Native to and the national flower of Panama, the Dove or Holy Ghost Orchid produces delicately marbled white flowers that, if you look closely, look like they have a small dove with open wings perched inside. While most orchids can be found growing on or near trees, this type of orchid differentiates itself by growing on ground level, sometimes on rocks. The dove inside the flower is so intricate it looks almost like it’s been carved out of ivory. It is nicknamed the Holy Ghost Orchid because, in the Bible, the Holy Ghost took the form of a dove. This type of orchid is so highly-sought and over-picked that it is classified as endangered in its native country.
Username: KisuKotha Published on 2024-11-25 03:58:47 ID NUMBER: 125659
This coastal-loving orchid comes almost exclusively in white and glitters as if covered in frost when the sunlight hits it. At first, it appears to be a typical Moth Orchid, but upon closer inspection it looks like a teeny carving of the Catholic Madonna has been placed inside. Something you may not know about the Phalaenopsis Orchid is that there is an actual Island named after them because they were once abundant there (not so much today) The island is called “Orchid Island” and is located in Eastern Taiwan.
We warned you that there would be quite a few orchids on this list of the world’s weirdest flowers, and here’s one more. The Fly Orchid is a relatively widespread type of European orchid that grows to be between 11 and 15 inches tall with —you guessed it!— flowers that look like little flies, with big, black, bug eyes and all. But that’s not where this orchid gets its name from. The Fly Orchid is named such because it was discovered that it attracts flies and aphids. In fact, its tuber can be dried and turned into Salep, which is said to be very nutritious. However, we take no responsibility for any ill effects caused by eating your Orchids! How does it attract flies and insects so well you ask? By secreting pheromones!
This fun flower looks more like a carnival toy than a creation of nature. Also known as the Catherine-wheel Pincushion, this is the most exquisite of the “firework pincushion” flowers. Not many flowers can compare to a bed of blooming Protea Pinwheels. The coolest fact about this flower is that it’s interconnected with fire. In the wild, Protea Pinwheels are perfectly suited to adapt to harsh climates. The best time for Protea Pinwheels to bloom is after a fire, when the adult plants, rodents, and other insects that would impede their growth have been destroyed. Protea Pinwheels ensure their continued existence by producing little fruit that is collected and eaten by ants. The ants do not eat the seeds, which remain dormant underground until there is a fire at which time the seeds are cued to begin germination.
Native to Europe and the Balkans, the Voodoo Lily is indeed an evil looking plant. The part that gets the most attention is its dark purple “flower”. This “flower” is not an actual flower, but a spathe, like on the Calla Lily. The purple flower only lasts about three to four days and reveals a dark seed cob after it withers and falls off. Despite its tropical appearance, the Voodoo Lily is quite hard and can survive in most climates. The most interesting fact about this foreboding plant? It can give off quite a stink, and some have even likened it to the smell of a dead possum.
You may have heard of a pet stone before, but a flowering stone? Nope, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, it’s Lithops Weberi, otherwise known as Living Stones. These awesome little succulents are perfect to grow indoors, especially for folks whose thumbs are not so green. These little wonders are native only to South Africa, where their evolutionary progress turned them into a drought-proof plant. When Lithops bloom, it looks extraordinary, with a white or yellow daisy poking out from what appears to be solid stone. Talk about easy to propagate! If you want to multiply your Living Stones, simply take a leaf off of one, stick it into the pebble bed and it will take root. That’s it.
This Brazilian native vaguely resembles the Sherlock-style pipe that was popular in Holland, despite being located halfway around the globe. Also known as the Giant Pelican Plant, the flower gives off a foul odour despite its spectacular appearance. But that’s not the only thing that makes the Giant Dutchman’s Pipe less than appealing. The plant is classified as a danger to the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, which confuses the Dutchman’s Pipe with its native host plant. The Dutchman’s Pipe, though similar to the host plant in appearance, does not support the Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies’ eggs and will only kill the caterpillars.
Perhaps more appropriately called the starfish flower, the Star Flower is another carrion plant (a plant that mimics the smell of dead flesh). Sought by plant collectors and gardeners because of its unique, striking appearance and large fuzzy flowers, this is a plant that is best kept outside. The colour of this plant’s flowers can range from deep reds and purples to lighter pinks, mauves, and yellow. It’s touchable, hairy, leathery flower may draw you in but it’s disgusting scent will send you running for the hills. Why? Because the Star Flower’s pollinator of choice is the fly, and what better to lure flies than the sweet, sweet smell of rotting meat!
Next up comes a rather unique orchid native to Western Australia, the Hammer Orchid, also nicknames the King-in-His-Carriage. This teeny little flower is easy to miss, but if you’re lucky enough to find it, you’ll likely never forget it. The design of the Hammer Orchid (named for its ability to reset itself) is intended on luring wasps for pollination. In fact, the flower secretes a pheromone that mimics that of the female wasp, which lures unsuspecting males to land on its dark purple labellum. Once the wasp lands, the labellum moves back towards the pocket of pollen, shoving the wasp into the pollen and successfully propagating its species.
Tropical pitcher plants, also called Monkey Cups by those familiar with the species, can be found in many places throughout the world from Madagascar to Australia, but they’re most common in the jungles of Indonesia. These fanciful flowers look like you can walk up and take a drink right from them, but that’s the last thing you’ll want to do. In fact, the Tropical Pitcher Plants are carnivorous climbers, luring in unsuspecting insects with sweet nectar that are then trapped in the goblet-like cup and unable to escape. Tropical Pitcher Plants have been surprising people since the 1800s, but not many realise that the Pitcher Plant isn’t a flower at all—the pitchers are modified leaves!
One of nature’s true exquisite beauties is the Flame Lily or Glory Lily as it is known in Hindi. This perennial plant is both a climber and scrambler and adds intrigue wherever it grows. The Flame Lily thrives in many parts of the world and is widely propagated as a prized ornamental addition to flower gardens. Like nearly all lilies, the Flame Lily is considered poisonous to humans and animals (especially cats!), so if you insist on growing it make sure to take proper precautions. A fun fact about the Flame Lily is that it’s actually considered a weed that thrives naturally in sandy coastal conditions. That’s one weed we wouldn’t mind having in our backyard.
The Birds of Paradise flower is one of the most popular and widely-recognized tropical flower in the world. It’s aptly named for its resemblance to a Bird of Paradise taking flight. The Bird of Paradise can be cultivated outdoors in tropical, warm climates, as well as indoors for those residing in colder temperatures. Despite its intricate beauty, the Bird of Paradise flower is actually quite easy to grow and care for, requiring little maintenance other than light, warmth, and water when needed. No tropical bouquet of flowers can be considered complete without this highly-recognized tropical staple. Here’s a fun fact about the Bird of Paradise you may not know: it’s actually related to the banana!
When we said, we’d be showing you 40 of the world’s weirdest flowers we weren’t at all kidding. The Beehive Ginger could very well be considered one of the top 5 weirdest flowers in the world. Beehive Gingers may look like they belong to the pine cone family but they are actually related to the ginger plant. Their little “cups” or “honeycombs” (actually called bracts) will collect water and give off the fragrance of ginger. These flowers can be cultivated indoors but require lots of room and a large pot— some growing to the height of 6 feet. The flowers are tiny and white, sometimes resembling little honeybees, and they appear between the brachts. The bracts themselves turn from lovely yellow and golden colours to red. Beehive Ginger as a cut flower is highly prized because the bracts and flowers last for a very long time after being cut.
The beautiful Snake Gourd flower may look like it belongs on a festively wrapped present, but it’s actually a vegetable! The Snake Gourd originated as a wild vegetable that grew in India, but these days it is cultivated around the world. It’s a member of the pumpkin family (like all gourds) and shares similarities with the bitter melon plant, as the long vegetables, it produces taste quite sour and bitter. Despite its terrible taste, the fruit from the Snake Gourd flower is used in a variety of different medical applications, and the reddish fruit inside an overly-ripe gourd can also be used as a tomato substitute when cooking. It may be named the Snake Gourd, but we think it looks more like a spider.
Despite its strange appearance—or perhaps because of— the Spider Chrysanthemum is a favourite flower of florists and gardeners alike. Like all other mums, the Spider Chrysanthemum is well-suited for patio or container gardening. To keep your Spider Mums blooming for as long as you can, be sure to remove faded blooms and tightly closed buds (instead of the larger flowers) to encourage new flowering. Another trick to having the biggest, best blooms is to keep them out of direct sunlight while they are flowering. This will not only extend total bloom time, but it will also help the flowers last longer in general.
This funky flower made our list because it’s so weird it doesn’t even have a nickname! The flowers look like horizontal, orange Lily of the Valley, but they are actually a member of the orchid family. They are part of the Pleurothallis genus to be exact, also called Bonnet Orchids for their tiny blooms’ resemblance to little baby bonnets. They can grow in a variety of different ways, as brush cover, as climbers, clumped and trailing, or as tall cane-like plants. Unlike regular orchids, these orchids prefer cooler temperatures and low moisture; they grow most comfortably at very high altitudes.
If idle hands are the devil’s workshop, we’re not really sure what the Devil’s Hands are, but we sure love to look at them! Some call this tree the Monkey’s Hand or Monkey Paw, but we wouldn’t recommend making any wishes on it. The Devil’s Hand is native to Mexico where the Ancient Aztecs held it in extraordinarily high religious regard, who harvested the claw-like flowers for generations and generations. The fruit produced by this tree has an earthy taste and has been used for years in traditional medicine to treat heart disease and heart conditions. Unlike some tropical plants the Devil’s Hand tree is extremely hardy and can grow relatively fast, reaching upwards of 40’ to 90’ tall!
At first glance, it looks like this little plant’s got a fungus on its flowers, but that’s actually the way it is supposed to look. Another real one-of-a-kind flower on our list, the Welwitschia Mirabilis is the only member of the Welwitschiaceae family. It could be considered the Methuselah of plants; it’s been around since the Jurassic Era and in some instances can live to a ripe old age of 1,500 years. If you’ve never seen or heard of this plant before don’t be offended, it only grows in one place on Earth: a small strip of land in the Namibia Desert between Angola and Namibia. How can a succulent plant that hasn’t changed for thousands of years continue to survive in one of the driest places in the world? It gets all of its moisture from fog and dew, that’s how.
Our list of weird flowers would simply not be complete without the charming, colourful Lobster Claw! Also known as the False Bird of Paradise and Wild Plantain, the Lobster Claw’s cheerful flowers emerge from clumps of leaves that look like bananas. The reddish flower-like bracts actually hide the plant’s true flowers, which require birds with specialised beaks for pollination. An excellent landscape plant, the Lobster Claw can grow up to a height of 3.5’ tall and they bloom several times each year. Be sure to provide your Lobster Claws with plenty of water and fertiliser to maximise your blooms.
This weird, wonderful flower is quite the evolutionary produce, surviving and thriving in dry, arid climates. The blood-red petals with their bulbous, purplish-black middles make these flowers look more like aliens. Perhaps that’s why the Desert Pea is one of Australia’s best-known and most recognised wildflowers. Besides, it is also the state flower of South Australia. But just because it happens to be one of the most famous wildflowers in Australia doesn’t mean you can go around and start picking it; quite the opposite in fact. The Desert Pea is among the native Australian flowers and is a protected species. As a result, it is illegal to collect or pick any without explicit written consent of the Australian government.
Last and certainly not least on our list of the world’s 40 weirdest flowers comes the Silver Vase, or Urn Plant. This prestigious plant is native to Brazil and has garnered the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit for its quality and growability. Even those with without green thumbs should be able to grow the Silver Vase plant. The Silver Vase is a slow grower with broad, waxy leaves and sharp, spiky flower heads. Once the pink flower has finished blooming, the silvery striped leaves will begin to die. However, after the flowering period is over there will be offshoots, called pups, produced towards the base of the plant that you can transplant and propagate.
The Cape Turtle Dove, also known as the Ring-necked Dove or Ringneck Dove, is a medium-sized bird with soft grey-pink feathers, a black ring around its neck, and black-spotted wings.
It can adapt to various environments, including savannas, bushvelds, farms, and urban gardens, and feeds on seeds, grains, fruits, berries, and insects. Despite facing challenges from predators and urbanization, the bird continues to thrive.
The Inca Doves inhabit Mexico, Central America, and the southwestern United States. They have greyish-brown bodies with white-edged tails and scaled patterns on their necks, chests, and backs. Despite their small size and social nature, they fiercely defend their homes.
The Common Ground Dove is a small bird in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is adaptable and resilient, often found in open landscapes like grasslands, farmlands, and scrublands.
The bird's feathers blend pink and gray, allowing it to blend in with the sandy soil. Male doves have a pink chest and a bluish crown, while females have a more subdued color palette.
The Common Ground Doves prefer to scavenge for seeds, grains, and small insects on the ground, and their gentle cooing often rings out.
The Key West Quail-Dove lives in tropical and subtropical forests. It has a golden-brown head and neck, a pink body, blue and green wings, and bare red skin around its eyes.
The bird's low, mournful cooing is the most common sign of its presence. It feeds mainly on seeds and fruits fallen to the forest floor, supplemented occasionally by small insects and other tiny creatures.
The bird typically builds its nest on low bushes or the forest floor and lays one to two eggs at a time. Likewise, both males and females share incubation and chick care duties equally.
However, sighting the Key West Quail-Dove in Key West, its original location, is becoming increasingly rare. Its population and habitat have changed significantly over the years.
The White-tipped Dove can be found in tropical and subtropical forests, mangroves, and savannas. This dove is about the size of a pigeon and has a grey-brown coat with a hint of pink on its chest. Its tail is notable for its striking white tip, and a subtle touch of blue encircles the bird's eye.
This type of dove feeds on seeds, grains, and small invertebrates found on the ground, which helps in seed dispersal and maintaining the forest floor's diversity and health.
Breeding season varies depending on location, and the bird tends to one or two eggs nested in trees or shrubs. The White-tipped Dove is not a migratory bird but may travel on short trips to find food or escape harsh weather.
The Blue Ground Dove is a bird species in Central and South America. Males have a blue coat, while females have a grey-brown dress. They have a white line outlining their wings, which is a marvel.
This type of dove can be found in lowland forests, secondary forests, and plantations. They also inhabit human spaces such as city parks and gardens. They are monogamous and forage in pairs.
The Ruddy Ground Dove is a bird species found in the Americas, from Mexico to Peru, Brazil, and the Caribbean, that can thrive in different habitats.
Males have a reddish-brown coat, while females have a greyish-brown plumage. They feed on seeds, grains, and small invertebrates and have a soft and rhythmic cooing.
The European Turtle Dove has light grey feathers, a pink blush on its chest, a black and white striped patch on the side of its neck, and a tail with white edging and a black base.
It lives in woodlands, farmlands, and shrublands across Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. During winter, it migrates to the Sahel region in Africa.
The European Turtle Dove feeds on plant seeds and occasionally invertebrates. Unlike other doves, these turtle doves don’t need to tilt their heads back to drink water.
In the greenery of Indonesia's Java and Sumatra islands resides a species of bird called the Pink-headed Fruit Dove. The bird has a pink head, neck, and underparts, contrasting with its emerald wings and back. Males have more intense, vivid pink colors than the females.
As arboreal animals, these doves rarely come to the forest floor. They feed on small fruits and berries available in their forest habitat.
Their nests comprise twigs and leaves; they make nests high in the trees to keep their eggs away from predators.
Native to and the national flower of Panama, the Dove or Holy Ghost Orchid produces delicately marbled white flowers that, if you look closely, look like they have a small dove with open wings perched inside. While most orchids can be found growing on or near trees, this type of orchid differentiates itself by growing on ground level, sometimes on rocks. The dove inside the flower is so intricate it looks almost like it’s been carved out of ivory. It is nicknamed the Holy Ghost Orchid because, in the Bible, the Holy Ghost took the form of a dove. This type of orchid is so highly-sought and over-picked that it is classified as endangered in its native country.
