Plant Pronunciation Guide A-B

A guide to help you pronounce Botanical names.

 

 

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

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