Why Plants Have a Botanical Name

With hundreds of thousands of known plant species, and over 2,000 new plants being discovered every year, it’s a good thing we have a universally recognized naming system. The botanical name, also known as the scientific name or Latin name, is made up of two names, the genus and species. If you see a third name with quotations, that means it’s a cultivated variety. The botanical name is the same worldwide. You can run into confusion if a plant has a lot of common names. In England, using the common name Aaron’s rod could refer to mullein, but in Scandinavia, it could refer to rose root. Using the botanical name ensures everyone is on the same page.

Learn the Botanical Names of Herbs

With your vegetable and flower garden you are free to choose by color, size, or even by name. Who can resist a ‘Teddy Bear’ sunflower? A pumpkin named ‘Warty Goblin’ deserves a spot in the fall garden. With herbs, however, you need to have knowledge of specific varieties. In the case of the witch hazel shrub, Hamamelis virginiana is the preferred type for herbal use. Not always, but usually cultivars, like ‘Jelena’, do not have a history of traditional use. Finding a good book on herbalism will help you learn which varieties are the ones you want to use. Another good reason to learn is because some herbalists and books will only refer to a plant by its botanical name.

Safety First

Many herbs have different species and each species can have different levels of the plant’s active ingredients. All elderberries’ leaves, stems, roots, and seeds have some level of toxicity from the cyanogenic glycosides they have. Sambucus racemosa, or the red elderberry, has the highest levels of these compounds so it’s best to avoid it for herbal use. The black and blue elderberries, Sambucus nigra, Sambucus canadensis, and Sambucus caerulea, are preferred, as they have the least amount of cyanogenic glycosides, and with proper preparation, are the safest elderberries to use.

Passionflower is an herb known for its sleep-enhancing qualities. Many nurseries have passionflower for sale. But there are over 400 species of passionflower! Passiflora incarnata is what’s used most in traditional medicine.  Passiflora edulis is where we get passionflower fruit from, but isn’t used as an herb as much as incarnata is. Other types might be toxic. Knowing the botanical name is very helpful in this case.

How Planter Can Help

Planter lists the botanical name in the information section of a plant. If a specific variety isn’t listed, you can add one yourself. Check out how to create a custom variety.

Labeling your herbs in Planter is helpful for when some perennial plants disappear in the winter. Let Planter be your garden map and you won’t confuse your Echinacea purpurea with your Echinacea angustifolia in the spring. 

It might seem overwhelming to learn the botanical names, but it’s an important part of having an herbal garden. With a little studying and the help of Planter, you’ll be inviting friends over for a cup of homegrown Melissa officinalis tea in no time.

What Makes a Plant an Herb?

So, first of all, what makes a plant an “herb”? The dictionary tells us an herb is: “a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities”. Herbs can be annuals or perennials. They can be shrubs or trees. They can be disguised as plants you always thought were just ornamental in the garden. Some common garden vegetables are considered herbs! For example, there are many studies on the heart health benefits of garlic.

There are many ways to enjoy herbs. It can be as easy as brewing a cup of tea or adding them to your meals. You can learn the art of making tinctures, salves, and infused oils. One of the best ways to enjoy herbs is just by tending to them and watching them grow. 

Culinary vs. Medicinal Herbs

You already know that we use culinary herbs, like rosemary, to add flavor to food. And you probably know some herbs that are used as supplements, such as Ginkgo biloba.  But people are often surprised to find out that a lot of the herbs sitting in their spice cabinet have a long history of use in traditional medicine! Thyme is an herb that is considered both culinary and medicinal.  Echinacea, on the other hand, is not quite as tasty and is usually only used for enhancing health. Some herbs are also too strong to use more than just a little bit at a time.

The Benefits of Having an Herbal Garden

• A lot of herbs are great for bringing in pollinators 

• Many herbs help repel garden pests

• No need to buy herbs at the store for your cooking

• Plants like nettles can be used to make a garden compost tea for fertilizer

• You can save money by making your own herbal preparations

• Adds to the feeling of self-sufficiency 

• Connects you to your heritage

• Helps you take charge of your well-being

How do I choose?

If you’re ready to add herbs to your space, you might be thinking about where to start. Here are some considerations: 

• How much space do you have? Do you have enough room to have herbs such as elderberries? Or do you need to stick to the patio with container gardening? The good news is that a lot of Mediterranean herbs like thyme, rosemary, and lavender do excellent in pots.
• Do you want herbs mainly for flavoring your cooking?
• Do you have the time for annuals? Or are perennials that come back on their own preferred? 
• Do you want to plan a tea garden?
• Do you want to grow enough herbs to keep a well-stocked home apothecary?

Plants like rosemary, thyme, and sage are good beginner herbs and they tend to be available at most nurseries and garden centers. They are also pretty easygoing. If you’re beyond the beginner herbs, chamomile, yarrow, parsley, and several types of mint are easy to find. For the more unusual herbs you might have to get them from a specialty shop or online. A quick internet search can point you to some medicinal herb companies.

Can I grow herbs in the fall and winter?

Cold-hardy herbs like parsley, bay leaf, winter savory, and some types of rosemary can be grown and harvested in the winter. They can be left outside as long as they have soil with good drainage. If you live in an area with very cold winters, look for varieties that are best for your growing zone. For some, growing herbs indoors is a better choice. Thyme, garden sage, and mint are easy to grow inside. You can often find potted basil at the grocery store too, even in the winter. You might have to supplement with a grow light during the darkest part of the year. Growing herbs indoors during the winter is a great way to pass the time while you dream about spring.

No matter what size garden you’re working with, be sure to include herbs in your garden plan in Planter.

Why Add Berry Plants to Your Garden?

There are many reasons to add berry plants to your garden (not only to eat berries!)

• Berry plants are perennials- they continue growing year after year. They don’t require much upkeep compared to annual crops that need to be nurtured along every growing season.
• Garden-grown berries are more flavorful than the standard grocery store berries. Not to mention how much berries can cost at the store!
• Many berry plants are beautiful to look at and can be grown as part of an eye-catching edible landscape.
• Pollinators love the flowers too, and attracting pollinators to your garden is beneficial for all your fruiting plants.

How to Select Berry Plants

When it comes to choosing which berries to plant, there is a dizzying array of options!

Since berries are perennials, make sure the variety you chose is hardy in your growing zone. Berries also need a minimum number of “chill hours” (essentially, hours below 45°F or 7°C) to produce fruit. If you’re in a zone that has shorter winters, you may need to look into “low-chill” varieties.

With raspberries and blackberries, there are erect, semi-erect, and trailing varieties, referring to how the canes grow. Trailing varieties need to be trellised where erect varieties need minimal support, if any. There are summer-bearing and fall-bearing (also known as everbearing) varieties. Summer-bearing produce one crop of fruit in the summer, where fall-bearing can produce one or two crops from summer to early fall. With raspberries there is color to consider, primarily red, purple, and black. Red raspberries have special knack for spreading, so you may want to look into compact, container-friendly varieties. There are even “thornless” varieties for pain-free harvesting!

Strawberries varieties can also be grouped into a few types: everbearing, June-bearing, and day-neutral- again this mainly refers to when they produce fruit during the season. Everbearing and day-neutral varieties do not produce as many runners as June-bearing, which may be a benefit if you want to control how much your strawberries spread.

Blueberries need acidic soil (PH of roughly 4-5) to grow well. Sort out how you are going to acidify your soil, if needed, before purchasing your blueberry plants. Blueberry varieties are grouped into several types: lowbush (wild), northern highbush, southern highbush, and rabbiteye, which have different preferred growing climates and berry characteristics. Some blueberry varieties need to be cross-pollinated to produce fruit. This means they need another, different variety of blueberry (of the same type) planted nearby.

Flavor is a consideration when choosing berry varieties, but it can be hard to gauge if you’ve never tasted the berry. You can also branch out and try growing berries that might not be as familiar, such as gooseberries, currants, or elderberries (just to name a few!)

How to Plant Berries

For the most part berries need a full-sun location in the garden, and it can help to have some shelter from wind. If you are planting June-bearing strawberries or spreading raspberries, think about how you will contain the sprawl.

Berries are generally planted in spring once the ground is workable and the danger of a hard freeze has passed. It can be challenging to grow berry plants from seeds; most gardeners plant either bare root stock or potted berry plants. If planting bare root berries, soak the roots before planting- 20 minutes for strawberries, 1-2 hours for woodier berries. Dig a hole deep enough so the crown (where the roots meet the stem) is level with the soil surface, but do not bury the crown.

Apply a generous layer of mulch around the base of the plant after planting.

Caring for Berries

Once your berries are planted, the hard part is done! Check Planter for all the details you need to care for your berry plants:

Add some compost and mulch to the base of your berry plants each year. For blueberries, continue with acidifying treatments, if needed. As your plants grow, you may need to protect them from hungry birds and other critters in your area.

The only real maintenance your berries need is pruning (or for strawberries, an occasional cleanup called ‘renovating’). Pruning berry plants properly is crucial for fruit production. When to start pruning and pruning technique varies depending on the type and variety of berry, so research this carefully for the berries you grow.

Add berry plants to your garden (or landscape!) and you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor for many years to come.