Are “New” Plant Varieties Really New? The Truth Explained.

 

 

The Hidden World of Patents, Cultivars & Trade Names

If you’ve ever felt confused by the huge number of “new” plant varieties on the market, you’re not alone. In fact, many of those different names all point back to the same plant.
 

Here’s the inside scoop.
 

One Plant, Many Names

When a breeder develops a new plant, they give it a cultivar name — like ‘PAF-1234’ or ‘Pocono’. That’s the plant’s true genetic identity.

But when growers license that plant, they’re allowed to market it under their own trade names. That’s where you get all the catchy names.

The result: one cultivar, many identities.
 

Why Do Growers Do This?

• Branding

• Regional marketing

• Retail differentiation

• Customer appeal

Trade names help growers stand out — but they don’t change the plant itself.
 

What This Means for Gardeners

It can look like there are dozens of choices, when in reality, many are duplicates. If you’re trying to diversify your garden or compare performance, the cultivar name is the detail that matters.
 

Same cultivar = same growth habit, same fruit, same disease resistance, same bloom, same everything!

 

The good news is if your looking for that newly advertised trade name plant and can’t find it, chances are there’s an identical plant with a different name from another grower. This gives you more opportunity to find that cultivar.
 

The Bottom Line

Trade names are marketing.

Cultivar names are the truth.

And once you know the difference, the plant world becomes a whole lot less confusing.