I read an awful lot of blogs and have often found a certain plant identifies a certain blogger. You blogging friends know exactly what I am talking about. What would Clay and Limestone be without PPPP? Or Faire Garden without the muhly? These are just two of the plants that come to mind when I think of these bloggers, but just how and why does a plant become a signature plant and just what is a signature plant anyhow?
Well, being just an ordinary person who has strong opinions and a blog, I can only give you my take on the matter of signature plants; with a few resources thrown in for good measure. Let's try to figure out signature plants.
According to my trusty New Illustrated Webster's Dictionary/Thesaurus (1992) a signature is:
"1. The name of a person, or something representing his name, written, stamped or inscribed by himself or by deputy, as a sign of agreement or acknowledgement."
A plant, as defined by the exact same book, is:
"1. A living organism belonging to the vegetable, as distinguished from the animal kingdom, having typically rigid cell walls, promoting an indefinite growth of tissue, and characterized by growth from the synthesis of simple, usually inorganic food materials from soil, water, and air or, in some cases, from other organisms."
Would it be safe to assume a signature is as unique to the individual as their name is to them? And if we have a plant that grows in our gardens or one that we like very much, would it be okay to assume that it is a signature plant? One specific plant that is unique to the individual and which identifies him or her?
Looking further for information on signature plants, I find a great resource published by UCLA that is very interesting. Here we find the theory of signature plants was most advocated by Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, a Swiss citizen. (Disclaimer: signature plants looked at in this manner are as old as ancient civilizations, and the Doctrine of Signatures is NOT thought to be the oldest such record of looking at plants this way) But his signature plants bear a different type of signature than the type of signature plant I am talking about. The signature plants found in the literary theory Doctrine of Signatures talks about signs from God that relate to the similarity of plants to humans. For example, long lived plants were thought to be helpful in prolonging one's life. Plants with a yellow sap were said to be useful in curing jaundice. Do you see the signatures here? No, while this is interesting, it is not the signature plant I am looking for so I shall look further.
When I Google signature plants not only do I find the Doctrine of Signatures, but I find many botanical gardens and nurseries either have a signature plant or a signature plant program. Among them are: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Hills and Dales Estate, Jaycee Newman (a nursery), and tons more of nurseries and gardens. But all of these websites have one thing in common, they only talk of signature plants in general terms and do not identify what a signature plant means. Again, I ask you, is it common knowledge a signature plant represents a person? Is it safe for me to assume this?
In one of the forums at Dave's Gardens I found a neat little reference to a specific plant known as a signature plant, the Clusia rosea. This tree is actually known as a signature plant because you can write your name on the leaves and it will burn your name into the leaf. No, this is not the type of signature plant I am looking for.
Signature plants are really very interesting to me. Going back to me as a blogger, with little formal training and strong opinions, and a blog, let us not forget this! I am calling a signature plant a plant that both identifies a gardener, and one which the gardener identifies with. Just because a garden is filled with hydrangeas does not mean it is the gardeners signature plant. Perhaps that same garden is also filled with Japanese maples. What plant is the signature plant? Signature plants will by their very nature show some of the characteristics the gardener identifies with themselves. While hydrangeas are very beautiful in bloom, they are very needy. Perhaps the gardener identifies more with the colorful and strong Japanese maples? Surely no gardener would really want to be identified as perhaps a bit needy, though beautiful, and so the strong tree (albeit a small one) is the best choice for this gardener. 
Typing the term 'signature plant' yields some references to it on Blotanical. Many of YOU garden bloggers have mentioned signature plants either in comments or on your blogs. But just what is a signature plant? Can we safely assume it identifies you or your garden? The entire point of this post is to ask you what your signature plant is and why. My signature plant has taken me on a ride because I have found it really is not an easy thing for me to pick and identify. At first glance it would seem easy, but once you start to think about it, it is not so easy. I once identified all of my original commenters with plants, signature plants if you will. For some it was a difficult task, for others very easy. It will be interesting to see if I picked correctly once they take a look inside and determine for themselves their signature plant-the one they identify with. I will also be interested to see if Gail and Frances think of the PPPP and muhly (respectively) as their signature plants.
Go ahead, let us know your signature plant-there should be some interesting plants!
Note: I will NOT be responding to comments on this post; which is a big, big change for me and this blog. I have already added my input below, so I hope you all understand. Have fun.
in the garden....
My signature plant is the Japanese maple, it is strong, colorful, changes constantly, is self sufficient, can be a bit picky about its environment, and it is content to let others tower above and below while doing its OWN thing. This is me.
