Botanical Latin

For gardeners, Botanical Latin is the language we all use, but few understand, and yet it's the key to unlocking a myriad of useful information about the plants we grow. Join Heronswood Director Dr. Ross Bayton as he takes you on a journey through the history and origins of Botanical Latin, an essential primer for all gardeners at all levels of experience. He'll cover pronunciation, basic grammar and tour you through an array of common plant names. London-born botanist and gardener Dr. Ross Bayton gained his PhD at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, studying the classification of tropical palms. He’s the author of several books on horticulture including New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation (with John Grimshaw), Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists (with Simon Maugham), and most recently The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names, as featured in the New York Times. Formerly the Gardening Editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, he is now the Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wa., and is developing a 5-acre garden at home in nearby Bremerton. The book and databases Dr. Bayton refers to in the presentation are: The Gardener's Botanical, available online and also at Powell's Books (https://www.powells.com/book/-9780691200170/1-2?gad_source=1) Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/ royal Horticultural Society plant database: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form