Plant Names & Naming Variations

Plants today are named in more ways than ever before. Collectors, breeders, tissue culture labs, nurseries, sellers, and entire online communities all contribute to the names we see. As the internet connects plant lovers worldwide, we’re exposed to dozens of names for the same plant — and sometimes those names conflict, overlap, or compete.

This page explains why naming variations happen, which plant groups are most affected, and how buyers can navigate a world where naming is no longer simple or standardised.

Why Plants Have Different Names Around the World

Plant names used to be controlled by botanists, herbariums, official cultivar registries, and regional nursery networks. Today, naming is influenced by:

• international collectors

• online marketplaces

• tissue culture labs

• social media trends

• sellers wanting unique branding

• illegal importers hiding origins

• countries using different naming traditions

The internet has made plant names global — but not consistent. You now see names from Thailand, Indonesia, the USA, Europe, Australia, and South America, and each region may use a different name for the same plant.

Groups Most Affected by Naming Variations

Some plant categories experience extreme naming fragmentation because they are heavily traded, or widely tissue‑cultured, popular with collectors, frequently imported, and visually variable.

Hoya

Collectors, sellers, and online communities often rename clones, hybrids, or identical plants. Hoyas tend to change their appearance depending on the conditions they are kept in, which also adds to the confusion. Hoya plants are not easily tissue cultured, and Australia, Hoya plants are subject to rigorous import conditions, which leaves most plants dead, this is why illegal imports are prevalent, and this is why we see issues in naming with Hoyas. 

Colocasia

Many varieties look similar; renaming is common in imports and collector circles.

Caladium

Tissue culture labs create multiple names for the same clone; sellers rebrand for marketing.

Philodendron

Hybrid confusion, mislabelling, and renaming are widespread.

Monstera

Variegated forms are renamed constantly to stand out or hide origins.

Bougainvillea

Countries use different cultivar names; sellers rename for branding or to avoid trademark issues, plant often grow with "sport" colours, adding to the confusion.

Epipremnum 

Even though Epipremnum species are fast growers, many of the new forms entering the market have been poached from tropical habitats. Most photos online show plants with mature leaves, but home growers in non‑tropical climates may never achieve those shapes. Combined with the many different expressions of variegation within the same plant, this makes naming Epipremnum quite difficult.

How Collectors, Sellers & Labs Create New Names

 

Collector Naming

Collectors often rename plants because they received them under a nickname, want to differentiate their clone, believe their plant looks slightly different, or follow naming trends in their region.

Seller Naming

Sellers may rename plants to stand out in a crowded market, create a “new release,” avoid trademarked names, match popular search terms, or hide that the plant is identical to an existing cultivar.

Tissue Culture Naming

TC labs frequently rename plants because they produce thousands of clones, sell internationally, and each distributor wants a unique name. This is why caladiums, colocasias, philodendrons and Alocasias often have multiple names for the same clone.

Illegal Importation & Renaming to Hide Origins

Illegal importation is a major cause of naming variation.

When plants are imported illegally:

• sellers often rename the plant to hide its origin

• the original name may be removed

• a new “local” name is created

• the plant is marketed as “new” or “rare”

• the importer avoids attention from authorities and competitors

This happens more with plants that are not tissue cultured easily, so they are imported illegally. 

The “Developed Last Year” Problem

Another issue is sellers claiming a plant was “developed last year.” This is almost never true.

Developing a new cultivar takes:

• multiple generations

• years of stabilisation

• trial growing

• propagation

• registration

• distribution

If a plant looks identical to an existing cultivar and someone claims it was developed last year, it is almost always:

• a renamed existing plant

• a tissue culture clone of an older cultivar

• a marketing tactic

• an attempt to justify a higher price

• a way to hide illegal importation

Cultivar development takes years, not months.

Real Example — One Plant, Three Names

We have a Syngonium that demonstrates naming variation perfectly.

• Original breeder name: Pink Blitz

• Collector nickname: Pink Lava

• Worldwide common name: Pink Beauty

All three names refer to the exact same plant.

Even though our listings clearly state this, people still buy one of each, thinking they are different plants. The most popular name — and the best‑selling one — is Pink Lava, even though it is not the original name.

This is how naming variations spread and become accepted, even when they are not botanically correct.

What Buyers Need to Understand

Because naming is now global and unregulated:

• plants often have multiple names

• names may conflict

• names may be incorrect

• names may be marketing inventions

• names may be collector nicknames

• names may be used to hide illegal import origins

• names may be used to justify higher prices

Ultimately, you are buying the plant in the photo. Not the name. Not the story. Not the marketing. The photo is the only guaranteed truth.

 Why You Must Do Your Own Research

With so many names in circulation, it is impossible for any nursery or collector to choose one name that everyone accepts or guarantee universal naming accuracy.

This is why buyers must:

• compare photos

• read descriptions

• check multiple sources

• understand naming variation

• accept that names are not always fixed

• buy based on appearance, not just the name

Summary & Looking Forward

Plant naming is changing because the plant world is now global. Names travel across countries, languages, collector groups, tissue culture labs, and online communities. Some names are accurate, some are nicknames, some are marketing, and some exist to hide illegal importation.

As buyers, the best approach is to understand naming variation, expect multiple names for the same plant, buy based on the photo, research before purchasing, and accept that naming is no longer universal.

Naming variation isn’t going away — it will increase as more plants enter the market from more countries and more online communities. The best thing we can do is stay informed, stay flexible, and enjoy the plants themselves.