[Alberto]

Does it show ignorance to improperly pronounce plant names?

In particular:

Hy-drain-juh..... instead of..... hy-dran-gee-uh
ar-bur-vite-uh..... instead of..... arb-or-vite-e
mag-nole-uh..... instead of..... mag-no-lee-uh
fole-idge..... instead of..... fol-ee-idge

There are others, but these seem particularly noticeable around here.

Or is this simply a regional slang issue?

[phototropic1]

I think proper pronunciation is important, but not THAT important. I'm personally one that prefers botanical latin to common names...it is a lot easier to keep things ordered in my brain that way. But some of those latin names are pretty foreign when you first encounter them, and so you are bound to mispronounce a few. But the examples you've given seem more due to regional accents, rather than flat-out mispronunciation.
I say Mag-nol-yuh, Ca-meel-yah, Hy-drain- jah, etc,etc. and don't feel like there is any problem with that.
It would seem much more ignorant to be calling Hydrangeas "them mopheaded flowerdy thangs" or the Camellias "them purty evergrain jobs".

[PSUscaper]

Basically, I'm down to 7 different plants that I can safely use without deer damage. At this point, I almost just call everything a 'big shrubby', a 'small shrubby', a 'shrubbery that stays green', or a shrubby that 'loses its leaves'.

It is unbelievable how bad the deer damage has become. There really is no more plant design. Its basically '6 big shrubs in the back, 5 small ones in the front, and a tree somewhere on the end'

I actually like it, because it makes life much easier.

I often find that when a client mis-pronounces something, they tend to never change, so I don't force the matter. I'm pretty good, but now that people all have there own little thing going. As long as it is understood, I think it is fine.

Again, with the lack of plant selection that is usable, I don't really try to play the part of a horticulturalist. I just want people to know, and most of all, they want to know, that their new plants aren't going to be a all you can eat buffet the day after we leave.

[Stonehenge]

Cotton Easter and WhyJeelia are the two pronunciation car wrecks in this area that come from clients. Though the Wuhgeela is also mispronounced by landscapers pretty often, too.

As for how important it is - depends on the client. If you're doing work for an avid gardener, you may look kinda dumb pronouncing something incorrectly. That being said, being confident in your speech can make up for a speaking gaff now and then.

Just don't call it foilage.

[Hamons]

http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/spg017.asp

I have used this more than once to make sure I know how to say certain names.

[Stonehenge]

Horticopia also has audio pronunciation.

[TrickyDick]

I don't care so much how people pronouce things as long as the proper sequence of letters is represented. What birritates me, despite my desire to not be quite so petty, is when people add, subtract and change letters. I have no idea why so many people seem to want RhododendroMs in their yard. And CaryopteriX.

Honestly though there are a lot of botanical names that nobody knows how to pronounce. There's proper latin pronunciation and there's common, excepted pronunciation. There's Horticopia's audio button and there's Dirr's phonetics and they're not always the same.

Personally I am impatient so I like to drop extraneous, albiet proper, double E's.....and ii's and that kind of thing. As long as we all know what we're talking about it's not that big a deal.

[Greensmith]

PSU, no kidding on the deer. Whenever I am doing Princeton or Hopewell work I am planting some variety of Pieris, Boxwood(which is iffy) Berberis or groundcovers.

Liquid fence seems to hold its own....unfortunately customers get lazy.

I can't stand the rho Do den DROM either. I just keep saying Rhodo around them until they pick up the slang and stop irritating me

[agla]

It is no different than any public speaking. It has to match your audience.

Rhododendrum
Albertian Spruce
Point Setter
Crate Myrtle
Pee on these

[LandArts]

"Though the Wuhgeela is also mispronounced by landscapers pretty often, too."

I thought it was "wiggly-uh".