Plant Pronunciation Guide A-B

A guide to help you pronounce Botanical names.


A | B

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Genus - A species pronunciation
Abelia - ah-BEE-lih-ah
- chinensis chih-NEN-sis
- floribunda flor-ih-BUN-dah
- grandiflora gran-dih-FLOOR-ah
Abeliophyllum - ah-BEE-lih-oh-FIL-um
- distichum DISS-tih-kum
Abies AY-beez
- fraseri FRAY-zer-eye
- koreana kor-ee-AH-nah
Abelia - ah-BEE-lih-ah
- alba AL-bah
- balsamea ball-SAME-ee-ah
- cilicica sih-LIH-see-kah
- concolor KON-kul-er
- firma FIR-mah
- fraseri FRAY-zer-eye
- homolepis hoe-moe-LEP-us
- koreana kor-ee-AH-nah
- lasiocarpa lay-sih-oh-KAR-pah
- nordmanniana nord-man-ee-AY-nah
- procera PROE-ser-ah
- veitchii VETCH-ee-eye
Abutilon - ah-BEW-tih-lon
Acalypha - ak-ah-LY-fah
- wilkesiana wil-kes-ee-AY-nah
Acanthopanax - ah-kan-thoe-PAY-naks
- henryi HEN-rih-eye
- sieboldianus see-bowl-dee-AY-nus
Acanthus - ah-KAN-thus
- mollis MAWL-iss
Acer - A-ser
- barbatum bar-BAY-tum
- buergerianum ber-jer-ee-AY-num
- campestre kam-PES-tree
- capillipes ka-PIL-ih-peez
- cappadocicum kap-ah-DOE-see-kum
- carpinifolium kar-PINE-ih-foe-lee-um
- circinatum sir-sin-Ah-tum
- cissifolium sis-ih-FOE-lee-um
- davidii day-vid-EE-eye
- diabolicum di-ah-BOL-ih-kum
- var. dissectum diss-SEKT-um
- ginnala gih-NAY-lah
- griseum GRISS-ee-um
- japonicum ja-PON-i-kum
- leucoderme loo-koe-DER-mee
- macrophyllum mak-row-FIL-um
- mandshuricum mand-SHOR-ih-kum
- maximowiczianum max-im-oh-wix-ee-AY-num
- miyabei mi-ya-BEE-eye
- negundo ne-GOON-doe
- nigrum NY-grum
- oliverianum ol-ih-veer-ee-AY-num
- palmatum palm-AY-tum
- pensylvanicum pen-sil-VAY-nih-kum
- platanoides plat-an-OY-deez
- pseudoplatanus so-doe-PLAT-ah-nus
- pseudosieboldianum so-doe-see-bowl-dee-AY-num
- rubrum ROO-brum
- saccharinum sak-kar-EE-num
- saccharum sak-KAR-um
- sieboldianum see-bowl-dee-AY-num
- spicatum spi-KAY-tum
- tataricum ta-TAR-ih-kum
- tegmentosum teg-men-TOE-sum
- triflorum TRY-FLOE-rum
- truncatum trun-KAY-tum
Achillea - ack-ih-LEE-uh
Acidanthera - ass-ih-DAN-ther-ah
Aconitum - ak-on-EYE-tum
- carmichaelii kar-my-KEE-lee-eye
Acorus - ah-KOR-us
- calamus KAL-ah-mus
- gramineus gram-IN-ee-us
Actaea - ak-TAY-uh
- simplex SIM-plecks
Actinidia - ak-ti-NID-ih-ah
- arguta ar-GOO-tah
- deliciosa dee-lis-eh-OH-sa
- kolomikta koe-loe-MIK-tah
- polygama poe-LIG-ah-mah
Adiantum - ad-ee-AN-tum
- aleuticum a-LEW-tih-kum
- pedatum ped-AY-tum
- venustum ven-OO-stum
Adina - ah-DY-na
- rubella roo-BEL-ah
Adonis - ah-DON-iss
Aeonium - ee-OH-nee-um
Aesculus - ES-koo-lus
- californica kal-i-FOR-nih-kah
Aesculus - ES-koo-lus
- arguta ar-GOO-tah
- carnea KAR-nee-ah
- chinensis chih-NEN-sis
- flava FLAY-vah
- glabra GLAY-brah
- hippocastanum hip-oh-kas-TAY-num
- hybrida HY-brid-ah
- indica IN-dih-kah
- parviflora par-vih-FLOE-rah
- pavia PAY-vee-ah
- plantierensis plan-ti-er-EN-sis
- sylvatica sil-VAT-ih-kah
- turbinata ter-bih-NAY-tah
Agapanthus - ag-uh-PAN-thus
Agastache - ag-ah-STAK-ee
- aurantiaca or-an-tee-AY-kah
- cana KAY-nah
- foeniculum foe-NIK-yew-lum
- rugosa roo-GO-sah
- rupestris roo-PES-triss
- scrophulariifolia skrof-yew-lar-ee-ih-FOE-lee-ah
Ailanthus - ay-LAN-thus
- altissima al-TIS-ih-mah
Ajuga - ah-JEW-gah
- reptans REP-tanz
Akebia - ah-KEE-bee-ah
- quinata kwin-AY-tah
- pentaphylla pen-tah-FIL-ah
- trifoliata try-foe-lih-AY-tah
Alangium - ah-lan-GEE-um
- platanifolium plat-ah-nih-FOE-lih-um
Albizia - al-BIZ-ih-ah
- julibrissin joo-li-BRIH-sin
Alcea - al-SEE-ah
- ficifolia fie-sih-FOE-lee-uh
- rosea ROSE-ee-ah
Aleurites - al-yew-RY-teez
- fordii FOR-dee-eye
Allium - AL-lee-um
- aflatunense ah-flat-yew-NEN-see
- christophii kris-TOFF-ee-eye
- flavum FLAY-vum
- giganteum jy-GAN-tee-um
- karataviense ka-ra-tah-vee-EN-see
- moly MO-lee
- narcissiflorum nar-sis-ih-FLOW-rum
- neapolitanum nee-ah-pol-ih-TAH-num
- oreophilum o-ray-O-fi-lum
Alnus - AL-nus
- cordata kor-DAY-tah
- glutinosa glew-tih-NOE-sah
- incana in-KAY-nah
- rubra REW-brah
- rugosa roo-GOES-ah
- serrulata ser-yew-LAY-tah
Alocasia - al-oh-KAY-shah
- amazonica am-ah-ZON-ih-kah
Alternanthera - all-ter-NAN-ther-ah
- dentata den-TAY-tah
- ficoidea fih-KOY-dee-ah
Alyssum - ah-LISS-sum
- maritimum mah-RIT-ih-mum
Amelanchier - am-eh-LANG-kee-er
- alnifolia al-nih-FOE-lee-ah
- arborea ar-BOW-ree-ah
- asiatic ay-shih-AT-ih-kah
- canadensis kan-ah-DEN-sis
- grandiflora gran-dih-FLOOR-ah
- laevis LEE-vis
- semi-integrifolia sem-eye-in-teg-rih-FOE-lih-ah
- stolonifera stoe-lon-IF-eer-ah
Amorpha - ah-MOR-fah
- brachycarpa brak-ih-KAR-pah
- canescens kah-NES-enz
- fruticosa froo-tih-KOE-sah
Ampelopsis - am-peh-LOP-sis
- brevipedunculata brev-ih-ped-unk-ew-LAY-tah
Amsonia - am-SOE-nee-uh
- hubrichtii HEW-brikt-ee-eye
Anemone - ah-NEM-oh-nee
- hupehensis hew-pee-HEN-sis
- hybrida HY-brid-ah
- japonica jah-PON-ih-kah
- tomentosa toe-men-TOE-sah
- vitifolia vih-tih-FOE-lee-ah
Angelonia - an-jel-OH-nee-ah
- angustifolia an-gus-tih-FOE-lee-ah
Anthriscus an-THRIS-kus
- sylvestris sil-VES-tris
Antirrhinum - an-ter-REE-num
- majus MAY-jus
Aquilegia - ack-wi-LEE-gee-uh
- caerulea ce-RU-lee-uh
- candensis kan-uh-DEN-sis
- chrysantha kris-ANTH-uh
- flabellata flay-bel-LAH-tuh
- longissima long-GIS-sih-mah
- vulgaris vul-GAR-iss
Arabis - AR-uh-bis
- arendsii uh-RENDZ-ee-eye
- blepharophylla ble-fuh-row-FIL-uh
- caucasica caw-CAZ-ih-cuh
- ferdinandi-coburgii fer-dih-NAHN-dye ko-BURG-ee-eye
Araucaria - ar-oh-KAR-ee-ah
- araucana ar-oh-KAN-ah
- heterophylla het-er-oh-FY-lah
Arbutus - ar-BU-tus
- menziesii men-ZEEZ-ee-eye
- unedo U-nee-doe
Arctostaphylos - ark-toe-STAF-il-lohs
- media MEE-dee-ah
Arctotis - ark-TOE-tiss
Argyranthemum - ar-ger-AN-them-um
Arisaema - ar-ih-SEE-muh
- amurense am-your-EN-see
- sikokianum si-koe-kee-AY-num
Armeria - ar-MARE-ee-ah
- maritima mah-RIT-ih-mah
Artemisia - ar-tem-EE-zsah
Arum - AIR-um
- italicum ih-TAL-ih-kum
Aruncus - ah-RUN-kus
- dioicus dy-oh-eye-kus
Asarina - a-SAH-rih-nuh
- scandens SKAN-denz
Asclepias - ah-SKLEE-pee-us
- curassavica kur-ah-SAV-ih-kah
Aspidistra - ass-pih-DIS-trah
- elatior el-AY-tee-or
Aster - ASS-ter
- dumosus doo-MOE-sus
- frikartii FRICK-urt-ee-eye
- lateriflorus lat-er-ih-FLOOR-us
- novae-angliae no-vay-AN-glee-ay
- novae-belgii no-vee-BEL-jee-ay
- pringlei PRING-lee-eye
Astilbe - as-TIL-bee
- arendsii uh-RENDZ-ee-eye
- biternata bye-ter-NAY-tuh
- chinensis chin-EN-sis
- rosea ROS-ee-uh
- simplicifolia sim-plih-sih-FOE-lee-uh
Astilboides - a-stil-BOY-deez
Astrantia - a-STRAN-tee-uh
- major MAY-jor
- maxima MAHK-si-muh
Athyrium - a-THIH-ree-um
- filix-femina FIH-liks FEM-mih-nuh
- nipponicum nip-pon-IK-cum
Atriplex - AT-trih-plex
- confertifolia kon-fer-tih-FOE-lee-ah
Aucuba - ah-KEW-bah
- japonica jah-PON-ih-kah

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Genus - B species pronunciation
Baptisia - bap-TIZZ-ee-uh
- cinerea sin-EER-ee-uh
- minor MYE-nur
- tinctoria tink-TORE-ee-uh
Begonia - bah-GO-nyah
- sutherlandii suth-er-LAN-dee-eye
Bellis - BELL-iss
- perennis per-EN-nis
Bergenia - ber-jee-nee-ah
- cordifolia kor-di-FO-lee-ah
Beschorneria - bess-shor-NER-ee-ah
- yuccoides yuk-KOY-deez
Beta - BAY-tah
- cicia SIK-lah
- vulgaris vul-GAR-iss
Bignonia - big-NO-nee-uh
- capreolata kap-ree-uh-LAY-tuh
Billardiera - bi-lar-dee-EH-ra
- longiflora long-gi-FLOW-ra
Boltonia - bol-TONE-ee-ah
asteroides ass-ter-OY-deez
Borago - bo-RAH-go
officinalis o-fi-seh-NAL-is
Bougainvillea - boo-gan-VIL-lee-ah
Bouteloua - boo-TELL-oo-uh
- curtipendula kur-tih-PEN-dew-luh
Brachycome - brak-ee-KOE-mee
Brachyglottis - bra-kee-GLO-tis
- compactus com-PAK-tus
Brassica - BRASS-ih-kay
- juncea JUN-see-ah
- oleracea oh-ler-AY-see-ah
Browallia - bro-WAL-ee-ah
- americana ah-mer-ih-KAY-na
Brugmansia - brug-man-see-ah
- suaveolens swah-vee-OH-lenz
Brunnera - BRUN-a-ra
- macrophylla mak-ro-FIL-a
Buddleia - BUD-lee-ah
- davidii dah-VID-ee-eye
Buxus - BUX-us
- sempervirens sem-per-VEER-enz

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