The name Dieffenbachia
The beautiful air purifier on your desk, the Dieffenbachia, has quite a special name. This hasn’t just come out of a name book, but is based on the name of an Austrian. In the nineteenth century this Austrian, Joseph Dieffenbach, took the plant home after an expedition in Brazil. The Dieffenbachia had been growing naturally in the jungle for years. As well as a world traveller, Mr. Dieffenbach was also the head gardener of the royal garden of the Schönbrunn palace in Austria, where Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, lived. To commemorate his work, the director of the palace gardens Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, named the plant Dieffenbachia in around 1830.
Which plant would you give your name?
Which plant would you like to name after yourself? And what would you call it? Let us know by writing a comment below. We look forward to these new plant names!
