Plant gender?

[Leafmite]

Though I dearly love my plants, I have never thought of them as male or female. The plants I grow produce flowers of both types or with both parts. Allspice is an exception but I still just think of 'it' as just 'Allspice.' However, you should not feel that you are unique in this as it is not unusual for people to speak of their plants with pronouns expressing gender.
Interestingly enough, Angraecum Sesquipedale was once known as the 'King of Angraecums' and Angraecum Magdalenae was once known as the 'Queen of Angraecums.' Piper Nigrum is sometimes called the 'King of Spices' and Elettaria cardamommum is sometimes called the 'Queen of Spices'. Orchids are sometimes given clonal names that make them seem male or female, too.

[charlesf6]

60% - male 40% - female pet names only really cannot distinguish their actual gender.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

60% - male 40% - female pet names only really cannot distinguish their actual gender.

In other words, you refuse to use their secret names, even in private moments of tenderness?

[UserName]

Thanks, everyone.

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

[...] ugly.[...]

No, nobody is created ugly. There is what can fairly be called ugly character, but that is something else. Each of us looks a bit different from others so we are easier to recognize. Ask your doggie.

Originally Posted by estación seca

I do my best to be lovingly supportive.

Wonderful. That is something everyone wants – acceptance.

[Connie Star]

Well since I live in Costa Rica half of the year, and the word for orchid in Spanish is feminine, I refer to mine as "she" if I use a gender, but mostly they are "it". Since the conjoined column of male and female parts is the main thing distinguishing orchids (except the aforementioned Catasetum) they are clearly confused.

[Fernando]

'fused' and 'confused' is not the same ...

[Connie Star]

Originally Posted by Fernando

'fused' and 'confused' is not the same ...

Well maybe they are both? The animal term would be hermaphrodite, the botanical term is monecious (not sure of spelling).

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Connie Star

they are clearly confused.

Or smart. This way, if all the girls or boys get killed off, they can still mate. But yah, hard for a language that has genders for words. I know enough Spanish but not genders, and who cares about verb tenses, I can communicate, but I sound like a barbarian.

[Leafmite]

The best way to learn the genders in a language is to be immersed.