How Do We Categorize Plants?: Crash Course Botany #7

Humans make stuff up—including the names and classifications of living things. But those categories are still useful. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how taxonomy and systematics help us understand what plants are and where they come from. We’ll discuss the power of naming, and why even scientists don’t agree on what a species is. Chapters: Categorizing Plants 00:00 What Is a Plant? 1:26 Taxonomy & Systematics 3:15 Indigenous Taxonomic Knowledge 6:36 Species Concepts 9:10 Review & Credits 12:11 Sources: *** Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at Thanks to the following patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever: David Fanska, Andrew Woods, Tawny Whaley, Sean Saunders, Katie, DL Singfield, Ken Davidian,