Common Plant Name Misconceptions

Don't let plant names fool you. Some names have nothing to do with their species or location of origin.

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Filed under: Plants, Grass, Bamboo

Figure A

Within the world of gardening, things aren't always as they appear. Many plant names can be misleading.

Here's a short list of some common garden misnomers.

Bermuda grass (figure A) is one of the most popular warm-season grasses, but it isn't from Bermuda. It's actually native to Africa.

Figure B

The Boston fern (figure B) hails from the tropics and wouldn't last more than a few seconds outside in a Bostonian winter.

Figure C

Heavenly bamboo (figure C) isn't really bamboo at all—it's actually Nandina domestica.

Figure D

The red cedar evergreen tree (figure D), called such by amateur and professional gardeners alike, isn't a cedar—it's a juniper.

Figure E

Jerusalem artichokes (figure E) are the tasty tubers that add a nice crunch to salads. But they aren't from Jerusalem, and they aren't artichokes. They're actually related to sunflowers.

According to a Supreme Court decision rendered in 1893, the tomato is legally a vegetable, even though technically it's still a fruit. The same is true of most nuts, which is to say they aren't really nuts at all, but fruits.

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