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  1. Southern Living
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  3. Funny Plant Names That Will Make You Laugh

Funny Plant Names That Will Make You Laugh

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
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Drumsticks
Credit: KarenHBlack/Getty Images
We Southerners learn plant names early. From the trees—oak, pine, maple, dogwood—to the shrubs, ferns, and flowers that live in our region, each plant has a name, family, and specific sun and watering requirements. Spending time outdoors and in gardens teaches us what to call the plants we encounter, and we've run into a few—ok, maybe more than a few—with names that never fail to make us chuckle. They're curious plant names that make us want to learn more about the flowers, trees, and shrubs they describe. To find out more about these plants and others, check out The Southern Living Garden Book, our source for all things plant-related in the Southern states. And let us know the funniest plant names you've encountered lately; we're sure you've also found a few humorous plant names during your time in the garden. Without further ado—in alphabetical order—here are the plant names that will make you wonder, and maybe even laugh a little too. 
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Balloon Flower

Balloon Flower
Credit: Daisuke Oka/Getty Images

Family: Campanulaceae

Genus: PLATYCODON grandiflorus

Calling card: Summer-blooming flowers that start as balloon-like buds

Learn more.

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Bear’s Breeches

Bear’s Breeches
Credit: Neil Holmes/Getty Images

Family: Acanthaceae

Genus: ACANTHUS

Calling card: Bold, spiny leaves that appear in clumps

Learn more.

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Bugleweed

Bugleweed
Credit: Federica Grassi/Getty Images

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: AJUGA

Calling card: Quick-spreading ground cover with thick foliage and small, brightly colored flowers

Learn more.

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Butcher’s Broom

Butcher’s Broom
Credit: Valter Jacinto/Getty Images

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

Learn more.

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Candytuft

Candytuft
Credit: Vaivirga/Getty Images

Family: Brassicaceae

Genus: IBERIS

Calling card: Deer-resistant flowers that bloom in a rainbow of hues

Learn more.

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Cupid’s Dart

Cupid’s Dart
Credit: Troyka/Getty Images

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: CATANANCHE caerulea

Calling card: Grass-like, greyish leaves and small cornflower-like blooms

Learn more.

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Dame’s Rocket

Dame’s Rocket
Credit: dieter1freier1/Getty Images

Family: Brassicaceae

Genus: HESPERIS matronalis

Calling card: Purple blooms on branches that grow 3 feet tall and wide

Learn more.

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Dancing Girl Ginger

Dancing Girl Ginger
Credit: Chayanan/Getty Images

Family: Zingiberaceae

Genus: GLOBBA

Calling card: Spidery, delicate flowers in yellow, white, orange, or purple hues with broad, bright green leaves

Learn more.

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Drumsticks

Drumsticks
Credit: KarenHBlack/Getty Images

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: CRASPEDIA globosa

Calling card: Flowers shaped like small yellow globes and silvery foliage

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Firespikes

Firespikes
Credit: liuyushan/Getty Images

Family: Acanthaceae

Genus: ODONTONEMA

Calling card: Spiky blooms in bold colors that attract butterflies and hummingbirds

Learn more.

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Goat’s Beard

Goat’s Beard
Credit: Flowerphotos/Getty Images

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: ARUNCUS

Calling card: Tiny flowers covering the branches like fuzz in summertime

Learn more.

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Hens and Chicks

Hens and Chicks
Credit: Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Images

Family: Crassulaceae

Genus: ECHEVERIA

Calling card: Succulent rosette-form leaves in shades of green, purple, and red

Learn more.

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Jack-in-the-pulpit

Jack-in-the-pulpit
Credit: db_beyer/Getty Images

Family: Araceae

Genus: ARISAEMA

Calling card: An arching, tubular flower that’s striped or spotted with contrasting colors

Learn more.

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Leopard’s Bane

Leopard’s Bane
Credit: skymoon13/Getty Images

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: DORONICUM orientale

Calling card: Rounded, heart-shaped leaves with toothed edges and bright gold blooms

Learn more.

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Lion’s Tail

Lion’s Tail
Credit: OpaqueFifty/Getty Images

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: LEONOTIS

Calling card: Fuzzy stems with spherical, whorled orange flower clusters in summer and fall

Learn more.

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Lobster Claw

Lobster Claw
Credit: Dana Edmunds/Getty Images

Family: Heliconiaceae

Genus: HELICONIA

Calling card: Big bract clusters that look like lobster claws

Learn more.

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Lords and Ladies

Lords and Ladies
Credit: Christophe LEHENAFF/Getty Images

Family: Araceae

Genus: ARUM

Calling card: Dense, bright red fruit clusters that resemble tiny ears of corn

Learn more.

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Love-in-a-mist

Love-in-a-mist
Credit: RedA&Co/Getty Images

Family: Ranunculaceae

Genus: NIGELLA damascena

Calling card: Thin, threadlike leaves with showy blooms in blue, white, or pink

Learn more.

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Nodding Ladies’ Tresses

Nodding Ladies’ Tresses
Credit: David Clapp/Getty Images

Family: Orchidaceae

Genus: SPIRANTHES

Calling card: Dark green rosette-shaped foliage and fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers

Learn more.

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Obedient Plant

Obedient Plant
Credit: Marcia Straub/Getty Images

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: PHYSOSTEGIA

Calling card: Tall, upright stems with funnel-shaped flowers that look like snapdragons

Learn more.

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Ostrich Fern

Ostrich Fern
Credit: Katrin Ten Eikelder/EyeEm/Getty Images

Family: Onocleaceae

Genus: MATTEUCCIA struthiopteris

Calling card: Broad fronds with a narrow base, the form of which resembles a shuttlecock

Learn more.

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Piggyback Plant

Piggyback Plant
Credit: Anne Hyde/Getty Images

Family: Saxifragaceae

Genus: TOLMIEA menziesii

Calling card: Triangular or heart-shaped leaves that, when mature, grow plantlets on top

Learn more.

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Pincushion Flower

Pincushion Flower
Credit: Achim Mittler/Getty Images

Family: Dipsacaceae

Genus: SCABIOSA

Calling card: Rounded flower head that resembles a pin cushion full of pins

Learn more.

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Polka-Dot Plant

Polka-Dot Plant
Credit: Julio Ricco/Getty Images

Family: Acanthaceae

Genus: HYPOESTES phyllostachya

Calling card: Broad, pointed green leaves with pink and white spots

Learn more.

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Ponytail Palm

Ponytail Palm
Credit: James Young/Getty Images

Family: Asparagaceae

Genus: BEAUCARNEA recurvata

Calling card: Loose green leaves and a trunk with a big, swollen base for storing water

Learn more.

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Red-Hot Poker

Red-Hot Poker
Credit: Neil Holmes/Getty Images

Family: Asphodelaceae

Genus: KNIPHOFIA

Calling card: Grass-like foliage, bare stems, and tubular clusters that resemble a glowing torch

Learn more.

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Scarlet Pimpernel

Scarlet Pimpernel
Credit: Robert Pickett/Getty Images

Family: Primulacaeae

Genus: ANAGALLIS arvensis

Calling card: Sprawling stems and small red-orange flowers that open and close over the course of the day

Learn more.

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Skunk Cabbage

Skunk Cabbage
Credit: Panoramic Images/Getty Images

Family: Araceae

Genus: SYMPLOCARPUS foetidus

Calling card: Big, ridged, verdant green leaves that resemble hostas

Learn more.

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Sneezeweed

Sneezeweed
Credit: Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: HELENIUM autumnale

Calling card: Daisy-like blossoms with big, dark, yellow-speckled centers

Learn more.

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Toad Lily

Toad Lily
Credit: Chris Burrows/Getty Images

Family: Liliaceae

Genus: TRICYRTIS

Calling card: Spotted flowers that resemble orchids

Learn more.

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Turtlehead

Turtlehead
Credit: Justus de Cuveland/Getty Images

Family: Plantaginaceae

Genus: CHELONE

Calling card: Small, puffy flowers with pointed, two-lipped petals that are reminiscent of turtle heads

Learn more.

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    1 of 31 Balloon Flower
    2 of 31 Bear’s Breeches
    3 of 31 Bugleweed
    4 of 31 Butcher’s Broom
    5 of 31 Candytuft
    6 of 31 Cupid’s Dart
    7 of 31 Dame’s Rocket
    8 of 31 Dancing Girl Ginger
    9 of 31 Drumsticks
    10 of 31 Firespikes
    11 of 31 Goat’s Beard
    12 of 31 Hens and Chicks
    13 of 31 Jack-in-the-pulpit
    14 of 31 Leopard’s Bane
    15 of 31 Lion’s Tail
    16 of 31 Lobster Claw
    17 of 31 Lords and Ladies
    18 of 31 Love-in-a-mist
    19 of 31 Nodding Ladies’ Tresses
    20 of 31 Obedient Plant
    21 of 31 Ostrich Fern
    22 of 31 Piggyback Plant
    23 of 31 Pincushion Flower
    24 of 31 Polka-Dot Plant
    25 of 31 Ponytail Palm
    26 of 31 Red-Hot Poker
    27 of 31 Scarlet Pimpernel
    28 of 31 Skunk Cabbage
    29 of 31 Sneezeweed
    30 of 31 Toad Lily
    31 of 31 Turtlehead

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