I started out with knowing only what was told to me. Then I began buying natives, and the botanical names were the first I'd see on the tags. It's much easier to remember the botanical name if you've never heard the common one. That said, there are multiple ways to write the botanical name of a plant....caps, small letters, hyphens, etc.

I used to be Team Common, but with the help of so many in Cubits and here at ATP, I am becoming Team Latin. I don't always know the correct pronunciation of some of the names, but I'm learning more every day.

Latin, here.

Latin here too. I don't even know most of the common names, and some of them are downright ugly. Wouldn't you rather have Pulmonaria in your garden than Lungwort?

Latin, and no, it doesn't roll off my tongue but I have tons of references. And no, I mostly don't know how to pronounce all that Latin but at least I will know I'm talking about the right plant. Except around my friends, of course. Don't want to seem too stuffy.

When I first learned about Latin names, I would say both as a way of teaching myself.

I still tend to do that, starting with common and repeating in Latin.

Team latin, especically when talking to gardeners. If setting up a plant trade or seed trade, it's the only way to make sure each party is on the same page. I don't want someone using a common name which might be the common name for 10 different plants.

I use common names when talking to non-gardeners. Most of my friends are non-gardeners. They refer to plants in terms like "that big purple thing growing beside my house".

Karen

Team Latin, because I have to for my job! And now I have found how much easier it is when you REALLY know what plant you are talking about.

Latin, for all the reasons given above. I wasn't even aware that I didn't know the common names until we started the database and it was hard to find anything because some of the plants were listed by common name first .....when someone would ask me if this or that plant was the one called 'Hummingbird Sage', I had to say that I didn't know, that I may have encountered others called Hummingbird Sage, but could tell him that is salvia spathacea.

Definitely team Latin. Common names are way too confusing, for ex, blue flag iris refers to about five different irises in different parts of the country.

I like the Latin names because they are more specific.
Common names may have several different plants associated with them.
Latin is especially useful in colder climates where some cultivars do not grow, and others are hardy here.

Team Latin for sure. I started knowing some common names and some latin, but as soon as I started trying to organize seeds alphabetically I realized I had to choose, and as there are many common names for things, Latin just was the only choice there!

Ditto everyone above.

Latin for sure, although I'm off a lot of times on the correct pronunciation (possibly my southern accent) ... at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Team Latin as much as possible. The way that I move around; it is too confusing to try to learn the common names for every region. A bonus is that I may not speak much Korean, but I can go into a plant shop and buy the right stuff because Latin is Latin in every plant shop in the world
I tried for the first few years to do the common names, but after 6 years of gardening without my parents and 3 states later, I moved to Germany and Latin was the only way to communicate.
I just wish that I could remember all of those names

Hi, June!

HIya!

I'm on "team whichever name I happen to remember at the time".

KyWoods said:I'm on "team whichever name I happen to remember at the time".

I am getting better at not having to switch. Hope I make it all the way before I leave this earth.

Team Latin.