The Gardener's Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names - With More Than 5,000 Entries

Informative book! Even tho I studied Latin for two years in High School, the pronunciation of Botanical Latin frequently boggles me. This is a good reference book... not only does it explain CLEARLY how to pronounce the Latin names of plants, it supplies the Etymology, i.e. origin of the word... Frequently, Latin plant names are based on Greek descriptive terms. Knowing those names and terms frequently assists in figuring out what plant it is you are looking at.WHY use Latin names for plants? History plays a part but mostly now...it's the easiest way Botanists and 'plant people' who speak every language on earth, can have a common ID WORD or Word SET to refer to when speaking of plants.Recommend this for your reference shelf AND for families who have kids interested in everything. PLUS, the botanical illustrations are gorgeous!This is the kind of book to have out AND OPEN, so you look at and practice the names over and over. Really :) It's that good.

So informative and the pictures are beautifully done. Such detail.

Lots of helpful information for someone just started out like me.

Like having a conversation with a very interesting gardener whose also a botanist and an encyclopedia!

Beautiful dictionary. I was looking for something a little less pretty and more handy as in Stearn’s Plant Dictionary (is that the exact name?). Returned it.