Understanding Latin Plant Descriptors

Latin names aren't just scientific labels—they often describe the plant's color, scent, origin, or form. Learning the meaning of these Latin descriptors can help you understand a plant's characteristics, make better gardening choices, and recognize patterns across species even if you've never seen the plant before.

Colors

  • niger — Black
  • alba, argo — White
  • ruber, rubens, rufinus — Red
  • aurorius — Orange
  • luteus, xanthinus — Yellow
  • viridis, virens — Green
  • caeruleus — Blue
  • purpureus — Purple
  • violaceus, ianthus — Violet
  • fuscus — Brown
  • aureus — Golden
  • rubellus — Reddish
  • igneus — Flame red
  • roseus — Rosy pink

Smell

  • fragrans — Fragrant
  • pungens — Pungent
  • foetidus — Stinking
  • inodorus — Non smelling
  • citrodorus — Lemon scented

Descriptions

  • bellus — Beautiful
  • debilus — Weak
  • fallax — False
  • feris — Wild
  • floribubdus — Free-flowering
  • major — Larger
  • robustus — Strong
  • simplex — Simple
  • vulgare — Common

Habitat

  • maritimus — By the sea
  • aquaticus — In water
  • fluvialis — In rivers
  • pastoralis — In pastures
  • campestrie — In fields
  • aridus — In dry places
  • sylvestris — In woods
  • saxatilis — On rocks
  • alpinus — On mountains
  • arvensis — Of ploughed fields

Growth Habit

  • erectus — Upright
  • horizontalis — Horizontal
  • patens — Spreading
  • pendulus — Hanging
  • tortuosus — Twisting

Places

  • borealis — Northern
  • australis — Southern
  • orientalis — Eastern
  • occidentalis — Western
  • centralis — Central
  • sinensis — China
  • japonica — Japan
  • italicus — Italy
  • helveticus — Switzerland
  • persicus — Persia
  • lusitanicus — Portugal

Seasons

  • vernalis — Spring
  • aestivalis — Summer
  • autumnalis — Fall/autumn
  • hybernalis — Winter

Suffixes

  • -anthus — Flowered
  • -bundus — Becoming
  • -cellus — Diminutive
  • -color — Colored
  • -ensis — Place of origin
  • -fer — Bearing
  • -fid — Divided
  • -florus — Flowered
  • -folius — Leaved
  • -icola — From
  • -ineus, -inus — Like
  • -iscus — Lesser
  • -issimus — Very
  • -osma — Fragrant
  • -phorus — Bearing
  • -phyllus — Leaved
  • -usculus — Diminutive

Prefixes

  • ante- — Before
  • argo- — White
  • bi- — Two
  • heli- — Sun
  • hyper- — Above
  • hypo- — Below
  • neo- — New
  • parvi- — Small
  • poly- — Many
  • post- — Behind
  • pre-, pro- — In front
  • re- — Back
  • sub- — Below
  • super- — Above
  • trans- — Across
  • tri- — Three
  • uni- — One
  • xero- — Dry

Frequently Asked Questions

Latin provides a universal naming system that helps identify plant species accurately across different languages and regions.

"Alba" means "white" in Latin. It's often used to describe plants with white flowers, bark, or fruit.

Yes. Latin names often describe features like color, shape, or origin. For example:
  • Rosa alba - "White rose" (alba = white)
  • Acer rubrum - "Red maple" (rubrum = red)
  • Lavandula angustifolia - "Narrow-leaved lavender" (angustifolia = narrow leaf)
  • Camellia japonica - "Japanese camellia" (japonica = from Japan)
  • Citrus sinensis - "Chinese orange" (sinensis = from China)

Often, yes. Recognizing Latin roots like viridis (green) or aquaticus (water) can help you guess a plant's appearance, habitat, or behavior.

No. Latin is also used in zoology, medicine, and legal terms, but in botany it's required by international rules for naming plants scientifically.