Q: How do I make my plant a cultivar?

A: As I described in a previous FAQ entry, a cultivar is a plant recognized for its special, superior qualities. If you want to register your plant name as a cultivar, consider the following questions.

1. What is your motivation? We are all very fond of our plants and want other people to recognize their fine qualities, but why do you want to register your plant name?
   Are you a plant breeder and want to market your latest development? Fine.
   
   Is the plant in question already in cultivation under a nick-name, has unique characteristics, and you would like to validate it with a cultivar name? Fine.
   
   Do you have a plant you like and want to give it a cultivar name so other people will recognize it as a nice plant? Not so fine---this vanity motivation is not helpful and detracts from the notion of a cultivar.
   
   Nearly all our carnivorous plants are lovely. You should register only the best.
   
   
2. Is the selection secure? Is the plant securely in cultivation? A plant name should not be registered if only a few specimens exist. They might easily be killed by a cultivation error! At least a few dozen specimens of the potential cultivar should be in cultivation, and should be under the care of several different growers. The Pinguicula hybrid on this page was slated for cultivar registration, but alas died in cultivation during a bad season. It is a good thing that (expensive) pages of a plant journal were not wasted publishing this unfortunate plant.
   
   
3. Is the plant deserving? Is the plant truly superior, and do specimens maintain these superior attributes year after year? (It would be foolish to describe a cultivar for an average plant which is just being grown well.) Many enthusiastic growers wish to register their rather mundane plants. I think you should consider registering a plant as a cultivar only after you have grown that plant and numerous others in the same genus for five years, minimum!

Pinguicula hybrid


'Othello'

If you wish to proceed with your cultivar validation, you must write an article which describes your cultivar in detail. Describe its origins, attributes, and general nature. Excellent photographs of the plant which illustrate its attributes are also required. Have your cultivar description published in a botanical journal of large circulation.

You can structure the article however you like, as long as the information needed to complete the description is included. To provide guidance, the ICPS has forms on their web site for you to download that explain the necessary information. There are also samples demonstrating completed cultivar forms.

Finally, register your cultivar name with the official International Cultivar Registration Authority. For carnivorous plants, this is the International Carnivorous Plant Society. This process can be made easier If you publish your cultivar article in that society's journal (Carnivorous Plant Newsletter) the society will automatically register your plant for you.

Establishing a cultivar-group name is similar to establishing a cultivar name. The ICPS can help you with that process, too.

Anyone who wishes to publish a cultivar or cultivar-group should read through the most recent copy of the rules (called the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants).

So you see, registering a plant as a cultivar is a little tricky, but not too difficult. The effort is worth it, since cultivar designation is meant to describe a truly superior plant.

Page citations: Brickell, C.D. et al. 2004; Trehane, P. et al. 1995.