During a recent grocery run, I found myself at the checkout with not only my food essentials but also a Hydrangea that wasn’t on my list. With Easter around the corner, the store was adorned with fresh plants and blooming flowers, and this particular Hydrangea caught my eye. I convinced myself it would make a lovely backdrop for an upcoming virtual session I was hosting about Hydrangeas. But, if I’m honest, it was just a spontaneous plant craving.

Once home, I removed the ornamental foil from its pot and checked its tag, hoping for some specifics. As I’d suspected, the label was quite generic. It recognized the plant as a Hydrangea macrophylla but didn’t specify the cultivar. The estimated height was a vague 3-6 feet. This didn’t surprise me.

The Shift to Generic Labelling

Sure, for cultivators and distributors, it might be simpler to label plants under categories like “Foliage Mix”. However, this approach deprives customers of truly getting to know the plants they’re buying.

I’ve previously voiced my concerns about the generic labeling trend. Back in 2018, in a Garden Center Magazine piece, I urged indoor plant growers to move beyond just tagging plants as “Tropical”. While I understand the reasons behind such labeling – fluctuating stock, potential crop failures, or a workforce unfamiliar with specific plant names – it inadvertently undermines the consumer’s desire to learn, hindering the horticultural industry in the process.

Our Innate Need to Identify

People have an inherent need to name and identify things. Non-birdwatchers, for instance, often click pictures of unfamiliar birds and seek their names online. When I’m out with my dog, Sparky, many ask about his breed. Simply identifying him as a Sato (a colloquial term for street dogs in Puerto Rico, Sparky’s origin) seems more satisfying to people than just calling him a mixed breed.

As a moderator for various plant-centric Facebook groups, I see an influx of identification requests. Whether it’s the global ‘Hydrangea Happiness’ group or the more local ‘Cape Cod Gardening’, people want more than just basic identification; they’re keen on specifics.

A Step Forward

There was a time when botanical names and detailed labels were deemed overwhelming for the average consumer. But now, with smartphones at hand, anyone can quickly search a plant name without needing to pronounce it right. However, a starting point is crucial.

Though the label on my grocery-bought plant had a website, narrowing down the exact type of Hydrangea wasn’t straightforward. The varying colors due to pH levels and the bloom’s development stage make it tricky. Yet, having such a resource is a positive step. It’d be commendable if all generic labels included a site link, assisting consumers in identifying their plants with comparative images.

For years, the horticulture community has been concerned about the rising “plant blindness”, where many perceive plants merely as a vague green backdrop to their lives. We need to realize that by using generic labels, the industry is inadvertently fueling this perception.

It’s time for specifics.

C.L. Fornari, a passionate garden communicator, enjoys spreading plant joy. Discover more about her writings at GardenLady.com and tune into the podcast she co-anchors at Plantrama.com. C.L.’s underlying goal is to reintroduce horticulture into mainstream discourse. Meanwhile, she indulges in gardening at her residence, fondly called Poison Ivy Acres.