|Brassica oleracea ‘Ruby Ball’| Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra
Bright blooms and flashy foliage are features that lure most of
us into choosing plants for our gardens. But what about all
those hard workers that more than just pretty faces? Looking
closely at botanical names can often clue us in to plants that
have some practical use, or at least some benefit besides being
beautiful. Think of the word “utility” as a synonym for
usefulness, and it’s easy to remember that the specific epithet
utilis relates to the general quality of being useful – often
for many different purposes. Pandorea utilis (common screwpine),
for instance, has fruits that are edible when cooked, and its
leaves have been used for weaving baskets, making ropes, and
thatching roofs. There’s also Betula utilis (Himalayan birch):
along with the many uses for its paper-like white bark, it also
has medicinal properties. Here’s another easy association: from
“domestic” as meaning “relating to the home,” it’s no leap to
domesticus (and domestica