Vernacular species names
Vernacular names for species are typically very local, varying from county to county within the British Isles. The ones listed here will not be exhaustive.
Flowering Plants
Ash
- Esh, Hampshire weed, Widow-maker
Bittersweet or Woody Nightshade
- Deadly nightshade
Bladder Campion
- Spatling Poppie
Bluebell
- Granfer Griggles, Crow's toes
Bramble
- Black heg, Blegs
Bristly Oxtongue
- Milton Keynes weed (Buckinghamshire)
Broad-leaved Dock
- Docken, Docken
Charlock
- Runch, Runches
Cleavers or Goosegrass
- Bobby Buttons, Clyders, Clydon, Clivvers, Goosegrass, Gosling weed, Goose bumps, Gollenweed, Herriff, Hairiff, Sweethearts, Kisses, Sticky Willy, Sticky grass, Sticky weed, Stickleback, Stick-a-back, Sticky bobs, Sticky buds, Sticky William, Claggy Meggies, Robin-run-in-the-hedge
Columbine
- Granny's bonnet, Granny's nightcap
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
- Eggs and bacon, Ham and eggs, Butter and eggs, Hen and chickens, Cocks and hens, Tom Thumb, Fingers and thumbs, Granny's toenails, Lady's fingers, Lady's slipper, Cuckoo's stocking, Dutchman's clogs
Common Comfrey
- For all comfreys: Knitbone, Nip-bone, Ass-ear
Common Dogwood
-
Bloody Dogwood
Common Nettle
- Stinging Nettle
Common or Black Knapweed
- Hardheads, Paintbrush
Common Poppy
- Corn-poppy, Field poppy
Common Ragwort
- St James' wort, Staggerwort, Stammerwort, Yellow tops, Stinking Willie, Mare's fart
Common Sorrel
- Sour docks, Sour dogs, Sour ducks, Sour grabs, Sour sabs, Sour sap, Sour sops, Soorocks, Vinegar plant, Vinegar leaves, Rain, Green sauce, Bread and sauce, Sugar stick (stems only)
Common Toadflax
- Butter and eggs, Bunny mouths
Corn Cockle
- Kiss-me-quick
Corn Marigold
- Dunwich Buddle, Johnny Buddle
Cornflower
- Bluebottle, Blavers
Cornsalad
- Lamb's lettuce
Cow Parsley
- Queen Anne's Lace, Lady's lace, Fairy lace, Spanish lace, Kex, Kecksie, Queque, Mother die, Mummy die, Step-mother, Grandpa's pepper, Hedge parsley, Badman's oatmeal, Blackman's tobacco, Rabbit meat
Cowslip
- Hey-flower, Peggles, Paigles
Crab Apple
- Scrogs (the fruit only)
Creeping Thistle
- Thistles in general: Dashels, Milky Dashels, Dicels, Donkey's breakfast
Cultivated Daffodil
- Daffys, Daffa-downdilly, Daffy-downdilly, Lent lily, Lenten lily, Easter lily, Glens
Dandelion
- Jack-piss-the-bed, Pissy beds, Piss-in-bed, Pittley beds, Tiddle-beds, Wet-the-bed, Dog's posy, Old man's clock, Peasant's clock, Swine's snout; (and for the seeds) Fairies, Parachutes, Sugar eaters
Deadly Nightshade
- Belladonna, Dwale
Elder
- Boortree, Boontree, Borewood, Battery, Dog tree, Ellern, Fairy tree, Piss-weed
Feverfew
- Bachelor's buttons, Featherfew
Field Bindweed
- All bindweeds: Barbine, Bewllbine, Bethwine, Cornbine, Withybine, Withywind, Waywind, Lady, Lady-jump-out-of-bed, Granny-jumps-out-of-bed, Robin-run-the-hedge, Sanke's meat, Devil's guts, Sussex lily, Wild lily
Field Scabious
- Pincushion flower, Lady's pincushion, Blue bonnets
Field Wood-rush
- Good Friday grass, Sweep's brooms
Fool's Parsley
- Fool's Cicely, Poison Parsley
Fox-and-cubs or Orange Hawkweed
- Grim the collier
Foxglove
- Fairy gloves, Fairy bells, Floppy dock, Tod-tails
Garlic Mustard
- Jack by the Hedge
Germander Speedwell
- Bird's eye, Cat's eye, Eye of the child Jesus, Farewell, Goodbye
Goat Willow
- Sallow, Pussy Willow
Great Mullein
- Aaron's Rod, Hagtapers, Adam's flannel, Our Lady's candle
Great Willowherb
- Codlins-and-cream
Greater Plantain
- Rat's tails, Angels' harps, Banjos
Green Alkanet
- Bird's-eye, Evergreen Bugloss
Grey Willow
- Sallow, Pussy willow
Guelder Rose
-
Water Elder, Cramp Bark, Snowball tree, Common Snowball
Hawthorn
- Above all, May (especially just for the blossom), then: White-may, Whitethorn, Thorn-bush, Quick, Quickthorn, Mother-die, Bread-and-cheese (leaves only). For the fruit only: Awes, Asogs, Azzies, Aglets, Agags, Arzy-garzies, Boojuns, Hoppety-haws.
Hazel
- Halse, Hezzel, Ranger, Lamb's tails (the catkins)
Hedge Bindweed
- All bindweeds: Barbine, Bewllbine, Bethwine, Cornbine, Withybine, Withywind, Waywind, Lady, Lady-jump-out-of-bed, Granny-jumps-out-of-bed, Robin-run-the-hedge, Sanke's meat, Devil's guts, Sussex lily, Wild lily
Himalayan Honeysuckle or Flowering Nutmeg
- Pheasant berry, Flowering nutmeg
Hogweed
- Cow parsnip, Bilders, Caddy, Eltrot, Limperscrimps, Cow-weed, Kirk, Chirk, Keks
Holly
- Hulver, Holm, Hollin
Honeysuckle
- Woodbine
Hybrid Bluebell (H. non-scripta x hispanica)
- Granfer Griggles, Crow's toes
Lady's Bedstraw
- Lady's tresses
Lesser Burdock
- Bachelor's buttons, Button sourees, Beggar's buttons, Love leaves, Sticklebacks, Sticky bobs, Sticky Jack, Sticky Willy, Cleavers, Velcro plant
Lesser Periwinkle
- Blue Betsy
Lords-and-Ladies or Cuckoo Pint
- Cuckoo-pint, Cuckoo flower, Jack in the pulpit, Parson in the pulpit, Devils and angels, Red-hot-poker, Willy lily, Snake's meat, Cows and bulls
Lungwort
- Jerusalem cowslip, Jacob's coat, Soldiers and sailors, Mary-spilt-the-milk
Marjoram
- Oregano
Meadow Crane's-bill
- Jingling Johnny
Oxeye Daisy
- Dog daisy, Horse daisy, Moon daisy, Moonpenny, Marguerite
Pedunculate Oak
- Sussex weed
Primrose
- Spinkie
Quaking Grass
- Quaker grass, Toddling grass, Totty grass, Totter grass, Tom's tottle, Dithery dock, Dothery Dicks, Wigwams, Silver spoons, Golden shekels
Red Campion
- Adder's flower, Robin Hood, Cuckoo flower
Rosebay Willowherb
- Bombweed, Fireweed, Ranting widow
Rowan
- Mountain-ash, Witch wiggin tree, Keirn, Cuirn
Scarlet Pimpernel
- Old man's weathervane, Poor man's weatherglass
Smooth Sow-thistle
- Milky disels, Dindle, Silver and gold
Snowdrop
- Candlemas bells, Mary's taper, Snow piercer, February fairmaids, Dingle-dangle
Spring Crocus
- Nottingham crocus
Stinking Iris
- Roast-beef plant, Gladdon, Bloody bones
Summer Snowflake
- Loddon lily, Snowflakes
Water Figwort
- Water Betony, Brook Betony, Brownwort, Fiddlewood (stems only), Stinking Christopher
White Clover
- Milky blobs, Sheepy-maa's, Bee-bread
Wild Carrot
- Queen Anne's Lace, Bird's-nest
Wild Cherry
- Gean, Mazzard, Murry
Wild Teasel
- Brushes and combs, Venus's basin
Wood Anemone
- Wind-flower, Grandmother's nightcap, Moggie nightgown
Wood-sorrel
- Alleluia, Cuckoo's bread and cheese, Granny's sour grass
Yarrow
- Yarroway, Staunchweed, Poor man's pepper
Invertebrates
Australian Lawn Shrimp
-
Lawn shrimp, lawn prawn, landhopper, woodhopper, Australian mud shrimp
Common Pill Woodlouse
-
billy baker, monkey pea, grammer zow, parson's pig, chiggy wig, cheese log, daddy granfer, granny grunter, damper, slate cutter, hardy back, penny sow, cheesy bug, nut bug
(There's a fascinating article about the vernacular names of woodlice on Dr Tamsin Baxter's website at https://www.icge.co.uk/?p=woodlice.)
Common Rough Woodlouse
- billy baker, monkey pea, grammer zow, parson's pig, chiggy wig, cheese log, daddy granfer, granny grunter, damper, slate cutter, hardy back, penny sow, cheesy bug, nut bug
Common Shiny Woodlouse
- billy baker, monkey pea, grammer zow, parson's pig, chiggy wig, cheese log, daddy granfer, granny grunter, damper, slate cutter, hardy back, penny sow, cheesy bug, nut bug
Common Striped Woodlouse
- billy baker, monkey pea, grammer zow, parson's pig, chiggy wig, cheese log, daddy granfer, granny grunter, damper, slate cutter, hardy back, penny sow, cheesy bug, nut bug
Leopard Slug
-
Great Grey Slug
Vulgar Slug
- Spanish slug, Lusitanian slug, Iberian slug, Killer slug
Butterflies and moths
Brindled Poplar Tortrix
-
Grey Poplar Bell
Brown Bark Moth
-
Plain Bark Moth, Golden-brown Tubic, Batia unitella
Golden Argent
-
Brassy Y
Knapweed Bell
- Knapweed Root-borer
Red-barred Tortrix
- Fruit-tree tortrix, vine tortrix
Birds
Chaffinch
- Fleck-lenny
Dunnock
- Shufflewing
Goldcrest
- Woodcock Pilot
Great Tit
- Tomtit
Green Woodpecker
- Yaffle, yaffle bird, laughing Betsey, yaffingale, yappingale and Jack Eikle
House Sparrow
- Spuggie, Spadger
Jay
- Devil Scritch
Mistle Thrush
- Stormcock
Song Thrush
- Mavis, Throstle
Wren
- Stumpy Toddy
Insects other
Cream-streaked Ladybird
-
Four-spot ladybird
Fly - unnamed 2
-
Acalyptrate muscoid
Fungus weevil - unnamed 1
- Ambrosia beetle
Hairy Shieldbug
-
Sloe Bug
Harlequin Ladybird
- Asian ladybird, Multicoloured ladybird, Asian lady beetle
Housefly - unnamed 4
-
Yellow-winged Bristleshin (Steven Falk)
Pied Plumehorn
- Great Pied Hoverfly
Ragwort Flea Beetle
- Tansy ragwort flea beetle
Red Mason Bee
- Red mortar bee
Red-legged Shieldbug
-
Forest Bug
Tiger Hoverfly
- The Footballer
Yellow Cereal Fly
-
Grass Fly
Arachnids
False Widow
-
False black widow, Cupboard spider, Dark comb-footed spider, Brown house spider.
Non-flowering Plants
Yew
- Tree of death, Tree of the dead