What's in a Name?

Common names can be, often are, confusing especially, in North America, where things are seldom what you might believe. Sometimes—actually all too often the same common name can refer to a number of different--OR EVEN AN UNRELATED SPECIES. For example, bison are not buffalo, an elk should not be called a moose, a prong horn (which by the way does NOT have horns; should not be called an antelope, a wapiti should not be called an elk. When we are speaking plants, sometimes that unrelated species might be deadly poisonous; that is why we have proper and scientific names.

Yes, common names can be very confusing. Another good example is with the large variety of Vaccinium species we have here in British Columbia.

BLUEBERRIES, CRANBERRIES and huckleberries are all closely related plants in this plant family. In North America, there are approximately thirty five different , recognized, Vaccinium species, but hybridization is common in the genus so the true number is probably much greater.

As a general rule, the species of Vaccinium with blue fruits are called blueberries, and taller shrubs with fruits that aren’t blue are called HUCKLEBERRIES.

Shorter species, with red berries and a distinctive tart flavour are commonly referred to as CRANBERRIES. However, as previously explained common names do not follow any biological protocol and may not even make any sense. Mind you I will also admit that sometimes there is more than one scientific name—case in mind, commonly called “Bush” cranberries “High and Low-- that does not make any sense either. 

It is High time that we go back to using the ENGLISH language. “Bush” cranberries are in in the Honeysuckle family and are not “true” cranberries at all, despite the red colour and tart flavour. Now, and I have been distinguishing between the two all my life; I find that there is NO LOW BUS CRANBERRY—high and low are one and the same—go figure.