A trade name is the commercial name a plant is sold under, separate from its botanical name or cultivar name. Trade names are used for branding, marketing, or simplifying complex scientific names, especially for houseplants and ornamental plants sold in retail markets. They are often written in quotation marks or alongside a registered trademark symbol, depending on how the name is protected.
A single plant may have a botanical species name, a cultivar name, and a trade name at the same time. For example, a cultivar with a formal registered name may be marketed under a shorter or more recognizable trade name in garden centers. Trade names are not governed by the same international naming rules that apply to botanical nomenclature or cultivar registration.
Trade names can vary by country, company, or distributor, which sometimes creates confusion when identifying plants accurately. Botanical names and officially registered cultivar names remain the most reliable system for precise identification.
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