The Name Game

Recently, a customer reached out to me with a question about some “Butterfly Bush” she had bought in the spring. Eager to assist, I tried to recall selling this plant to her, but my memory drew a blank. Worried that I might be going la-la, I checked her invoices, and because everything is listed alphabetically by botanical name, I searched for Buddleja, which is the botanical genus for what is commonly known as the Butterfly Bush. My search yielded no results. I then combed through my ordering spreadsheets, wondering if I had perhaps offered a substitute and forgotten about it. Again, nothing came up. 

Example of Buddleja, commonly called a “Butterfly Bush”. Photo by Steven Groeneveld .

Another example of Buddleja. Photo by Arvid Høidahl.

Many of my customers have dozens of suppliers, so thinking this may be a case of mistaken identity, I asked for more information. A photo of the plants was sent, and to my surprise, they were Lantana, not Buddleja. Never had I heard of Lantana being referred to as “Butterfly Bushes”! I could certainly understand why, because they’re pollinator magnets in summer, but “Butterfly Bush” is generally a common name used for Buddleja varieties (or Buddleia, if you’re not old school).

Example of Lantana. Photo by Encal Media.

Curious, I searched online for common names associated with Lantana. It goes by several names: Shrub Verbena, Wild Sage, West Indian lantana, Spanish Flag, and Tickberry. “Tickberry” tickled my fancy because Lantana berries do resemble ticks, but there was no mention of “Butterfly Bush” in conjunction with Lantana. Waves of relief washed over me that I wasn’t going la-la, but it was tinged with a bit of frustration because the time spent looking through paperwork for one plant, only to have it turn out to be another plant, wasn’t at all welcome at that time.

How does this happen? I suspect my customer grew up calling Lantana “Butterfly Bush” because it attracts butterflies, and the name stuck. The common name “Butterfly Bush” generally refers to a different plant called a Buddleja that is also popular among pollinators.  

The funny thing about misnaming something is that the name tends to stick. My father was called Arthur, and his middle name was Robert. His mother disliked Arthur, so she called him Bob. Everyone else called him Bill. I have no idea where Bill came from, but he was known as Bill until the day he died. It stuck, even though it wasn’t accurate or a nickname.

Similarly, one homeowner will talk with another, and suddenly, a whole neighborhood of people are pointing at Lantana and calling it a Butterfly Bush. Then that spreads like the flu, and people all over the county are referring to Lantana as Butterfly Bushes. Why is this noteworthy? When many, many different species of plants attract butterflies, the potential for confusion rises exponentially. Imagine going into a garden center, asking where the butterfly bushes are, and being shown several dozen totally different types of plants! If you asked for Buddleja, you’d only be shown one type of plant.

Generic common names are rife within the plant world, and they will never go away. Before becoming occupationally involved, I called plants whatever I had heard them being referred to as. Their botanical name was irrelevant, unpronounceable, and had no significance for me whatsoever. I wasn’t as bad as a friend of mine who could never remember even the common names and referred to every plant by its location, e.g. “You know! That plant in the pot by the back door”. She had a couple of dozen plants in pots by the back door, so drilling down on which one she was talking about usually took a while, especially if we were on the phone and I couldn’t see the gestures indicating which side of the door she was talking about or the size of the pot.

Life would be a lot easier if the common names of plants were unique and memorable. “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue” is a good example. I remember learning that one as a small child, but not the botanical name, which is Dracaena trifasciata.

Dracaena trifasciata, commonly known as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”. Photo by Feey Flanzen.

There are some uncommonly fascinating common names for plants. A couple of my favorites are “Hogwallow Starfish” and “Turkey Tangle Frogfruit”. For those who enjoy a walk on the wild side, there are “Naked Man Orchids” and “Hooker’s Lips”. Of lesser appeal but quite memorable are names like “Corpse Flower”, “Giant Hogwart”, “Sneezeweed”, “Pokeweed”, and “Skunk Cabbage”. As a fan of all things Harry Potter, I am looking forward to an opportunity to inquire about a “Giant Hogwart” as soon as possible.

The common names for plants can be anything. I could make them up, and so could you, but the problem with that is nobody would know which plant we’re talking about. To a lesser extent, the same applies to more widely known common names, with “daisy” being one of them. There is only one genus of plant for which this common name is accurate, and that’s Bellis. There are over 20,000 species of Bellis daisies. The Margarita Daisy is not one of them, and neither is the Shasta Daisy. Just because the flower resembles your lawn daisy in shape and appearance does not mean that the plant it’s on is a member of the Daisy (Bellis) family!

What I am referring to here is the biological classification from broadest to most specific. The order is:

Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species

In the plant world, it is usually Family, then Genus, and then Species that you might see references to, plus a cultivar name if it has one. The botanical name for the common English Daisy is Bellis (genus) perennis (species), and it is a member of the Asteraceae family of plants. You might also see botanical names presented as B. perennis, with the genus abbreviated.

English Daisy (Bellis perennis). Photo by Dmitry Burdakov

The experts in naming and classifying plants are called plant taxonomists. Guided by the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (ICN), they identify, name, and classify plants. Classifications can change as new characteristics are discovered, reflecting the evolving understanding of plant relationships and ensuring the accuracy of botanical names.

All of this sounds very convoluted, but the key takeaway is that Bellis perennis will never be officially known as a Butterfly Bush. Not ever. If you are seeking a remedy for English Daisies in your lawn, you won’t find it by looking at a list of herbicides for invasive grass because grasses are in a different family and genus of plants. If you want to plant English Daisies, you will be disappointed if you purchase a packet of Margarita Daisy seeds. Or Shasta Daisy seeds. The flowers may look similar, but they’re not the same plant. Not even close.

‘Becky’ Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky'). Photo by Judith Paul 

You don’t need to be a plant nerd to communicate effectively. All you need to know is that there is a difference between a common name and a ‘proper’ botanical name. Also, the common name can’t be trusted. Not all Butterfly Bushes are the same. Sometimes they’re Lantana. Sometimes they’re Buddleja. Daisies can be ‘real’ daisies, or they might be in the Aster family.

It would be a lot easier if there were only one name for a plant and everyone knew it as that name, but that also means that I would not have the pleasure of inquiring with the nice gentleman at the garden center about getting some Hooker’s Lips. Such are the pleasures of life...

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Article by

Judith Paul

Hi, I'm Judith Paul, with a gardening style best described as “Oooo, there’s a gap over here!” My work history is equally unpredictable (possibly even quirky) and ranges from pulling eel-infested cow carcasses out of creeks to managing multi-million-dollar projects across various industries. I’m a Kiwi (referring to the iconic flightless bird of NZ, not the fruit) who has also lived in Australia. Currently, I run a licensed and inspected plant propagation nursery in North Carolina (USA) when I’m not teaching, writing, or editing.