COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun (aka company term) is a word used to describe a collection or group of things, like pack or kennel of dogs. This practice goes back many centuries. Perhaps the most extensive early reference was the Book of St Albans (1486) which listed “a compilation of matters relating to the interests of the time of a gentleman.” More recently, James Lipton produced An Exaltation of Larks (1st ed, 1968) in which he brings to light the term venery - an ancient practice denoting specific groups of individual animals primarily as it relates to “the hunt.” The Game of Venery, started in the 15th century by English gentry, consists of creating poetic collective nouns and the challenge of knowing and using them appropriately. I introduced students to wordsmithery and collective nouns in my biology classes often using selections as extra credit on tests. The students liked the practice; many would immediately turn to the bonus section. But one thing that always troubled me as a botanist and gardener was how animal centric the terms are. Accordingly, over the years I have accumulated a list of collective nouns related to gardening and plants - terms of vegery. These company terms are lifted from various sources (thank you), but some (1/3) are original - my contrivance. "Why?" you might ask. Why not? As you will discover, many are whimsical as well as instructive (largely based on a quality or association), with a distinctively midwestern flavor. Some of the terms have more than one collective noun with the selection frequently due to exactly what is being described; defined for some. A few collective nouns are technical and longstanding, with the quantified thing omitted or implied (e.g., corolla or dictionary). However, most are generally an informal part of language (i.e., there is often no standard), but you may be surprised at just how many have become part of accepted everyday lingo. I offer this contemporary and evolving compilation (see below) for you to use and enjoy. Contact THE MAD BOTANIST with corrections and/or additions. Attribution appreciated.
TERMS MOSTLY NOT EMPLOYED (in my list), too generic (i.e., broadly applicable): bag, bale, basket, bed, bouquet, bunch, bundle, cache, clump, cluster, collection, colony, community, covering, crate, field, flat, forest, group, grove, handful, harvest, line, load, orchard, passel, patch, pile, plantation, plot, population, row, sack, stack, stand, thicket or tray. Also excluded are most specific measures (e.g., bushel, cord). If multiple entries, listed alphabetically and without preference. Nor do I admire or concur with all the choices. Finally, the bulk of things being collectivized are listed as plural (e.g., drift of dandelions), but this seems awkward, redundant and inconsistent (e.g., bundle of asparagus or bag of seed{s} - where asparagus and seed are collective singulars). I await a ruling from professional linguists.
MAD BOTANIST'S LIST OF COLLECTIVE NOUNS (and some key plural nouns) FOR GARDENING & PLANTS
[for all] a (an) _______
sledge or slip of acorns
cling of adhering plant parts
advance of aggressive native species
bloom of algae
joy of almonds
androecium (all the stamens of a flower) antheridium in cryptogams
sea of anemones
pitfall of antlions
army, bike, colony, nest or swarm of ants
ooze or standstill of aphids (AKA plant ticks)
barrel or crisp of apples (picked)
orchard of apple trees
ascent or climb of arborists
bundle, delicacy or stink of asparagus
pando or trembling of aspens (see also genet)
dangling of bag worms
thicket of bamboo
bunch, comb or hand of bananas (fruit)
cloud of bats
hill or flatulence of beans
holiday of beeches
bike, cluster, drift, erst, game, grist, hive, hum, nest, rabble, or swarm of bees
punnet of berries
tangle of bindweed
arsenal of biocides
peel of birches
congregation, flock or roost of birds (numerous species specific nouns)
dissimulation of (small) birds
shiner of black-eyed Susans
flourish of blossoms
haze of bluebells
bounty of blueberries or huckleberries
oleo of bluebonnets
library of books
congeries, mountain, pile, train or wall of boulders
foray or gathering of botanists (in field) oftimes now rarity
chamber of boxwoods
brake of brackens
aggregate, barrier, tangle or thicket of brambles/briars
band of brassicas
retreat of British soldiers (a fruticose lichen)
coven of (witches') brooms
bavin of brushwood or kindling
luck of buckeyes
eruption or surprise of bulbs
annoyance or matting of burs (plant hitchhikers)
hedge or shrubbery of bushes (see also shrubs)
flutter of butterflies
pain of cacti (see also fungus)
calyx (all the sepals of a flower)
brake or stand of canes (a canebrake)
conclave of cardinals
McGregor of carrots (in situ)
army or nibble of caterpillars
rise of cattails (or other emergent plants)
cliché or minefield of chestnuts (fruits, since forests {plural collective noun} were annihilated by blight)
itch of chiggers
ember of chili peppers
anxiety or burrow of chipmunks
choir, drone, plague or swarm of cicadas
derivance of cladists
bank, billow, cover, menagerie, pageant or soufflé of clouds
field, lock or spread of clover
committee or flock of cockscombs
cluster of coconuts
blight or damnation of common reed (Phragmites)
convention of coneflowers
dropping, kick, scattering or shock of cones
consortium or pinetum of conifers (see also pines)
hope of conservation biologists
reef of coralberries
sheath or tassel of corn (in situ)
snitch or shock of corn (pile of stalks)
ear of corn (conglomerate of individual fruits, caryopses)
corolla (all the petals of a flower)
galaxy of cosmos
bale of cotton (harvested)
orchestra or stridulation of crickets
crop (could be a collective noun for a specific thing {e.g., corn}, whereas crops is a collective noun (general or specific) that may refer to several areas/fields or to different things {e.g., corn and soybean})
company or expanse of crocuses (or other perennializing bulbous species)
field, monoculture or revolution of crop scientists
murder of crows
enlargement of cucumbers
sprawl of cucurbits (see also squash)
diversity of cultivars
eddy of currants
host of daffodils
delight of dahlias
bumstead of daisies
drift or host of dandelions
calendar of dates
diurnum of daylilies
browsing, nuisance or herd of deer
destruction or ignorance of developers
avoidance of devil's walking sticks
outbreak of disease (epiphytotic)
pack of dogwoods
herbarium of dried plants
raft of duckweed
niche of ecologists
nodding or wisdom of elderberries
crusade of environmentalists
occasion of ephemerals
chain of events
field or plain of farmers
encroachment of fence builders
fernery, fiddle or frondage of ferns
confusion of figworts/scrophs
conflagration of fireflies
bundle or faggot of firewood
stole of firs
beat, loc, Roberta, shrive, stock or strike of flax
flora (plants of a particular region or habitat)
arrangement, bed, bouquet or patch of florists
cache or caste of flowerpots
anthology, arrangement, boughpot, bouquet, bunch, chaplet, corsage, embroidery, fascicle, festoon, garland, nosegay, posy, potpourri, sheaf, spray, tress or vase of flowers (picked and arranged)
display of flowers (in situ, single plant)
flourish, garden or patch of flowers (in situ, multiple plants)
inflorescence (arrangement of flowers on a plant) specific types (ament/catkin, capitulum/head, corymb, cyme, glomerule, panicle, raceme, spike, thyrse, umbel, verticil, etc.)
board foot, coop, stalk or xylarity of foresters
spread of forsythias
extinction or layer of fossils
enchantment, evocation or intoxication of fragrant plants
Frankenstein of GMOs
cornucopia of fruit(s) pl. if more than one type (see also infructescence)
harvest of fruit (from an area)
bounty or yield of fruit (all produced by a single plant)
mast (fruit of forest trees and shrubs; also refers to heavy intermittent production)
colony or troop of fungi (see also mushrooms)
fungi (collection of at least two species)
fungus (collection of two or more of the same species); also applicable to cacti, moss, etc.; funguses is clumsy and grating, as is algaes and cactuses
gushing of galls
garden (see plants)
repose of garden/patio furniture
allotment, compost, dig, society, solitude or sprinkling of gardeners
compaction or glee of garden visitors
gaggle of geese
genet (colony of genetically identical individuals produced asexually, each individual plant being a ramet)
conglomerate of geologists
stink-o of ginkgos
elicat of gloves
gobsmack of gomphrenas
opulence or wealth of goldenrods
regret of gout weed (or other difficult to eradicate introduced ornamentals)
grain (general collective noun; the relationship between rice (e.g.) and grain is NOT group / member, but substance / particle - think water)
bunch, cluster or wrath of grapes
vineyard of grapes (whole plants)
patch, tuft or tussock of grass (small area or individual)
lawn, math or turf of grass(es)
fistful, mop or whisk of grasses
cloud of grasshoppers
mess of greens
groundcover (low-growing, spreading plants, one or more species)
gynoecium (all the pistils of a flower) archegonium in cryptogams
gathering of harvesters
bale, bundle or truss of hay or straw
brash or quick of hedge clippings
legacy of heirlooms
dickory of hickories
undulation of hills or mounds
ho ho ho of hollies
invasion or skeleton of bush honeysuckle
abrasion, bitterness, pocket or yard of hops or hop bines
herd of horsetails
growth of horticulturalists (from the Latin hortus, meaning "garden")
sprinkle of hoses
horde, la vista or luego of hostas
crowd, devastation or overpopulation of humans/people (many others commonly used - people also could be a collective noun) - sadly, the quantity and associated traits (greed & ignorance) are spoiling a wondrous world
charm or hover of hummingbirds
vigor of hybrids
bigness or brothel of hydrangeas
crowd, hummer full of idiots
hast of impatiens
infructescence (an ensemble {single mass} of fruits derived from the ovaries of an inflorescence - aka collective fruits, e.g., aggregate, multiple) some falsely so, if not fused (e.g., multicarpellate capsules) like hibiscus
army of insects (crawling)
swarm of insects (flying)
colony of insects (nesting)
horde, infestation, plague, rabble or swarm of troublesome insects
numerous specific insect collective nouns (which see)
infection or nightmare of invasive plants
involucre (all the bracts of a flower)
flamboyance, optic, sword or wave of irises
orgy of Japanese beetles
band, party or scold of jays
jamboree of junipers
team of landscapers
eyesore of ugly landscapes
hell, stand or wreath of laurels
hustle of lawn maintenance workers
foliage or frondage of leaves (collectively, attached)
fascicle of leaves (attached and clustered)
autumn, pile or rake of leaves (fallen)
phyllotaxy (arrangement of leaves on a stem) alternate, opposite, whorled, also cauline and sessile
crust, mantle or shield of lichens
flamboyance or gild of lilies
party of litterbugs (see also my Dec 2019 Earth Pig rant)
boom or raft of logs (transported via water)
noise of lumberjacks/loggers
guarantee of magic elixirs
marsh of mallows
thicket of mangroves
canvas or grove of (sugar) maples
club of master gardeners
overstory of mayapples
repugnance of mcmansioneers
mischief of mice
intrusion or sprig of mints
kiss or totem of mistletoe
company, labour or movement of moles
bank or fortune of money plants
monoculture (growing a single species in mass, antithesis of biodiversity)
crescent of moonflowers
dawn of morning glories
scourge, squadron or swarm of mosquitoes
carpet or covering of moss(es) or liverwort(s); specifically: cushion, mat, turf, weft
rarity or treasure of mother or wolf trees
stain of mulberries
OMG or WTF of mulberry weed (or other unwanted weeds - overwhelming sudden appearance)
rumor of mums
mess of mushrooms (picked, to be eaten)
cluster, ring or troop of mushrooms (in situ)
complex or network of mycelia (fungal hyphae, a plural noun as is mycelia)
benefit, team or ubiquity of mycorrhizae
index of names
tribe of natives (see also purists)
annoyance, nerve or proximity of neighbors
fatality of nightshade
necessity of nurse logs
majesty or savanna of oaks
bawl, rope or weeping of onions
pocket of oranges
coterie or rarity of orchids
greasing or knot of palms
consort or herd of parasites
crime of passionflowers
patch of pawpaws (trees)
blush of peaches
pod of peas
droop of peonies
peal or peck of peppers
perianth (surrounding non-reproductive parts of a flower)
perigonium (all the tepals of a flower)
pucker of persimmons
infestation of pests (invertebrates)
phalanx or shepherd of phlox
clade of phylogenists
longing, pinetum or whisper of pines; psithurism (the sound{s} of wind in leaves)
selection of plant breeders
drink of plant ticks (plant juice sucking insects)
garden or nursery of plants (being grown, outside) also, arboretum, estate, garboretum* (nearly equal emphasis on woody & herbaceous), garth, grounds, hedge, herbary, jungle, park, parterre, pinetum, plot, shrubbery or yard; may also imply a specific arrangement (allée, block, drift, mass, maze, topiary); garden (space used for the controlled growth of plants; but, as Gertrude Jekyll noted, a collection does not a garden make)
conservatory, glasshouse, greenhouse or hothouse (building - of plants)
community of plants (wild & sharing a common environment, e.g., bog, fen, forest, meadow, prairie, savanna)
family of plants (wild and related, genetically and via root interconnectivity)
flora or vegetation (plants of a particular region or habitat)
genus, family, order, etc (grouped by systematic categories) also angiosperms (produce flowers & seed), gymnosperms (incl. conifers, seeds but not flowers), phanerogams (angiosperms & gymnosperms, seeds), cryptogams (spore producers - ferns, bryophytes {mosses, liverworts & hornworts}, algae, lichens)
(see also genet and individual specific names)
awe or reverence of plantsmen
looming or rash of poison ivy
peculiarity of pollarded woody plants
mass of pollen (in situ)
cloud or sneeze of pollen (aerosolized)
assistance, myriad or transfer of pollinators
mommy of poppies
hubris of professors
regularity of prunes
delusion or jury of purists (nativists)
bury, nest, trace, trip, warren or wrack of rabbits
gaze or mask of raccoons
sneeze of ragweeds
gin of red-cedars
bed or stand of reeds
lattice of rhizomorphs (rootlike aggregate of hyphae in some fungi)
paddy of rice (plants)
opportunity of roadside weeds (e.g., chicory)
bobbin or round of robins
rocks (see boulders)
network of roots
prickle or war of roses
hurry of rushes
beach, heap or pile of sand
advancement, curiosity or force of scientists
cycle of seasons
edge of sedges
bag, handful, packet, pinch or sack of seed(s)
nursery of seedlings
touch of sensitive plants
butchery of sheared plants (not topiary)
arboretum, hedge, nest, palisade, or shrubbery of shrubs
corpse of slash piles (accumulated plant debris, natural or from forest management)
tribe or ubiquity of sparrows
aversion or web of spiders
nest of spiderworts
flex of spinach
pageant of spring beauties
resurrection of sprouts (produced by the roots of some felled woody plants)
squad of squash
den, drey or scurry of squirrels
clutter or murmuration of starlings
flight of steps (stairs, an aggregate noun)
bundle or faggot of sticks
annoyance or matting of sticktights (plant hitchhikers)
repentance of stinging nettles
henge of stone fruit(s)
aggregate of strawberries
graveyard of stumps
reservoir or thickness of succulents
riddance of suckers
movement of sumacs
committee of surprise lilies
vincent of sunflowers (plants)
armory of sweet gum balls (fruit)
ghost of sycamores
clade of systematists or phylogenists
family or key of taxonomists
jab or misfortune of thorns
aggregate or stand of timber (uncut)
fall or flat of timber (cut) individual logs (which see)
clutch (on vine) or rick of tomatoes
assortment, bucket or shedload of tools (not a set)
blunder of topped woody plants
exhibit or garden of topiary
arboretum, avenue, beare, belt, book, canopy, clump, copse (small trees), coupe, forest, frith, grove, hanger, holt, noble, monoculture, orchard (deciduous or fruit), pinetum, pouquet, quercetum (oaks), spinney (small copse), stand, stillness, stock, thicket or wood of trees; something of a conundrum when using a collective noun with trees unless referring to a specific species (e.g., a wood of hickories); moreover, wood refers to a smaller delineated area
eloquence or majesty of trilliums
tub of tubers
pursing or tiptoe of tulips
whisk of twigs
tangle of vines
shrink of violets
colony or nibble of voles
herbarium of vouchers specimens
headache, stain or tumble of walnuts
barbie of wasps
rain of water (precipitation, falling in individual drops) water is considered a non-count noun
drift, littering or raft of waterlilies (or other floating plants)
overwhelm or wicket of weeds
shaft, sheaf or shock of wheat (plants)
blessing of (spring) wildflowers
bed, bend or withy of willows
blizzard of winterberries
wood (cut) dependent on the measure
can, clew, mouthful, squirm or wiggle of worms
excurrency or totter of Xmas trees
aesthetic of yard art
gloom or quiver of yews