Plant Label Policy for ANBG

Types of plant labels

Three types of plant labels plus a fourth for naming garden beds (sections) are currently used in ANBG. All are made from aluminium, anodised with a bronze colour, and are commonly referred to as:

Stake labels
Rockery labels
Large labels
Section labels

Stake label

400 x 25 x 3 mm, cut at a 90 deg. angle one end and 45 deg. angle other end.

Rockery label

Consists of two parts, a plate 100 x 65 mm, and a stake 300 x 10 x 3 mm cut at a 90 deg. angle one end and 45 deg. angle other end.

Large label

Consists of two parts, a plate 300 x 150 mm, and a stake 800 x 25 x 3 mm cut at a 90 deg. angle one end and 45 deg. angle other end.

Section label

Consists of two parts, a plate 175 x 150 mm, and a stake 400 x 25 x 3 mm cut at a 90 deg. angle one end and 45 deg. angle other end.

Formatting and inclusion of text on plant labels

Font style is "Regular" unless otherwise stated.

FAMILY: All letters capitalised.
Genus: First letter capitalised.
species: All letters in lower case.
infra species rank: Abbreviated and finished off with full stop ( var. subsp.).
infra species: All letters in lower case.
affinity: Generally refers to species level and as such typically reads: Prostanthera sp. aff. linearis

Stake labels

Size to fit one or two lines on the label, - see existing labels for guidance.
Leave 150mm at 45 deg angle end of label blank; needs to go into the ground. Include genus, species, infra species rank, and infra species.

Example

Philotheca myoporoides
subsp. myoporoides

Cultivars do not include species, infra species rank, or infra species.

Example

Grevillea ‘Poorinda Peter’

Rockery label

Size to fit two to four lines on label, - see existing labels for guidance..
Include genus, species, infra species rank, infra species, and family.
A plus symbol ( + ) should be included in the top right corner for those plants which have no above-ground presence for part of the year.

Example

Philotheca myoporoides
subsp. myoporoides
RUTACEAE

Cultivars do not include species, infra species rank, or infra species.

Example

Grevillea
‘Poorinda Peter’
PROTEACEAE

Large label

Size to fit multiple lines, - see existing labels for guidance.
Include genus, species, infra species rank, infra species, common name, and distribution map.

Example

Philotheca myoporoides
subsp. myoporoides

Long-leaf Wax Flower
family RUTACEAE

Cultivars do not include species, infraspecies rank, infra species, common name, or map.

Example

PBR logo

Grevillea
‘Poorinda Peter’

family PROTEACEAE

Some text may be added to large cultivar labels explaining their origin.
The PBR logo should be added to those plants registered for Plant Breeders Rights.

Section label

Size to fit three lines, - see existing labels for guidance. Include the word "SECTION", the numerical naming of the garden bed, and theme of the garden bed.

Example

SECTION
28
PROTEACEAE

At the completion of stocktaking a Section the completion date (month and year) are to be written in black marker pen on the back, left side of each of the Section labels, starting January 2005.

Allocating plant labels

Plant labels are placed for the benefit of the visiting public to ANBG. Labels should not be placed and used for scientific or similar purposes; tags tied to the plants serve those interests.

In determining which plants to label, how many, and with what kind of label (stake label, rockery label, or large label) a number of issues must be considered.

Size & health

First of all, the plant should be big enough to warrant labelling, ie. the plant should be more eye catching than the label.

Exceptions: Where the nature of a taxon means that the plant is not likely ever to grow to any significant size it may be considered for labelling anyway.

The plant should also be in a healthy state at time of labelling.

Which plants to label

Only plants with full identification are to be labelled.

Exceptions: A plant which is not fully identified, but displays well and is situated in a highly visited area*, may be considered worth labelling.

Cultivars, registered or not, should be considered worth labelling.

* Highly visited areas include: Main Path, Rain Forest, Rock Garden, Eucalypt Lawns, and Sydney Basin.

A label should only be placed on a plant where the label can be read from paths/roads/lawns without having to go through a garden bed to read it. Typically no more than 5 meters into a garden bed. Plants further away should not be labelled.

Number of labels to be placed

Place one label only per plant/group of plants within the same taxon even if there are different prop_ids within that group.

Exceptions: Two labels, one on either side of the plant/group of plants, is warranted if there is a high visibility from either side.

Plants of the same taxon should only be labelled with more than one label if the plants are more than 10 meters apart and other taxa are located in between them.

Exceptions: Plants of same taxon can be labelled if they are less than 10 meters apart provided the labels are not viewed from the same viewpoint.

Which type of label to use

Stake labels are to be used throughout all garden beds except sections 15a – 15z, 60, 172, 174, 210 (where labels face the main path), 221, 230 – 237, 244, 245, & 246. Stake labels currently placed in the above mentioned sections will be removed, either when the plant dies or when the label becomes illegible. Where a name change occurs the stake label will be replaced with a rockery label.

Rockery labels are to be used in following sections: 14, 15a – 15z, 60, 172, 174, 210 (where labels face the main path), 221, 230 – 237, 244, 245, & 246. Rockery labels currently placed in other sections than the above mentioned will be removed, either when the plant dies or when the label becomes illegible. Where a name change occurs the rockery label will be replaced with a stake label.

Large labels are used throughout the Gardens, typically on trees but also on other large plants, as long as they display well. eg. the Eucalypt Lawns.

Section labels are used to label garden beds (sections).

Checking for correct plant names

Before placing out labels or adding names to the list to have new labels made, check the spelling and validity of the name in the 'Australian Plant Census' database at:

http://www.anbg.gov.au/chah/apc/index.html

a more detailed history of the plant's naming can be found by looking at the full version of APNI at:

http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/databases/apni.html

Notes

Labels will not be engraved with accession numbers as has been the policy in the past. Reasons being that this datum can be obtained by accessing either tags attached to the plants or by using stocktake maps. Benefits include time saved and that plant labels can be transferred and placed on other plants of the same taxon without the need to consider the different accession numbers involved.

Historical footnote

A paper published in 1980 outlining the current and possible future label designs and materials for botanic gardens, from the ANBG's archives LINK