Botanical Latin

Latin has long been the shared language of botany, used to describe, classify and communicate about plants across the world. This half-day beginner-friendly course offers an accessible introduction to the fascinating language that underpins plant names and scientific classification. We’ll start with a brief history of botanical Latin and an exploration of how the binomial naming system developed to bring order to the plant kingdom. You’ll learn the basic grammar behind plant names, explore how these words reveal clues about a plant’s features and origins and cover the major Latin and Latin-derived terms used to describe plant morphology. The session will finish with a guided tour of the Garden, where you’ll put your new knowledge to the test by collectively interpreting plant labels and discussing the stories behind their names.

No prior knowledge of Latin or botany is required, though some familiarity with simple grammatical terms is desirable.

Pete Wrapson is an experienced horticulturist who specialises in food growing. Previously the Head Gardener for Jamie Oliver, Peter now manages the Cambridge community farm CoFarm and works at the Botanic Garden.