Top 10 Difficult-to-Pronounce Scientific Names of Plants list

Top 10 Difficult-to-Pronounce Scientific Names of Plants

1. clematis: CLE-muh-tuhs or cle-MA-tuhs
2. Peony: PE-uh-ne or pe-O-ne
3. Cotoneaster: cuh-TO-ne-AS-tuhr (although even my dictionary gives some legitimacy to the mispronunciation, CAWT-tuhn-ES-tuhr)
4. Poinsettia: poyn-SEH-tuh or poyn-SEH-te-uh (Although we constantly hear the incorrect poynt-SEH-tuh.)
5. Chamomile: KAM-uh-mil or KAM-uh-mel
6. achillea: A-kuh-LE-a or a-KIH-le-uh
7. lamium: LAY-me-uhm
8. Lupine: LU-puhn (Although there is a word with the exact same spelling, pronounced LU-pin, which means "pertaining to a wolf"; go figure!)
9. Forsythia: fohr-SIH-the-a (The plant is not "for Cynthia" -- it's for all of us!)
10. Kalanchoe: My favorite, with its 4 pronunciations, all of which are correct--
    • KA-luhn-KO-e
    • kuh-LANG-ko-e
    • KAL-uhn-cho
    • kuh-LAN-cho