I love all flowers – big or small, ornate or simple. But when I see unusual flowers that are amazing and beautiful, they almost take my breath away.
Nature is amazing in the type of flowers that it gives us to enjoy. Most of these specimens are tender perennials that grow outdoors only in zones 10 and 11, but many of them can be grown indoors as potted plants.
Some can even evoke spooky moods and scary feelings, like those on my list of 21 Halloween plants. Many of them are even black plants!
If you enjoy motivational sayings on photos of pretty flowers, be sure to have a look at my inspirational flower quotes page.
Wander through this virtual garden of unusual flowers
Here is a collection of some of the most unusual flowers that I have come across. All would add some dramatic flair to any garden setting.
This unusual flower is called grevillea. It is also known as spider flower and it’s easy to see why. The pink tendrils look almost like spider legs.
It is a tender perennial, hardy only in zones 10 and 11.
It is easy to see where the common name “fan flower” comes from. Scaevola aemula has flowers that look as though they have been torn in half.
Find out how to grow fan flower here.
Hardy Blue Passion Flower – The color purple is so vibrant with the dark and deep purple center. What a beauty!
One an almost see why this unusual flower is called a bat head lily or black bat plant. I first saw one in the conservatory on a trip to Biltmore.
It is a really stunning flower and fits nicely into a collection of (almost) black plants.
The long tendrils look like whiskers and the parts of the lily that project forward seem to give the illusion of a face. ‘The plant is also known as devil’s tongue and voodoo flowers.
The dome head of this Hawaiian jungle flower makes it so unusual looking. It is called “Torch Ginger”. Imagine coming across this on a walk through the woods?
The plant grows in areas where the night time temperature does not drop below 50 degrees F.
Do you have ponds in your yard? Waterlilies may be something that you would like to grow. Both the flower and the leaves of this tuberous plant live above the water level.
See my post about the International Waterlily collection in San Angelo Texas for more photos of these extraordinary beauties. This variety is called “Blue Cloud.”
Leontopodium nivale is commonly called edelweiss. This well-known mountain flower belongs to the daisy or sunflower family, Asteraceae.
The plant likes to grow in rocky limestone places at altitudes of about 1,800–3,000 meters.
King Protea is an usual flowering plant. It is the largest flower head in the genus protea. The plant is also known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush.
This form of protea is native to South West South Africa. It is hardy in zones 9-11.
Carnivorous pitcher plants have an opening which allows insects to get trapped inside the bloom and unable to escape. I recently saw a large collection of them on a trip to my local farmers market.
Pitcher plant comes in many varieties, some of them are even hardy down to zone 3!
No list of unusual flowers would be complete without the Bird of Paradise (strelitzia). This exotic plant is hardy outdoors in zones 9-11 but can be stretched to zone 7 as a patio plant with some cover in the colder months.
When I lived in Australia, I saw it all the time and was also lucky enough to see it growing everywhere on a recent trip to California to visit my daughter.
Another tropical tender perennial is flamingo flower, also known as anthurium. This plant is normally grown as a houseplant in most areas of the US. It can tolerate lower light conditions.
The waxy looking flowers last a long time and are so pretty!
It’s almost time for Halloween. Black Cat Petunia would make a great flower choice for decorating – Source Burpee. It’s not often that we see black flowers. This one has a velvety look to it.
Match Stick Banksia is native to South West Australia, so it needs a warm climate to grow. Image Source Wikipedia It’s easy to see where the plant gets its common name, isn’t it?
All dahlias are lovely but this one has an unusual color and pretty shape. – Source – PhenoMNel Twin Cities Some dahlias can grow as large as a dinner plate!
Osiria Rose – This image of the rose has been photo shopped and is highly sought after. There is a real Osiria rose. It is not quite as vibrant as this image but is still a beauty in its own right. See more on Osiria rose here.
If you would like a reminder of this post, just pin this image to one of your Pinterest Gardening Boards to help you find it easily later.
Admin note: This post first appeared on the blog in June of 2013. I have updated the post to add more information as well as several new unusual flowers.
Nikki Krakauer
Sunday 24th of May 2020
I’d love to know what the “lead in” flower is called. Such a unique diamondish shape.
Carol Speake
Monday 25th of May 2020
It is a bat head lily
Judy Robertson
Monday 28th of November 2016
my dad loved roses and he died and I want to know what the name of the rose bush is and where I can get one, and if I could get the rose made out of silk .
hat giong dua hoa dua can
Tuesday 31st of July 2018
Thank you ! me too ..!
Carol
Monday 28th of November 2016
There is a link below the picture of the rose. It is called Osiria. If you click on the link, it takes you to an article about the rose and has places to buy it. Carol
Lantos
Friday 30th of September 2016
Kertem virága az őrségben
M SHAFFER
Sunday 24th of July 2016
The "frumusetea" looked Photoshopped to me. I was positive that this is the case when I tried to find seeds.
Jane Wright
Saturday 22nd of June 2013
I love all types of flowers but I am partial to those that are unusual and different from the ones we usually see. Where can I find these.
admin
Saturday 22nd of June 2013
Not sure on where to get them all. Each flower has a link under it to the original source. That might give more info.