Six Favorite Plants Named for People – and Some May Surprise You

"Wisteria is named in honor of Caspar Wistar, ("Wiss-Star") a distinguished physician, and scientist of Philadelphia.

Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia."

August 1, 1950

The Ithaca Journal out of Ithaca, New York, published a question from a reader.

The reader wanted an answer to this question:

Please list a few plants that are named for people.

Here is the answer:

The poinsettia was named for Joel R. Poinsett, a famous statesman.

Wisteria is named in honor of Caspar Wistar, ("Wiss-Star") a distinguished physician, and scientist of Philadelphia.

Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia.

The name of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French soldier and explorer, is perpetuated in the bougainvillea.

The Paulownia is named for the Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Czar Paul I."