> Help for Beginners> Understanding Plant Names

Common Plant Names and Linnaeus' Naming Convention
To combat the confusion caused when everyone refers to a specimen by its various common plant names, the naturalist Carl Linnaeus developed the binomial system. The binomial classification is the "scientific" way of referring to a specimen, so everyone knows what you're talking about. The common plant names may seem easier but, in reality, present insurmountable difficulties.

Latin vs Common Plant Names - Hints for Gardeners
How do common plant names fail us? "Knowing what the Latin (and sometimes Greek) words mean can help gardeners with their planning and maintenance chores," writes N. S. Gill. E.g, "if the available area is cramped, a plant with arboreum (tree-like) or altissimum (very tall) in its name, might not be the best choice." Their common plant names may conceal this fact.