Great Pictures From Around the World

13 of the World's Most Fascinating Flowers

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There are many unique flowers throughout the world that have interesting backgrounds. Rather than list A to Z flower names of more common species, this list provides a fun look into some of the more unusual flowers you may come across. Learn more about 13 fascinating flowers, such as the corpse flower and lady's slipper orchid.

The Titan Arum

The Titan Arum, or corpse flower, is one of the tallest flowers. This flower gets its nickname from its strong rotting odor, which attracts flies that help pollinate it. It only blooms once every 10 years and can grow to 10 feet in height.

Franklin Tree flower

Franklin Tree flower is a member of the tea family. Its green leaves turn red in the fall, and its flower is white with a yellow center. It's been extinct in the wild since the 1800s, but gardeners can purchase plants descended from seeds collected in the 1700s.

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Sea Poison Tree

The sea poison tree attracts bats and moths due to its strong sweet smell. The flowers resemble pom-poms when in bloom. These flowers grow along the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean coasts.

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Common Sundew

The flowers of the common sundew entice insects to it using its sticky hairs covered in glands. The hairs glow in the sun to attract the insects.

Jade Vine

The jade vine is a large mint green flower found in the Philippines. Its flowers can grow and hang down to around three feet. The bat is its pollinator.

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Chocolate Cosmo

Chocolate cosmos are no longer found in the wild, and must be grown using root division and tissue culture. The seedless flowers are a deep red-brown.

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Bat Face Cuphea

The bat face cuphea has dark purple and black flowers that resemble the face of a bat. This flower grows in hot temperatures and can attract hummingbirds.

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Night-Blooming Cereus

Also called the "Queen of the Night," this flower only blooms at night and wilts during the day. These white flowers are rare to see in the wild and have inspired legends. They're found in Latin America and parts of Asia.

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Snake's Head Fritillary

The checkered petals of the snake's head fritillary resembles snakeskin. They can be purple, gray, white or brown. Its name comes from the Latin word "fritillus," meaning "dice-box."

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Pitcher Plant

The pitcher plant is a carnivorous flower that attracts and traps insects and other small creatures. The bottom of the flower has a sticky syrup that digests any prey that falls in.

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Lady's Slipper Orchid

Lady's slipper orchid is so rare, that as of 2019 only six blooms remain in the world. They grow in Europe and were believed to be extinct until one was found in 1917. The flowers are yellow and purple.

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Lithops Weberi

This unusual flower is often called a living stone because its resembles a stone when not in bloom. This allows it to hide from predators. When in bloom, the flowers are yellow and white. The lithops weberi is found in South Africa.

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Rafflesia

The rafflesia is also sometimes called the corpse flower because it smells like rotting flesh. It's the largest flower in the world, measuring as much as three feet across. The flower is parasitic and grows on infected host vines.

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