Re: Naming of plants

Speaking of mis-identified plants, I just bought a book "Water Gardens" in
the Wayside Collection Series.  Iris xrobusta 'Gerald Darby' is therein
identified as a "siberian iris" and I. laevigata variegata is identified as
"pallida variegata."  At least the latter misidentification could cause
disappointment if the real pallida variegata is planted in water, as shown
in the illustration.

Naturally none of us knows everything about every plant, but when you see
mistakes made like this in what you do know, it shakes your confidence in
the rest of the book....

However, I take Graham's point.  Why should a nursery operator change the
name of a plant in his catalog or fields just because someone of whom he
knows nothing tells him he's wrong?  My friend the operator of the local
garden center had for sale a large number of cuttings of 'Goldheart' ivy a
few years ago.  A well-known gardener in this area maintained vigorously
that the plants were mislabelled, that the true 'Goldheart' had a yellow
edge, not a yellow center.  Well, of course, he was wrong--the plant HE was
growing as 'Goldheart' was incorrectly labelled.  But not until my friend
dug into three different books on ivies to find photographs of 'Goldheart'
would the gardener be convinced.

Two years ago, Niche Gardens was selling 'Iris ruthenica.'  I bought a
clump but became immediately suspicious of its size and foliage form.  Sure
enough, when it bloomed it was good old Iris sanguinea, though a rather
unusual, narrow-flowered clone of that species.  When I alerted Kim Hawkes
to the error, I was careful to identify myself as a long-time iris grower
and mentioned my forthcoming book--also being sure to be as tactful as
possible.  Evidently Kim checked round and found I was right; the cost of
the plant was refunded and it did not appear in subsequent catalogs.

I think, if approached in the right way, most nursery operators will at
least consider sound advice on labelling.  There are always those like
Spring Hill, though, which will not respond.  Response may be inversely
related to size of operation, and to concern for quality control!

Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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