Common name

The common name for a plant is the name by which it is called in non-botanical references (eg in everyday conversation). Common names are the names most of us are familiar with. In our plant listings we have tried to include as many names as possible by which each plant is commonly known, to make it as easy as possible to find the plant you need.

While common names are very useful they do have their limitations – for example, if you wanted to buy a ‘daffodil’ you could end up with one of up to 25,000 different types of daffodil. Only by using the full, botanical name can you be certain which plant you’re referring to.