DID YOU SAY THE "V" WORD?^©

Nursery growers and other landscape horticulture professionals never cease to amaze me by their extensive knowledge of plant botanical names. Most of us learned botanical names from an early age, perhaps hearing them from our parents, in an educational setting or, in the workplace. Both botanical and common names are a requirement for us to be fluent in our profession. Who among us has not had the temptation to rattle off a long, tongue-twisting name for someone not so well versed in botanical Latin? I have used Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. maximowiczii. Apparently the currently accepted name of that plant is Ampelopsis glandulosa var. heterophylla. Perhaps botanical taxonomists just try to increase our vocabulary.