17 Plants With the Weirdest Names You’ll Ever See in a Garden

Have you ever walked through a garden and done a two-fold - take at the name on a plant label ? The plant world is full of strange , funny , and downright bizarre figure that can make even serious gardeners giggle .

Some names come from how the plant look , while others honor people or places . Get quick to discover some genuinely head - scratching plant names that might make your next garden sojourn more entertaining !

1. Monkey Puzzle Tree

This spiky evergreen plant got its peculiar name when someone remarked that even a scallywag would be puzzled seek to climb its sharp , scale - same leave-taking and queerly arranged branches . aboriginal to Chile , these prehistoric - expect trees can produce over 100 feet tall in their born home ground . They ’ve been around since dinosaur times ! Despite their intimidating appearance , they make striking specimen trees in big gardens where their alone silhouette create an unforgettable focal full point .

2. Corpse Flower

Holding the record for the world ’s largest unbranched flowering , this botanic oddity take in its morbid nickname from the sinewy stench it releases when flower – exactly like molder flesh . The olfactory sensation serve well a use , draw in carrion beetles and flies that pollenate it . Native to the rain forest of Sumatra , it blooms rarely , sometimes with years between florescence . When it does bloom , the monolithic burgundy flower can reach 10 feet tall and suck up crowds willing to endure the smell for a glimpse of this wonder .

3. Naked Man Orchid

Giggle - inducing at first glimpse , these Mediterranean orchid have blossom that authentically resemble tiny naked men . The resemblance is uncanny – with distinct “ arms , ” “ legs , ” and a “ head ” clearly visible on each bloom . Scientifically known as Orchis italica , these plants uprise wild across the Mediterranean region . They typically stand about 20 inches tall with twelve of lilliputian “ work force ” clump on each bloom spike . Beyond their humourous visual aspect , they ’re becoming increasingly rare in the wild due to habitat loss , cause them a protect metal money in many area .

4. Butcher’s Broom

Long before charge card cutting circuit card , European butchers used bundles of this industrial plant ’s stiff branches to grate clean their wooden chop blocks – hence the macabre name . depend closely and you ’ll notice something odd : what look to be leafage are actually flattened stems anticipate cladodes . The lilliputian true flowers grow directly from these sour “ leaf , ” creating a botanic peculiarity . forward-looking gardeners appreciate this drought - tolerant evergreen shrub for tough spots where other works struggle , entirely unaware of its crashing past tense in meatman shops across Europe .

5. Bastard Toadflax

No , this industrial plant is n’t the illegitimate young of a toad and flax ! Its unfortunate name stems from knightly times when “ illegitimate child ” just think “ mistaken ” or “ fill in . ” sodbuster noted it resembled true flax but was n’t useful for making linen paper . This delicate European wildflower has a captivating secret life as a partial parasite . Its roots tap into nearby plant to steal nutrient while still develop its own food through photosynthesis . The modest livid flowers bloom in summer , create a netlike event in meadow and grassland where it grows naturally .

6. Voodoo Lily

Emerging from the territory like something from a revulsion movie , the Voodoo Lily mail up a single mottled stalk resembling snake pelt before unfurling its dramatic purple - black blossom . The flower produces heat – yes , actual estrus – and bring out a spirit like molder meat to attract pollinate flies . Some variety can raise their temperature intimately 15 degrees above ambient melody ! After unfolding , an umbrella - comparable folio appears that can reach 6 feet across . Despite its creepy reputation , works collectors respect this conversation - starting quirkiness from Southeast Asia .

7. Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate

straight-laced gardens were fill with plants whose epithet talk the romantic words the great unwashed could n’t say out loudly , and this beauty topped the list . With its cascading chains of pink blossom hanging like jewelry , it created the thoroughgoing spot for stolen garden kisses . arise up to 8 feet improbable in a single season , this yearbook makes a striking assertion . Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello , cautiously saving seeded player each year . The nod flower clusters contain one C of flyspeck blooms that pull in butterflies and hummingbird , tote up movement and biography to the garden .

8. Dragon’s Blood Tree

edit into the bark of this otherworldly tree and red sap slime out like blood , giving rise to its mythic name . Ancient Romans prized this rosin as medicine , make-up , and even varnish for violins . Found almost exclusively on Yemen ’s Socotra Island , these trees look like giant mushrooms or upside - down umbrellas . Their eccentric form helps collect moisture from fog in their arid homeland . Some specimens are conceive to be over 600 years onetime , though they grow highly lento in their harsh surround . Climate change now threatens these living dodo .

9. Dead Man’s Fingers

Emerging from woods floor like zombie hands clawing their manner out of graves , these creepy-crawly gloomy - black fungi live up to their macabre name . They typically grow in bunch of 3 - 6 “ digit ” push up through wood mulch or rotting stumps . Despite their gruesome appearance , they ’re really helping decompose dead Mrs. Henry Wood . The fungus starts out with a hopeful blue coating before turning disgraceful with age . Foragers mind – while not deadly toxic , these are n’t edible mushroom . They ’re well appreciated for adding flighty magical spell to woodland gardens during tumble .

10. Mother-in-Law’s Tongue

The sharp - point leave of this pop houseplant inspired its cutting name – supposedly as sharp as a mother - in - law ’s unfavorable judgment ! Also foretell Snake Plant , it ’s intimately impossible to kill , thriving even in sullen corner with minimal piddle . NASA inquiry identify it as one of the good air - purge plants , removing toxins like formaldehyde and benzine from indoor air . A exclusive plant can significantly improve a bedroom ’s air calibre overnight . Native to West Africa , some cultures trust it provides protective cover from evil influences – perhaps include difficult in - constabulary !

11. Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon

This wild flower realize its quirky name from its punctual habit of closing its yellow salad days precisely at midday , as if head off for an afternoon pile . Country kid once used it as a natural clock to know when to channelise home for tiffin . The plant life produces striking seminal fluid drumhead resembling giant dandelion hassock , but much expectant – sometimes reaching 8 inches across ! These silvery spheres catch the child’s play , scatter seeds far and wide . Capricorn peculiarly love munching on this European hayfield flora , which has naturalized across part of North America .

12. Hottentot Bread

No , you ca n’t rust this outre plant life ! The name mention to its monumental above - ground etymon that resembles a loaf of bread of encrusted loot sit on the soil control surface . These woody “ caudexes ” can maturate up to 3 feet wide , store water for drought periods . From this unknown woody base emerge climbing vine that can contact 20 foot tenacious . The plants are dioecious , meaning single plants are either male or female . Indigenous people of southern Africa traditionally used the plant medicinally to treat digestive problems , though its common name now is moot culturally insensitive .

13. Dutchman’s Pipe

The flowers of this unusual vine face exactly like quondam - fashioned curving smoking pipe , complete with bowls and stems . These bizarre blooms are n’t just novelties – they ’re ingenious insect traps ! Tiny tent flap accede the organ pipe - shaped blossom , following the scent of what they conceive is rotting fabric . Once inside , they ’re trapped by downward - pointing hairs until they ’re covered with pollen , then released to cross-pollinate another flower . The dense heart - shaped leafage create first-class concealment cover on trellises and fencing , veil the weird flush that blossom underneath .

14. Sneezeweed

Despite what its name suggest , this pollyannaish late - summer foul-up does n’t actually cause sneezing . Native Americans dry the leaves to make snuff that rush sneezing – they believe this would expel vicious liveliness from the consistency ! The shiny yellow flowers have distinctive “ skirt ” of flag petals around a raised meat , make a look like tiny ballerina in yellow tutus . They ’re butterfly stroke attraction in the garden . Modern gardeners value this native North American industrial plant for provide crucial late - time of year nectar for pollinator preparing for winter or migration .

15. Scarlet Pimpernel

More famous as the hero of a swashbuckling novel than as a plant , this bantam wildflower has gain multiple nicknames including “ Poor Man ’s Weather Glass . ” Its flowers close tightly when rain come near , providing a lifelike weather forecast . The frail salmon - colored efflorescence are tiny – barely 1/4 inch across – but they open widely in sunshine , creating speckle of color in lawns and garden paths . They come together promptly at 3 promethium each twenty-four hour period , disregardless of atmospheric condition . Despite its charming appearance , the industrial plant contains toxins that traditional herbalists once used in petite amount to treat mood disorder .

16. Love-Lies-Bleeding

Dramatic deep red tassels shower from this plant like streams of blood , creating one of the most visually striking and capably named plants in any garden . The rophy - corresponding peak cluster can swing up to 2 foot longsighted ! Also called amaranth , its seeds were a staple food of ancient Aztecs . advanced health solid food entrepot sell these protein - plentiful grain for cooking , though cosmetic varieties are grown primarily for their spectacular appearance . Victorian gardeners adore this flora for both its beauty and its somber name , everlasting for their love of sentimental , romantic language in the garden .

17. Witch Hazel

Nothing tell weird like a shrub that blooms in winter when everything else is dormant ! Witch hazel explode with spidery yellowish flush on bare offshoot , often while Charles Percy Snow still covers the priming coat . The “ witch ” in its name comes from Middle English “ wiche ” meaning pliable – its branches were favored by water dowser searching for underground springs . Its bark and leaves take medicative compounds still used in skincare products today . Perhaps most bizarre is how it scatter seeds – the pods literally explode , shoot source up to 30 feet away with an audible catch !