Simon Temblett, Willow - Best In Show

Scientific names go further than just allowing us to easily talk about trees on the same level they can also go as far as to describe more about the tree or plant like where it originates from, what habitat it lives in or a particular feature about the plant and some are even named to commemorate people and when this occurs it is referred to as the use of specific epithets.

Scots Pine

For example Pinus sylvestris, the Scots Pine is found wild and sylvestris translates to mean found wild in latin. Another example is Atlas Cedar, known as Cedrus atlantica or the Atlas of the Mountains as translated.

Trees with particular features like two lobed leaves are named accordingly like Ginkgo biloba.

Korean Hornbeam

Therefore next time you look for a tree, check out the name in more detail and look for its key features like has it got pumilus, pygmaeus or nanus in the name as this means dwarf, or trachyspermus which means with rough seeds or latifolius meaning broadleaves.

Name Meaning Name Meaning
aculeatus prickly, thorny hispidulus somewhat bristly
acuminatus tapering to a long point humilis low-growing
alatus winged incanus white-hoary
albescens becoming white japonica of Japan
angustifolius with narrow leaves laciniatus divided into narrow lobes as though torn
arborescens tree-like laetus vivid
aureus golden laevicaulis with smooth stems
auriculatus eared laevigatus smooth
baccatus with a berry-like fruit laevis smooth
breviscapus with a short stem lanatus woolly
bulbosus bulbous lutescens yellowish
bullatus swollen, puckered or blistered microcarpus with small fruit
calistemon beautiful stamens in the flower minor small
campestris found in plains or similar level places mollis soft
canescens becoming white; applied to plants covered with greyish-white pubescence nanus, nana dwarf
carneus flesh-colorured niger, ra rum black
cerifera, us, um wax bearing nudiflorus with bare flowers
coccineus, a, um scarlet oblongatus oblong
concinnus, a, um attractively neat obscurus, a, um obscure
cordatus, a, um heart-shaped occidentalis, e western
cuneatus, a, um wedge-shaped palmatus, a, um lobed like a hand
cupreus, a, um copper-colored palustris, e found growing in swampy places
cuspidatus, a, um ending in a sharp, stiff point parviflorus, a, um with small flowers
cyananthus, a, um with clear blue flowers petiolaris, e with stalked leaves
delonix Greek, refers to long-clawed petals procerus, a, um tall
diffusus, a, um loosely spreading procumbens lying along the ground
discigerus, a, um bearing a disk pubescens covered with downy hairs
discoidalis, e orbicular pumilus, a, um dwarf
discoideus, a, um discoid pungens sharp-pointed, pricking
discolor of different colors purpureus, a, um purple
dissectus, a, um deeply cut pygmaeus, a, um dwarf
elatus, a, um tall quinquefolius, a, um with five leaves
elegans elegant radiatus, a, um radiate
erectus, a, um erect ramosus, a, um branched
eriocarpus, a, um with woolly fruit rubens red
excelsior, ius noble rugosus, a, um wrinkled
excelsus, a, um tall rupicola found growing on rocks or cliffs
flavus, a, um yellow rusticus, a, um from the country
flore-pleno with double flowers Sempervirens evergreen
floribundus, a, um free-flowering serratus, a, um saw-toothed
formosus, a, um beautiful spicatus, a, um bearing spikes
fragilis, e brittle spinosus, a, um spiny
frondosus, a, um leafy squarrosus, a, um rough or scurfy, with spreading processes
frutescens shrubby stellaris, e star-like
giganteus, a, um huge sylvaticus, a, um found growing in woods
glaber, bra, brum smooth sylvestris, e found wild
frutescens shrubby trachyspermus, a, um with rough seeds
giganteus, a, um huge tricolor in three colors
glaber, bra, brum smooth tristis, e dull
fragrans sweet-scented umbrosus, a, um found growing in shady places
globosus, a, um spherical viridescens becoming green
gracilis, e graceful vulgaris, e common
grandiflorus, a, um with large flowers zebrinus, a, um zebra-striped