Learning latin

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Hayden staggs

New Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2015
Messages
3
Reaction score
4
Location
United States
I'm getting ready to take my arborist test next month in Colorado. I've got most of the material down but am still struggling with the scientific or latin names for trees does anyone have any good study material suggestions or tips on getting these down? Thank you.
 
Try to look at the meanings of the names and they may get just a little easier... For example Acer rubrum is red maple because rubrum means red. Not a perfect system with things like Red oak being Quercus rubra because rubra is kinda like rubrum.

Some dendrology sites list the translations or rough translations. Missouri Botanical Garden site is usually pretty good.
 
If you can learn the genera, ie acer/maple, quercus/oak then the species names ie rubrum are a little easier. Often the species name is a latinization (if that's a word) of the person who discovered the species or some other characteristic.

For example Douglas fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii - menziesii is just a latinization of the name Menzies. Archibald Menzies was a botanist on the voyage with Capt George Vancouver when he explored the BC Coast and Hawaii.
 
Took the certified arborist test last April.
I'd say study the part about it in the certified arborists study guide (chapter 2 p22-33) and be familiar with the concept of the id rather than specific Latin names.
I did memorize the acronym Kings Play Chess On Fat Grey Stumps and I remember using it to answer a question on the test....
 
But that's just for the test part. Lately I have been putting Latin names on my proposals / estimates, and while we don't have the variety of trees here that there are elsewhere, I think just writing them, when I'm doing paperwork is helping me remember, whether it's more informative for my customers or not..
 
Flash cards might also help you. At least to correlate common names with botanical names. Writing the names out can also help, say, five at a time:
Red oak, Quercus rubra and write that 5 times, then move on to another tree. People tend to learn in different ways- some folks learn by hearing, some by reading, some by doing. Try to play to your personal strengths.
 
I've got a few big name nursery catalogues and tree ID books, helped me learn common Oz species, just keep looking and reading
 

Latest posts

Back
Top