When Shakespeare penned his famous lines: “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” he must have been on his way to a marketing meeting. Statistics show that gardening is the number one hobby in the United States; nearly 70 million households participate annually.

Even more staggering is the variety of plant life gardeners have to choose from, and new cultivars are hitting the market all the time. From “Barbara Bush” roses and “Snow Queen” hydrangea to “Big Boy” tomatoes and “Tom Thumb” popcorn—who comes up with these names?

Learning the language of identifying plants in the world-wide botanical community would probably earn you about three credits at any Land-Grant university. Centuries ago, folks with an interest in flora and fauna recognized the need for a global means of identification. Carolus Linnaeus, a Swedish fellow, developed a system using Latin as the root to naming all plants, which has become the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.

The rules are very specific for proper identification. Every tree, shrub, vine and flower that has been found around the world has a unique botanical name, but few of us garden hobbyists refer to a summer squash as a Cucurbita pepo. We remember their common names like the names of old friends.

As it turns out, a rose isn’t just a rose. Like people, roses have defining characteristics and personality traits. We personify them with names like “Ronald Reagan,” “Graham Thomas” and “Barbara Streisand.” And yes, in 2000, plant breeders introduced the “William Shakespeare,” one of the David Austin “English” shrub roses.

And it’s not just roses. “Princess Diana” is a dahlia, “General Eisenhower” a tulip, and “Fat Albert” a blue spruce. Plant breeders have great hopes for plants like “Rock Star” pumpkins, “Queen of the Night” morning glories (yes, they bloom at dusk!) and “Dinnerplate” dahlias.

Back to the original question, “Who comes up with the names?” Sometimes it’s the researcher, who may be a university professor or a home gardener, but often it’s a marketing person. UNH plant biologist Brent Loy told me he’s produced hundreds of experimental pumpkin, squash and melon hybrids. Most of his varieties that made it into commercial production were named by the seed companies, although they did like his choice of “SnackJack” for the snack-seed pumpkin he developed.

I contacted seed companies popular with home gardeners to ask how they name new plant varieties. Flannery Higgins, media relations director for Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine told me they have no formal naming process. Researchers often choose names but occasionally the company hosts contests among employees. A researcher named the new specialty melon “Serenade” while listening to Mozart’s Serenade No. 13. (Perhaps the “Bolero” carrot has a similar history?) The “Diva” cucumber, named in an employee contest, went on to become a 2002 All-America Selections Winner.

Burpee Seeds in Pennsylvania works similarly. Don Zeidler, Burpee’s director of direct marketing, told me the story behind the company’s popular “Big Boy” tomato. One of the breeders in the field exclaimed to David Burpee, “Who's the big boy with the tomato?” The toddler was Burpee’s son Jonathan. That was more than 50 years ago, and “Big Boy” is still a top-seller.

Plant names often give conspicuous clues about a plant’s color, appearance or flavor. Examples from Johnny’s catalogue include “Tendersweet” cabbage, a thin-leafed variety, and “Tom Thumb” popcorn that grows on 3½-foot plants. Burpee has a tomato called “Fourth of July,” which is ready to pick by Independence Day, and sunflowers called “Sunforest” that grow 10 to 15 feet tall.

While many plants are named to honor individuals, others are labeled for the folks who developed them. The New Hampshire farmer, Tom Fox, for example, cultivated “Tom Fox” pumpkins. Countless more may be named after relatives, lovers or, perhaps, just wishful thinking. I found a pea named “Payload,” a tomato known as “Mortgage Lifter,” and Brussels sprouts called “Prince Marvel” (maybe that one has a better chance of getting past your kids’ noses).

As it turns out, a home gardener developed “Mortgage Lifter” in the 1930s. Burpee offers the heirloom tomato and, according to the story in its online catalogue, the fellow grew four of the biggest tomato varieties he could find. He cross-pollinated them over six seasons and bred a cultivar that was not only immense, but tasty, too. The name came from his success at selling the plants for a dollar apiece, and in six years, the garden hobbyist paid off his mortgage.

Perhaps I’ve piqued your curiosity about the variety of plant names you’re finding in seed and nursery catalogues and garden centers across the region. If you are looking for a specific plant, however, your best bet is to learn its Latin name. Several plants sometimes share the same common name.
For more information about the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, visit the web site of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden at www.bbg.org.

By Jackie Bower, UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

For more information call the UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Center's Info-line (toll free) at 1-877-398-4769 or send us an email. Volunteers are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday 9:00am to 2:00 p.m.

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