Welcome to the Plant Nebraska Podcast! (formerly known as Bloom Box: Growing Deeper) In this first official episode under our new name, hosts Hanna and Sarah are talking about plants they love—but whose common names make it hard to convince others to plant them. From “swamp milkweed” to “sneezeweed,” we’re rethinking names that don’t do justice to beautiful, beneficial native plants. Tune in for stories about language, plant history, and a few of our not-so-successful renaming attempts (looking at you, “purple puff plant”).
In this episode:
Why “weed” became such a common part of plant names
The challenge of selling a plant called “sneezeweed”
Whether “rattlesnake master” actually has anything to do with snakes (spoiler: nope)
A look at how naming shapes perception — and how gardeners can help shift that
Stories about linguistics, Shrek-core, and a few plants that are better than their names suggest.
We want your input!
What names would you give these plants? Share your ideas with us on social media or email us at arboretum@unl.edu.
Plants Mentioned
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) — also known as Rose Milkweed
Helenium autumnale — Sneezeweed or Helen’s Flower
Helenium amarum — Yellowdicks
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
Serviceberry / Juneberry / Shadblow (Amelanchier spp.)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Blue Star (Amsonia spp.)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
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