The nature do not stop surprising. Throughout the world and in different habitats and landscapes, strange flowers are hidden. Each of them offers us beautiful colors, surprising textures, the most unimaginable varieties of shapes and the most exquisite and deep aromas. These flowers are worth seeing.
1- Candy Cane
This flower has South African origin and its scientific name is “Oxalis Versicolor” which means “change of color”. In English they have colloquially called it “Candy Cane” alluding to the fact that its colors and shape make it look like the classic white and red sugar canes, so common during the Christmas season. The most curious thing is that its flowers are funnel-shaped and have five petals. When fully opened by the sun, they turn into white flowers with a small yellow heart. In cold climates and at night, they close up again and show their striking white stripes.
2- Hakea laurina
Hakea laurina is a typical plant from South West Aurstralia. It is colloquially known as “Hakea pincushion” because the shape that the flower acquires when it opens is similar to this object. The bush from which they grow can be up to 6 meters high. The most beautiful thing about these flowers is not only their intense color but also their aroma.
3- Bat flower
It is native to the tropical forests of Asia. Its scientific name is Tacca Chantieri, but it is much better known by its colloquial name “bat flower” due to the huge “whiskers” that come out of the flower that make it resemble such an animal. These are a method of attracting the attention of birds and insects to be pollinated. In turn, they can also mimic the smell of rotting meat to ward off flies.
3- Cypripedium Kentuckian
It is a species of orchid native to the United States. Within its genus, the Cypripedium, it has the largest flower. Its petals are greenish with stripes and mottled purple. Whereas, the “lip” or “bag” is cream-colored. The plant can be up to 70 cm tall.
4- Beehive Ginger
Its scientific name is Zingiber, this name derives from a Sanskrit word that means “horn-shaped”. One of the best known names is the ginger beehive and it was given by the color of its leaves and the strange shape that the flower acquires.
5- Ceropegia haygarthii
It is native to South Africa and belongs to the Apocynaceae family. One of the colloquial names that this flower acquired was “umbrella flower” due to its shape. The interior of these flowers is covered with “hairs” that point downwards. These hairs function as traps to keep flies inside and not let them out until they are covered in pollen. Once this occurs the hairs wither allowing the fly to come out and spread its pollen.
6- Chinese lantern
It is of Japanese origin and is also popularly known as a Chinese lantern due to its shape and color. This plant blooms at the end of spring with white flowers. Once these are pollinated these amazing lamps bloom with an intense reddish color. The “lantern” that encloses the fruit, are born from these same white flowers. The hidden fruit inside the plant is edible and contains high amounts of Vitamin C.
7- Hoya (Porcelain flower)
This beautiful and strange flower, native to southern China, is commonly known as “porcelain flower” or “wax flower” because it looks like an artificial flower at first glance. The size of each flower does not exceed 2 cm in diameter and grows into a pretty climber and vine that, in the spring, bears abundant flowers.
8- White heron flower
Despite being considered an exotic flower, it is one of the most famous orchids. It is native to Japan and is the most delicate terrestrial species of all flowers. It is famous because its shape is very similar to that of a white heron.
9- Jade Flower
It is a vine native to the Philippine archipelago. It is also well known by the name “Turquoise Jade Vine” in honor of its intense and beautiful color. Its natural habitat is the mountain ravine. Unfortunately, and due to the deforestation of forests, the jade flower is in serious danger of extinction. Its natural habitat, so punished, is making it vulnerable to both it and its pollinators. This vine is pollinated by bats.
10- Passiflora
This species is the most important genus of the Passifloraceae family that has more than 530 species. Most of the flowers of this species grow in the tropical areas of America, while others also grow in Asia, Australia and Oceania. This flower, in addition to having beautiful colors, has great properties for health. Passionflower is found in various herbal products that are used to promote calm and relaxation. The extract of this flower is also used as a flavoring in some drinks and foods.
11- Nepenthes Edwardsiana
This flower is found in Indo-Pacific regions, north of Madagascar, in Malaysia, Sumatra and Java. Due to its shape, it is also known as “jug trap”. Its leaves are quite large and at their ends they have a cord in which this jug trap develops. These traps are shaped like an urn and they can be up to 41 cm high and up to 20 cm wide. Inside this urn, these flowers can contain 3.5 liters of water and more than 2.5 liters of digestive liquid.
12- Dracula Orchid
Dracula is a genus with more than 118 species of orchids. They are of American origin and their name derives from Latin, since Dracula means “Little Dragon”. This name refers to the strange appearance of the two long spurs that come out of the sepals, many of which can have shapes similar to the face of a monkey.
13- Tricyrtis Hirta
This strange flower is native to Japan that usually grows in areas near rivers and seas. Although it is very similar to the orchid, it does not belong to that class of flowers. but to the lily family. This is a plant that is not only beautiful because of its very particular petals, but it is also a very strong plant. It is very resistant to insect attack and disease. His weakness is slugs and snails.
14- Zebra Blue
It belongs to the Primula family. Its beautiful petals can be blue or violet and have a pattern similar to that of the zebra’s body and that is why it gets its name. This flower grows among green leaves during the winter. It is a flower that prefers shade, but in full sun it can also grow without drying up.
15- Grevillea speciosa
This flower grows on a bush that is of Australian origin and belongs to the Grevillea family. These bushes bloom during the winter and the most striking thing about their flowers is that they have a completely wrapped pistil and, as the flower matures, the pistil lengthens, becoming upright. These bushes have the particularity of being very resistant to low temperatures.