Admittedly, I used to have a strong preference for common names because 1) they’re rooted in place/geography, culture, and language; and 2) let’s face it – they’re way easier to pronounce and remember! But over the past several years as I’ve deepened my practice as a community herbalist, I’ve really grown to develop an appreciation for the scientific names too. Not because I think they are superior, but because I now view them as a unifier across place/geography, culture, and language.
Back in the day, a common name was all you needed. But as our human community has become more globally connected, it’s more apparent that there are different common names for the same plant in different regions. And what unifies all those common names are the scientific/botanical names — *especially* if you’re practicing bioregional herbalism and wild harvesting because you want to make sure your plant IDs are accurate. Here’s one of the best examples of why scientific names are helpful in herbalism:
Pictured is Heterotheca villosa in my front yard. It’s also called “hairy goldenaster” and – get this – “arnica mexicana.” Many of us know the Arnica sold at stores is intended to be taken topically, not orally (with the exception being a homeopathic dosage). Its botanical name is Arnica montana. The confusion and detrimental effects this could cause is super obvious to me, but may not be as obvious to the average layperson. If I referred to hairy goldenaster as “arnica” someone might think it’s meant to be used as a topical treatment for aches and pains, when it’s actually meant to be drunk as a tea for stomach pain. And along the same vein, if someone thinks that arnica is meant to be drunk as a tea for stomach pain and then comes across the real Arnica (genus) and drinks it, they are in for one hell of a stomachache! This is such a good example (laid out in one of Michael Moore’s books) of why using only common names can be detrimental in herbalism.
I really love common folk names, but if you practice herbalism (especially if you’re wildcrafting, you need to be sure of the species, particularly if you’re making recommendations to people about herbs.