Were you aware there is a group of 19 fern species named after Lady Gaga? Or a carnivorous jungle plant named for actress Helen Mirren? There’s also a hosta called Andy Murray; a lichen that owes its moniker to Barack Obama; and, no kidding, a genuine sponge fungus named after Spongebob Squarepants. So it seems getting a plant named after you is as easy as being massively famous and impressing some scientists. But what about us down-to-earth types, who don’t have Grammys and BAFTAs and Wimbledon plates knocking about the house? How can we seize the mantle of immortality? And how to get a flower named after you?
Singer Lily Allen and actress Rose Byrne are among many celebrities named after flowers, along with hundreds of other people around the globe. In fact, the practice of naming girls after flowers has been popular for centuries – and with beautiful names like Violet, Daisy and Jasmine, it’s easy to see why. What’s much less common is when flowers and plants are actually named after people. A number of lucky celebrities have blossoms named after them, though. Here are a few stars who have flowers or plants named for them.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has not just one, but 19 species of ferns named after her. The 19 species are part of a single genus named Gaga, and have names like Gaga germanotta and Gaga monstraparva. The ferns were named after the oddball singer in 2012, after their DNA was found to contain a sequence of molecules that spells out GAGA (guanine, adenine, guanine, adenine).
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor is known for an extremely successful film career and a glamorous lifestyle, and the “Elizabeth Taylor” rose complements the classic star perfectly. The rose is bright pink with darker pink edges, and it grows well in California – Taylor’s longtime home.
Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Diana
Many royals have had flowers named after them, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana are no exception. Both have a species of clematis named after them, but that’s not all. Princess Diana’s name was also given to a few different species of roses.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Charles and Diana’s son and his wife also have flowers named for them. The “William and Catherine” rose was named after the royal pair when it was introduced at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2011. The rose is beautiful and classic, with a soft off-white color.
Michelle Obama
There’s a longstanding tradition of naming flowers after U.S. first ladies, and Michelle Obama is no exception. After her predecessors Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush were all presented with namesake orchids, Obama was presented with her own bright purple orchid in 2008.
Freddy Mercury
Queen’s influential frontman Freddy Mercury was so beloved that, after his death, his fans raised thousands of dollars to name a rose for him. Mercury’s rose is as one-of-a-kind as he was, with a lovely apricot yellow color and pink edges.
Julia Child
Julia Child is one of the most famous chefs of all time, and she personally chose the rose that would bear her name. The yellow rose, which was created in 2004, is the color of butter and smells like sweet licorice.
Cher
Singer and actress Cher is known as the “Goddess of Pop,” and her namesake flower certainly lives up to her glamorous and dramatic persona. A unique and beautiful bright purple beaded Iris was named after the singer in 1991.
Yves Saint Laurent
Rose-growing company Meilland International named one of its creations, a delicate, light pink rose, after fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in 1994. Another famous fashion designer with an eponymous rose is Hubert de Givenchy.
Julio Iglesias
One of the most interesting-looking flowers on the list is the rose named after Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. The vibrant blossom has bright pink and white stripes and was introduced in 2007 by Meilland International.
And now Timo Bolte got a Chrysanthemum named after him “BOLTE”
Since summer 2020 there is a new Chrysanthemum variety from Dekker Chrysanthen “Bolte”. A beautiful purple spray Chrysanthemum with white lines in the end of the petals. With an amazing vase life for more than 14 days this variety expects to be very popular in the flowershops worldwide.
How to get a flower named after you
