For $20, you can have Barbra Streisand reside in your backyard. Considering that the singer’s concert ticket prices start in the triple-digit range, plopping down a
The star treatment
And, while roses might be the most popular, they aren’t the only plants getting the star treatment. Here are three plants named for fabulous females in horticulture.
* One of my favorites is Evelyn Weidner, a rex begonia with large, snail-curl leaves in bright pink and silver patterns. The plant was named for Weidner as a tribute to her lifetime of service to the communities where she has lived and to horticulture.
The begonia debuted in both Booman Floral and EuroAmerican Propagators’ catalogs this year. Owners Jim Booman and EuroAmerican’s John Rader began their careers at Weidner Nursery in
* Mini Penny hydrangea was named after another horticultural hero, Penny McHenry, by her longtime friend and nursery icon Mike Dirr. Often referred to as the “hydrangea queen,” McHenry was founder of the American Hydrangea Society and often is credited with igniting people’s passion for the genus.
* Goldsmith Seeds’ Cora series of vinca is named for the matriarch of the van Wingerden family. Cora’s 16 children are still a major force in the industry today. As a bonus, Goldsmith donates a portion of sales from the series to the van Wingerden’s family’s efforts to promote sustainability in agriculture in
Selling on a name
Would a rose by any other name sell as sweet? Who knows.
When it comes down to Coke versus Pepsi, names and personal taste matter. When applied to plants, it depends on the name and the promotion behind the plant.
If consumers see huge displays of Evelyn Weidner begonia in an Encinitas garden center next to a sign that reads, “Honoring one of the legends in horticulture,” I’m sure the plants will fly off of the shelves. Other people will be attracted to the attractive foliage and not care who it’s named after. It’s a coin toss.
One caveat, though: If you decide to take a risk and name a plant after a person, make sure that plant is a real winner. Being known as “the plant that melts faster than an ice cube in the sun” or one that’s “so disease-prone that it should be used an indicator plant” isn’t flattering.
{sidebar id=1}
As a trivia note, there was a clematis cultivar named after me. ‘Jyme’ was released by Rick Sorenson’s company Pride of Place Plants about six years ago.
- Jyme Mariani