Gardening Gardening Basics

What to Know About the Difference Between Cultivars and Varieties

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The Spruce / David Beaulieu

The terms, "cultivar" and "variety" are commonly used in plant taxonomy. Once a plant is identified by genus and species, it can be further defined as a cultivar or variety. Both terms represent a deviation from the species standard often affecting plant or bloom size, color, fragrance, leaf type or any other characteristic common to that species.

Plant cultivars are labeled differently than plant varieties and also have legal considerations for growers and home gardeners regarding propagation. Here is what you need to know about

purchasing and growing cultivars and plant varieties.

What Is a Cultivar?

A cultivar is a plant that is propagated through human intervention; a process which often begins by cross pollinating two self-pollinating parent plants to develop a desirable characteristic in the offspring. This is called hybridizing which can involve years of experimentation and expense.

Once a hybrid with the intended features is achieved, it is identified as a cultivar. In order to maintain the plant's new feature the cultivar can only be cloned by taking cuttings, grafting, or tissue culture. Attempts to grow identical plants from the seeds of a cultivar usually result in a plant that reverts to either one of the parents or something completely different than intended.

Cultivars also can begin as mutations which, in plant terminology, are referred to as "sports." These are accidents of nature and manifest most often in only one or two plants rather than groups of plants.

What Is a Cultivar?

A cultivar is a plant that has been grown from a stem cutting, grafting, or tissue cultures to ensure it retains the characteristics of the plant parent. Growing a plant from the seed of one of these plant's may not produce the same plant as the parent.

Correct Labeling For Cultivars

When the full scientific name is given, the cultivar name follows the genus name and the species name with its first letter capitalized. Names of cultivars are often set off by single quotation marks. Identifying plants this way offers more detail about the plant's features than listing just the genus and species.

The Rudbeckia genus is made up of about 20 different species of ray flowers. The species Rudbeckia hirta is fairly easily hybridized to create cultivars with specific colors and growth patterns. An example of one such cultivar is identified as Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy'.

What Is a Variety?

A plant variety is found growing and reproducing naturally in the plant kingdom. It varies from its standard species in some way as a result of natural evolution. Plant varieties are most often found in groupings that have cross pollinated as adaptions to differences in habitat. Plants grown from the seeds of a species variety are often exact copies of the parent plant.

What Is a Plant Variety?

A variety is a type of plant grown from seed that has the same characteristics as the plant parent.

Correct Labeling for Varieties

The abbreviation "var." usually follows the genus and species names of a plant variety. This is then followed by the variety's proper name in lower case italics. An example of this type of adaption is the purple Japanese maple identified taxonomically as Acer palmatum var. atropupureum.

Cultivar vs. Variety: Key Differences

Athough the terms cultivar and variety are often used interchangeably, the plants they represent differ in several ways. How the plant label or description is written is the first and easiest way to tell whether it is a variety or a cultivar. Here are other key differences.

Groups vs. Individual Plants

Plant varieties are found in groups with each member having one or more identical features that differ from the species standard.

Cultivars are individual plants that exhibit a desirable characteristic a grower wishes to retain and repeat.

Natural Occurence vs. Human Intervention

Plant varieties occur in nature usually as adaptations to changes in the species habitat or environment.

A cultivar can occur in nature as a mutation to a single plant however cultivars are most often the result of selective propagation through hybridizing, grafting, cuttings, or tissue culture. These methods involve human intervention.

Seed Viability

Plant varieties produce seeds that develop into replicas of the parent plant.

Cultivars may or may not produce seed. Seeds are unreliable and often do not result in a clone of the parent plant. A cultivar can be cloned to produce an exact replica of the parent only by using human propagation methods.

Legal Issues

According to the Oregon State University extension, "If a plant is patented, a license is required from the patent holder to make cuttings of that plant, even if it is planted in your own backyard."

Essentially it is illegal to reproduce a patented plant without a license which means you must purchase the plant from a licensed party.

Why Cultivars Are Patented

Cultivars are patented to protect the investment of the grower who develops the plant. Creating a cultivar that consistently results in a plant with the marketable feature or features can take years of experimentation and effort.

A patent gives the developer the sole right to propagate and sell the cultivar or to license that right to another entity. This encourages the creation of new plants by insuring growers will be compensated for the time and money spent during research and development.

Benefits of Cultivars

  • Cultivars often have greater disease resistance than the original species.
  • Cultivars feature a particular trait superior to, or at least different from, their original species.
  • Cultivars bring to market new plants with desirable characteristics for gardeners and growers.
  • Cultivars can eliminate undesirable plant traits such as invasiveness.
  • Cultivars can promote and sustain diversity.
FAQ
  • What is the difference between a cultivar and a species?

    The development of a plant species is a natural process that occurs through evolution. The creation of a cultivar requires human intervention and is the result of hybridizing or cloning a plant to retain desirable characteristics.

  • How can you tell if a plant is a cultivar?

    The label often lists a specific name in addition to the plant's genus and species. The name may be descriptive of a specific characteristic of the plant or it may be the name of the grower who created it. The cultivar name is capitalized and surrounded by single quotation marks.

  • Can a plant be a hybrid and a cultivar?

    Technically yes, a plant can be a hybrid and a cultivar. However, hybridizing plants does not always result in a viable cultivar. A cultivar is a selected hybrid that exhibits the specific trait the breeder intends. Hybrids and cultivars are also created differently.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Haynes, Cindy. "Cultivar versus Variety." Iowa State University Extension Office. Web.

  2. Oregon State University Extension Office.