15 Most Unique Flowers

with an estimated 390 900 known species of plants in the world and likely many more still to be discovered they represent one of the most varied and numerous kingdoms of life on earth they come in all shapes colors and sizes from the smallest micro-organisms to the largest living entities ever discovered each plant species is special in its own way but some have evolved unusual characteristics to thrive in their natural environment with that in mind let's take a look at the top 15 most unique flowers known to science number 15 flame lily native to tropical regions of africa and asia but now regularly grown and cultivated in australia and the pacific too gloriosa which is more commonly known as the flame lily is actually a group of 12 different plant species which each share a stunning appearance because of where they evolve these deciduous perennial flowers have adapted to an extremely wet summer season followed by a long period of drier weather growing up to 10 feet tall they have tendrils on the end of their leaves which actually allow them to climb over or push other competing plants out of their way so they can reach the best spot for sunlight of course it's the colorful leaves and the way that they curve back in on themselves that have made them such a popular decorative flower and the reason for their nickname and they're so highly regarded that they're the official flowers of zimbabwe the tamil nadu state of india and the state of ilam in sri lanka while they may be stunning flame lilies do hide a dangerous secret every part of the plant contains high levels of colchicine which while useful in medicine can be deadly in high doses there have actually been a number of cases where people have managed to purposefully consume enough of these flowers to commit suicide number 14 titan arum the titan arum also known as the corpse flower holds the record for developing the largest unbranched inflorescence of any known plant species on earth native to the regions across western sumatra where it grows in gaps in the rainforest these enormous flowers can grow up to 10 feet tall with leaves of up to 20 feet tall and 16 feet across the corn which functions in a similar way to a bulb is also one of the largest known weighing as much as 339 pounds and this stores all the energy the plant needs to flower when the conditions are right amazingly titan arums actually exist in two forms one is when they're in leaf which is when a single giant leaf grows to collect the energy and nutrition it needs and this will die each year so a new leaf can grow once the plant has collected enough energy it will become dormant for several months and then begin to grow the flower which is the truly spectacular phase of its life cycle the emergence of a titan arum is a highly popular event at botanical gardens where they are grown but they come with major health warning because they rely on scavenging creatures in the rain forest in their natural environment to pollinate they emit an incredibly foul odor that's best described as smelling like death and rotten meat still if you can overcome the immediate instinct to wretch the titan arum in bloom is undoubtedly one of the most unique and stunning things you'll ever see in the natural world number 13 tropical sundew the drosera birmini more commonly known as the tropical sundew is a plant native to a wide tropical region across africa china asia and the surrounding regions growing small wedge-shaped leaves and white flowers that develop in clusters several inches across each individual only grows to less than an inch in size they do however produce an unexpectedly large number of seeds for such a small species which enables them to quickly spread over large areas but what's most surprising about this flower is that as with all types of sundew it's carnivorous the majority of its diet is made up from eating insects what's particularly special about the tropical sundew is that it's one of the fastest acting carnivorous plants and its leaves will wrap around an insect within just a few seconds of making contact once the insect is trapped and unable to escape the plant slowly starts to secrete liquids that dissolve the insects body and allow all of its nutrients to be absorbed despite its danger to insects the tropical sundew has proven to be a beneficial plant species to humans they're often used in the production of topical skin creams and other medicines where chemicals present in the flower structures help to increase blood flow number 12 bee orchid there are countless creatures in the animal kingdom that have developed their appearance to make them look like something else insects for example commonly imitate plant leaves or tree branches to help evade predators but did you know the reverse also happens too one of the most amazing examples of this is the bee orchid which is a species that's native to europe north america and the middle east the plant grows to a maximum height of around 20 inches and tends to bloom late during spring and early summer the flower itself consists of three large purple sepals around the base two small green petals above them and then a modified petal known as a labellum which is humped and covered in fine hairs in a way that mimics the abdomen of a bee specifically to bees at least the structure looks like a female and attracts males who want to try their luck with it when this happens they cover themselves in pollen which then they'll transport and deposit on the next orchid when they inevitably fall for the same trick again it's also believed to help deter larger animals from trying to eat the flower head like to avoid the risk of being stung by a bee meaning the orchids are more likely to survive and reproduce than they otherwise would have been number 11 jade vine flowers can come in virtually every shade of color you can possibly think of but one of the more surprising and unique colorations you'll ever see is that of the jade vine a species of woody vine that grows naturally in the forests of the philippines with stems that have been known to grow up to 60 feet long they develop clusters of cloche flowers that are turquoise color and look very similar to the shades seen in precious stones like turquoise and jade these flower growths themselves can form in clumps of up to 10 feet long and contain large seed pods that contain 12 seeds each only ever growing in moist areas and ones that are hard to reach one of the reasons why the jade vine develops such unusually shaped flowers is because the animals the species relies upon to pollinate bats will hang upside down on the plant to drink its nectar when they do so their bellies get covered in the jade vines blossom these adaptations also mean that a specific species of wasp also feeds almost exclusively on the plant and the shape of the leaves have led to the evolution of a species of butterfly that actually makes their homes within the jade vine flowers number 10 lithops normally when you see a plant you'd expect there to be green leaves and a colorful flower but for a group of ice plants known as lithops things couldn't be further from that found across countries throughout southern africa they've developed an ingenious way to avoid being eaten by hungry animals by making themselves look like something far less appetizing rocks for most of their life cycle they have fused leaves that curl over one another to give this appearance which are normally a shade of cream gray or brown to keep up the ruse there is however a small slit between the leaves and it's through there that when ready a colorful flower will emerge to attract insects and other animals to enable pollination due to the scorching temperatures during certain parts of the year in their native habitats lithops tend to lay dormant during extremely hot weather and actually do most of their growing during the cooler months this is because they don't have many leaves that other plants use to cool themselves down through transpiration and the only means they have to mitigate the heat is by growing large parts underground where it's cooler because of their unique look and the sweet scent they emit when flowering lithops have become a popular type of houseplant and are fairly easy to look after so long as they aren't allowed to get too cold and are regularly watered number nine sturtz desert pea this amazing looking flower is called sturtz desert pea and it's a species that's native to australia you wouldn't think it from its appearance but it's actually very closely related to other bean and pea species but has developed a unique flower plant for a long time made botanists think it was a completely separate type of plant the natural form of sturtz desert pea sees the plant grow a series of white leaf-like flowers that can be up to three or four inches long but there are plenty of hybridized varieties too that can take on a deep blood red pink or pale cream coloration at the center of each of these flowers is a large black bulbous center which when first you see it it may seem like a seed or a knot but this actually is part of the flower itself this trickery is what encourages animals to visit the plants with the hope of finding something nutritious and as a result get covered in pollen to transfer elsewhere they do eventually produce fruit however which looks like a stretched pea grows to a couple of inches long and contains as many as 50 kidney-shaped seeds it's such a synonymous plant with australia that it was chosen as the floral emblem of the state of south australia and is featured in a number of the country's postal stamps over the years we are constantly adding more people to the top fives production team to bring you all the best content be sure to subscribe with notifications on and hit the like button number eight strelitzia the strelitzia is a species that's indigenous to south africa and once you see it it becomes immediately clear why it's more commonly known as the bird of paradise flower growing up to six and a half feet tall it develops large leaves that can each be up to 30 inches long and flowers that stand above the leaves and at the very tip of the stalk not only does the hardened leaf at the top called the spathe look just like the beak of a bird but it also provides a steady landing spot for sunbirds which are the main pollinators for this type of plant the flowers emerge from the spathe and are made up of three orange sepals and three blue or white petals which fuse together to give an easy route for birds to drink the nectar while they're doing this the petals open up further to deposit pollen on the bird's feet which will then be deposited on the next relizio landing pad that they fly to unsurprisingly the incredible appearance of this plant mean that it's a popular ornamental variety around the world where individual plants will thrive anywhere that it's warm and has plenty of sunshine it's not all that difficult to look after either and will grow in virtually any soil type and doesn't need to be watered too often if you decide to grow one for yourself you should expect to wait for up to five years before the plant is mature enough to flower but once it's ready you'll be treated to a flower growth several times every summer number 7 lobster claw there are 194 known species of heliconia most of which are native to the tropical regions of the americas but while they take on different shades and sizes they have one unique thing in common the strange shape of their flowers this has led them to being known as lobster claw plants or toucan beaks and create a stunning effect that's prized by horticulturalists around the world depending on the species the plants will grow to between one and a half to fifteen feet tall and have simple wide green leaves that themselves can grow up to ten feet long a large stem begins to emerge from within these mounds of greenery when the plant has accumulated enough energy it'll start to form a flower on the very tip made up of brightly colored waxy structures the true flowers are actually quite small and form within what we see as the lobster claw this makes them quite difficult to reach and there's a very good reason for this heliconias only really want one type of animal to be involved in pollination hummingbirds the awkward angle needed to reach the nectar and pollen inside means that it requires a long beak in the ability to hover to access and different species of heliconia flower at different times of the year so they aren't competing against each other for the same hummingbirds number six torch ginger the torched ginger which is officially called etlingera a latter is a species that originated in southeast asia there are at least a hundred closely related flowers in the region that while they don't look anything like the ginger that most of us think of are actually from the same family and have a similar flavor profile this means that at the same time as being an ornamental flower because they're beautiful to look at torch gingers are also an integral part of local cuisine you'll often see lavish floral arrangements including these colorful flower heads but they're also often used in soups sauces salads and other delicacies the carol people from north sumatra call this plant species the asam sekala which essentially means the sour plant not just because of the flower buds but because of the flavor of the small black seeds once they've developed the stems and the roots are also popular in recipes too making the torch ginger probably the most beautiful but at the same time completely edible plant in the world number five snake's head for tillery native to regions across europe and asia the snake's head for tillery is so named because the petals of the flower look like they're covered in snake scales it does have several other names too including the lepers lily because the shape of the flower head was said to look similar to the bells that lepers were forced to wear to warn other people of their presence growing up to 16 inches tall the snake-like appearance becomes even stronger once they fully flowered because the stems aren't particularly strong and the flowers can appear to nod up and down on a light breeze usually a deep shade of purple with a checkered pattern across the petals these plants also develop poisonous alkaloids in their bulbs meaning that if you were to ever eat one you may even experience similar effects to if you were bitten by a mildly venomous snake still there's no denying that they're a stunning variety of flower and despite being considered as endangered in the wild they're a popular ornamental species and are the official flowers of the swedish province of upland which is one of the last places in the world you can see them flourish in their natural environment number four map passion flower passion flowers are so named because they're said to be one of the most romantic looking groups of plants but the ones that stand out the most has to be the variety known as the maypop technically a fast-growing vine they are one of the toughest species of wildflower and are native to regions across the us with stems that can grow virtually unimpeded the plant develops large leaves of up to six inches long and a highly unusual flower that can be purple or blue and is covered in a tendril-like structure they have five petals develop a noticeable whitish corona at the center and rely on bees and other insects for pollination it's such a standout species that as well as being the tennessee state wildflower they've been used for hundreds of years by the cherokee in the area as food and medicine it forms such an important part of the culture where it's known as the ocoee that the ocoee river and valley in the appalachian mountains were named after it still to this day the unique flavor of this passion flower means that it along with the fruits it produces is often used in food products and is particularly suited to being used as the main flavoring ingredient in jams jellies and desserts number three buddhist udambara the udombara flower is possibly the most mysterious plant in the world it's extremely rare to see something that's made even more difficult by the fact that when fully grown the flowers are at most just one millimeter in diameter according to buddhist legend the plants only bloom every three thousand years and while there have been more regular sightings than that in recent times it's a testament to just how unlikely it is to ever see one the small white flowers look very similar to lacewing butterfly eggs but there are some slight differences that allow you to tell the difference mainly the sweet scent of sandalwood that they emit and the fact that the flowers don't disintegrate in the same way that eggs do they tend to grow in the most unlikely of places such as on window ledges and tree branches and it's hard to see them without the use of a microscope usually it's the smell that lets you know that there are some nearby and after careful searching you might just find where they are because of their rarity very little is actually known about the flower but with a name that means auspicious flower from heaven it's usually seen as a sign of great fortune whenever they emerge number two night blooming serious the night blooming serious is a stunning species of cacti that are native to the arid regions of china and it's another flower that's incredibly rare to see there are a number of different species each of which produce a glorious display of petals that are usually white or slightly translucent in color as the name would suggest the unusual thing about them is that the flowers only emerge when it's dark and in many of the species they'll only actually bloom one night every year by the time the sun rises in the morning it will have already begun to wilt so timing is absolutely crucial if you ever want to see one at its best the reason for this is that the plants rely on very specific types of nocturnal insects and animals to carry the pollen to other plants so it only releases the rich aroma when these animals are active there's a great demand for the flowers in their native regions where dried petals are used in types of cantonese soup and some night blooming cereals even produce fruits that are large enough for humans to consume because of this demand there are now a range of places that grow them for commercial purposes so while you can be almost guaranteed to see one in bloom at one of those facilities the chances of seeing one in the wild remain extremely unlikely number one lady slipper orchid orchids grow in a range of different shapes that help them attract the right animal species to help them pollinate but perhaps one of the most unique and definitely one of the most sought after is the ladies slipper orchid it's the largest orchid species that's native to europe usually growing to around 23 inches tall with flowers that can be up to three or four inches across they form a beautiful arrangement of twisted petals with a labellum that makes up the distinctive slipper shape in the wild they can be found across europe where they tend to grow in woodlands on moist calcium-rich soil because of habitat changes caused by human activity they're far less frequent now than they ever used to be they are however extremely popular with horticulturalists who value their vivid colors and unusual shapes so a number of plant nurseries have crossbred different types to create brand new varieties some of these can be so valuable that when they're displayed at flowers shows they have to be protected by security guards and can easily cost as much as 7 500 for a small cutting at least 19 countries have at some point featured images of ladies slipper orchid on a range of postal stamps and one municipality of norway even has one incorporated into its coat of arms for many a perfectly grown lady slipper orchid represents the epitome of gardening ability and they take pride and place in countless show gardens around the world watch our nature playlist for more top 15 videos about beautiful nature sit back relax and binge watch all of our best nature videos

Channel: Top Fives

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Id: UMfMtaxxkAI

Length: 19min 36sec (1176 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 29 2021