Episode 184: It's All Greek Retrospective (Part 1)

Are you bewildered by botanical names, typically in Latin, the jargon, or the acronyms surrounding gardening and most other outdoors activities? This series, It's All Greek Retrospective, consists of previously aired podcast segments that provide some insightful descriptions in an attempt to untangle such language puzzles so we can all use the terms as intended... to describe things more accurately.

In this first of three episodes, Master Gardener Jean Thomas discusses a variety of issues and questions about language. Some of the terminology we pretend to understand is reviewed in the first segment. Things like GMO and IPM are decoded, and what is it when scientists talk about a plant's habit? What does it mean if a tomato is described as determinate? And the whole idea of using Latin can be a puzzle.

Jean explains all of these, The second segment goes more deeply into the whole idea of Latin as the international scientific language. Why Latin? And the credit that goes to Carl Linnaeus for devising the system known as binomial nomenclature. Like any other system, it gets bogged down with “improvements.” Taxonomy is the name for the whole system described by binomial nomenclature, and the history of the science of taxonomy is fascinating. For instance, minerals don't get included because the final decision was that only living things can be included. Basically, the assigning of a formal Latin name means that the plant described is always the same plant, not just another with a similar popular name. The third segment delves into how particular use of names can describe color as part of the formal identity. Often the formal name can give a physical description, but also can describe a dominant color. The history buffs enjoy such items as the origin of the phrase “royal purple” and how it came from the ancient Phoenicians and the rare dye they developed from a particular type of sea snail.

This is a digression from plants, but a great example of the use and history of language. Another issue cropping up recently is the use of DNA. Scientists keep reallocating plants to different species and categories according to DNA interrelations that were previously unknown. Clarifications can be confusing.

We hope you find this episode both enlightening and informative.

Host: Jean Thomas
Guest: Jean Thomas
Photo by; Jean Thomas
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources:

• Plant Information | Chicago Botanic Garden
• Plant Finder
• Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Introduction
• Etymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary
• How Do Minerals Get Their Names?
• How Plants are Named
• Intro to Botanical Names Part One: Understanding Names
• Gardening, Lawn, and Landscape | OSU Extension Service
• Welcome | New York State Integrated Pest Management

Last updated July 31, 2025