Plants called Dog, Plants Named after Dogs

Plants called Dog, plants named after Dogs – subtitled interesting tales from your garden; or should that be tails?

Initially sparked by my Border Collie, Sharpe, achieving his 13th birthday, this blog became something of a fascinating study. What was the reason for so many plants to be called dog in their common name as a ‘bad thing’, a warning? The clue wasn’t necessarily in the Botanical, Latin name. So I wandered off into etymology. And then I found lots of interesting plants worldwide that have dog in their common name for different reasons. Too much to include here, and some of the plants are worth a blog of their own.

pool, dog statues, dogs trust garden, show garden, RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2016

It would seem, from various sources, that ‘dog’ can be used to describe something false, untrue, not what it seems, bad, impure. Which seems a bit harsh for an animal so long domesticated and living with humans as the dog! Be that as it may, it isn’t true of all plants called dog. Some are positive, with the plants smelling sweet and of edible value.

More interestingly from the botanical perspective is that came across fewer instances of ‘dog’ being used within the Linnaean name than within the common name. this may have been the Latin word for dog – canis; or the Greek – cyno.

The Linnaean name is the binomial name which specifies or defines the plant regardless of the country or native language.

Plants called Dog – a List

Not necessarily a definitive list, but fairly comprehensive. Do tell me of more that you may know of, whether the Botanical name or the common name. I’ve listed these under common name, giving the Latin name below, also any other common names. The list also highlights the importance of using the botanical name to avoid confusion.

Dog bane, dogsbane

Dioscorides AD65 in a medical text mentions dogbane in relation to the sap, which was sometimes used to treat heart problems. The common name ‘dogsbane’ or ‘dog bane’, is used for at least five different plants. These are –

Amsonia tabernaemontana, blue dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium, American dogsbane
Apocynum cannabinum, hemp dogbane, Indian hemp, used to make fibres
Apocynum venetum, venetian dogbane, used in Chinese medicine
Plectranthus ornatus, said to be useful in repelling dogs from an area

Dog cactus

Opuntia schottii Engelm, dog cholla, Clavellina

Dog fennel

#1 – Anthemis, Marguerite
#2 – Eupatorium capillifolium

Dog flower

Antirrhinum majus, snapdragon

yellow snapdragons, blue pot, blue front door, front gardens, summer bedding plants

Dog grass

Agropyron repens, Baldwins couch grass

Dog rose

Rosa canina, bird rose, sweet briar

Dog strangling vine

Cynanchum rossicum
Cynanchum louiseae

Dogs mercury

Mercurialis perennis

Dogs tooth grass

Cynodon dactylon

Dogs tooth violet

Erythronium, the name refers to the shape of the bulb. The first named is very obviously named after dogs, the second nis the one pictured (and one of my favourite spring floweringbulbs).

Erythronium dens-canis
Erythronium tuolumnense pagoda

erythronium pagoda, erythronium tuolumnense, dogs tooth violet, woodland flower, spring flowering bulb

Dog tooth pea

Lathyrus sativus

Dog Violet

Viola riviniana, Viola canina, common dog violet. So-called to distinguish it from the secented Viola oderata

Dogwood

All of the Cornus may be called dogwood, including, for example, Cornus kousa, the handkerchief tree. But it is more commonly used for the following two.

Cornus sanguinea
Cornus alba

mixed cornus - dogwood - by moat -Eltham palace

Wet dog plant

Illicium floridanum, flowers are supposed to smell like wet dog!

Plants called Dog – and the Plews Team

Sharpe, as many of you will know, is an important member of the Plews Team. Well known for his expertise in checking the health of plants at trade nurseries and whether Plews Garden Landscaping have correctly put up new fencing.

But some of you will also remember his predecessor, Eowyn, a beautiful, even tempered German Shepherd. She was very fond of edible gardens and had a skill for nipping peas off the plant and eating them that I haven’t seen in another dog!