as I explain in the article linked to below. The "creeping" in the name is a giveaway as to the viny growing habit of Lysimachia nummularia. Knowing this growth habit should readily inspire you with ideas on how to use it, including as a ground cover or at the edges of container gardens (where it can spill over the edge).

Jenny is, of course, short for Jennifer, as in Jennifer Lopez.

You have to be careful not to offend mom with this one. If you wish to be on the safe side, downplay the "witch" part of the name (there is, after all, such a thing as a plain old "hazel" tree). If that doesn't work and your back is up against the wall, you can always refer to the Anglo-Saxon derivation I provide in the article linked to below.

I'm sure there are more famous Hazels, but when I hear the name, I always think of the character Shirley Booth played in the TV sitcom, Hazel.

Keeping Up Appearances was a British sitcom funny enough to make an Anglophile out of just about anybody with a sense of humor. The core of the show was Hyacinth, and she had three sisters who also bore women's names shared by plants or flowers: Rose, Daisy (both of which I mention below) and Violet.

Hyacinths are spring bulb plants. You can learn more about the flower, hyacinth by clicking the "More Info" link. But note, first, that there's another spring bulb called "grape hyacinth."

The rose is an immensely popular flower. It's a symbol of Valentine's Day. Moreover, if you tell people that you're a flower gardener, many will automatically assume that you grow roses, among whatever other flowers you may have planted.

In fact, the rose is so popular that some plants that have nothing to do with roses nonetheless bear "rose" in their name. Examples are:

• Lenten rose
• Rose of Sharon

Continue onto Page 2 for more examples of women's names are also plant or flower names....