Funny Plant Names Part II
—Michael Penziner, FRNC Docent
Johnny-jump-ups are known by almost thirty different names in the English language, including, Meet-her-in-the-entry-and-kiss-her-in-the-buttery.
Photo: gardeningknowhow.com
A couple of weeks ago, we were talking about the funny names of plants, the Latin names, that is. Well, maybe you didn't think Latin names were all that funny. So, we've collected some English names for you to giggle at.
We can have a whole menagerie of plants here at the Rye Nature Center for the kids to look at: domestic animals, wild animals, birds, and insects. We can plant Catbrier; Dogbane; Foxglove; Bearberry; Squirrel Corn; Green Adder's Mouth; Possum Haw; Wolfbane; Bastard Toadflax (oops, maybe not that one); Ostrich Fern; Birdfoot Trefoil; Robin's Plantain; Bristly Crowfoot; Fleabane; Fly Poison; Lousewort; Bugbane; Tickseed; Bee Balm; Beetleweed and loads of others.
Of course, in your own garden, if you are of a more romantic nature with your plants, truly love them, you might want to prove it by planting Love-in-Idleness; Love Idol; Loving Idol; Love-Lies-Bleeding; Love In Winter; Love Leaves; Loveman; Love-in-a-Mist; Love Vine; Lover's Pride; Love-me.
One more thought. If you have a teeny- tiny garden with room for just one little plant, you can still grow Cull Me; Cuddle Me; Call-Me-To-You; Jack-Jump-Up-And-Kiss-Me; Three-Faces-Under-A-Hood; Kit-Run-In-the-Fields; Godfathers and Godmothers; Stepmother; Pink-Eyed-John; and our very special favorite, Meet-Her-in-the-Entry-and-Kiss-Her-in-the-Buttery. And about seventeen more, each one of those names used in England for the same flower, which you might know as Johnny-Jump-Up, a very pretty three-colored violet, for a total of about thirty names.
In truth, we do have one more special favorite for a plant most commonly called Toadflax. It is Impudent Lawyer. (No offense meant to our legal friends.)
