Fun Plant Names

Have you ever wondered who assigns names to plants? Most plants have scientific names that even a Latin enthusiast would stumble over. Fortunately for us common folk, most plants have 'common' names that are much easier to remember. Some of these are really quite clever.
One of my favorites is the Wishbone plant (a.k.a. Torenia Fournieri). The stamen inside the flower literally look like a miniature wishbone. This common name is both descriptive and easy to remember. Once you see the visual image, one is unlikely to forget it's name. Where as the name Torenia might easily slip your mind when you are shopping around next season.

Another plant with an amusing name is the Snapdragon (a.k.a. Antirrhinum majus) . Try viewing the flowers from the side instead of from above. With a little bit of imagination one can see the flower as the head of a traditional dragon, crest and all. The "mouth" of the flower will even pop open and snap shut with slight pressure on the base of the flower. This is an especially amusing treat when walking through the garden with children.

My third entertaining 'common' name for the day is the lovely little balloon flower(a.k.a. Platycodon grandiflorus). When this plant is tightly budded it looks very much like a bunch of little pink, white, or blue balloons floating above the plant. If one gently squeezes the flower you can feel the air pressure inside. Warning! Squeeze too tightly and the bud will 'explode' prematurely and die. The balloon flower will pop open in it's own time to become a beautiful flower.

These three names are my top favorites of all the common names of flowers that I have encountered. I think each of them are descriptive and easy to remember. Heard any good ones yourself?