There wasn’t a huge variety of plants at the garden centre we visited last week (still a bit early) but I was struck by these Acacia. They were in large pots presumably ready to be planted but I suspect they would have survived only one of the last five winters even here in Southern England.
They also got me thinking about names. The English call these plants Mimosa despite the fact that this is a totally separate genus. We call Philadelphus (Mock Orange) by the name Syringa even though this is more correctly lilacs. We also muddle up heather and heath with most heathland round here more correctly heatherland and all the heather in local gardens more correctly heaths. I am sure there are many more examples.
I do like our capacity to invent evocative common names for native plants though. Possibly my favourite is Hieracium aurantiacum which I think is called Foxes And Cubs down South and the marvellous Grim The Collier up North. I must admit I also have a soft spot for the Animated Oat! (Avena sterilis).
