My sister said she only buys plants with names she can pronounce

We were at the garden center in Austin and she pointed at a Monstera, calling it 'that swiss cheese plant'. It made me think maybe all the Latin names can scare new people off. Do you think using common names helps more folks get into botany?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilyt239d ago

My mom calls her snake plant 'that pointy one' and it's still alive.

kimr919d ago

Used to roll my eyes at common names, but seeing my friend finally keep a 'ZZ plant' alive changed my mind completely.

cora_west59d ago

I read an article that said common names stick because they're easy to remember. The writer pointed out that 'ZZ plant' is just much simpler than trying to say 'Zamioculcas zamiifolia' when you're at the garden center. It makes sense why those names become popular.