Funny Plant Names That Will Make You Laugh
Balloon Flower
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: PLATYCODON grandiflorus
Calling card: Summer-blooming flowers that start as balloon-like buds
1 of 31
Bear’s Breeches
2 of 31
Bugleweed
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: AJUGA
Calling card: Quick-spreading ground cover with thick foliage and small, brightly colored flowers
3 of 31
Butcher’s Broom
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: RUSCUS
Calling card: Leafless plants bearing big, pointed shoots that give the appearance of leaves, plus tiny white flowers sometimes followed by red or yellow fruit
4 of 31
Candytuft
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: IBERIS
Calling card: Deer-resistant flowers that bloom in a rainbow of hues
5 of 31
Cupid’s Dart
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: CATANANCHE caerulea
Calling card: Grass-like, greyish leaves and small cornflower-like blooms
6 of 31
Dame’s Rocket
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: HESPERIS matronalis
Calling card: Purple blooms on branches that grow 3 feet tall and wide
7 of 31
Dancing Girl Ginger
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: GLOBBA
Calling card: Spidery, delicate flowers in yellow, white, orange, or purple hues with broad, bright green leaves
8 of 31
Drumsticks
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: CRASPEDIA globosa
Calling card: Flowers shaped like small yellow globes and silvery foliage
9 of 31
Firespikes
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: ODONTONEMA
Calling card: Spiky blooms in bold colors that attract butterflies and hummingbirds
10 of 31
Goat’s Beard
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: ARUNCUS
Calling card: Tiny flowers covering the branches like fuzz in summertime
11 of 31
Hens and Chicks
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: ECHEVERIA
Calling card: Succulent rosette-form leaves in shades of green, purple, and red
12 of 31
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Family: Araceae
Genus: ARISAEMA
Calling card: An arching, tubular flower that’s striped or spotted with contrasting colors
13 of 31
Leopard’s Bane
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: DORONICUM orientale
Calling card: Rounded, heart-shaped leaves with toothed edges and bright gold blooms
14 of 31
Lion’s Tail
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: LEONOTIS
Calling card: Fuzzy stems with spherical, whorled orange flower clusters in summer and fall
15 of 31
Lobster Claw
Family: Heliconiaceae
Genus: HELICONIA
Calling card: Big bract clusters that look like lobster claws
16 of 31
Lords and Ladies
Family: Araceae
Genus: ARUM
Calling card: Dense, bright red fruit clusters that resemble tiny ears of corn
17 of 31
Love-in-a-mist
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: NIGELLA damascena
Calling card: Thin, threadlike leaves with showy blooms in blue, white, or pink
18 of 31
Nodding Ladies’ Tresses
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: SPIRANTHES
Calling card: Dark green rosette-shaped foliage and fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers
19 of 31
Obedient Plant
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: PHYSOSTEGIA
Calling card: Tall, upright stems with funnel-shaped flowers that look like snapdragons
20 of 31
Ostrich Fern
Family: Onocleaceae
Genus: MATTEUCCIA struthiopteris
Calling card: Broad fronds with a narrow base, the form of which resembles a shuttlecock
21 of 31
Piggyback Plant
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: TOLMIEA menziesii
Calling card: Triangular or heart-shaped leaves that, when mature, grow plantlets on top
22 of 31
Pincushion Flower
Family: Dipsacaceae
Genus: SCABIOSA
Calling card: Rounded flower head that resembles a pin cushion full of pins
23 of 31
Polka-Dot Plant
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: HYPOESTES phyllostachya
Calling card: Broad, pointed green leaves with pink and white spots
24 of 31
Ponytail Palm
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: BEAUCARNEA recurvata
Calling card: Loose green leaves and a trunk with a big, swollen base for storing water
25 of 31
Red-Hot Poker
Family: Asphodelaceae
Genus: KNIPHOFIA
Calling card: Grass-like foliage, bare stems, and tubular clusters that resemble a glowing torch
26 of 31
Scarlet Pimpernel
Family: Primulacaeae
Genus: ANAGALLIS arvensis
Calling card: Sprawling stems and small red-orange flowers that open and close over the course of the day
27 of 31
Skunk Cabbage
Family: Araceae
Genus: SYMPLOCARPUS foetidus
Calling card: Big, ridged, verdant green leaves that resemble hostas
28 of 31
Sneezeweed
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: HELENIUM autumnale
Calling card: Daisy-like blossoms with big, dark, yellow-speckled centers
29 of 31
Toad Lily
30 of 31
Turtlehead
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: CHELONE
Calling card: Small, puffy flowers with pointed, two-lipped petals that are reminiscent of turtle heads