The longer you collect and care for your green little friends the more you’ll seek to find unusual houseplants that you either haven’t seen in other people’s houses before or that just look too strange to pass up. Finding unusual houseplants can become more and more difficult but that’s where we come in. We have searched and found a collection of some of the most unusual houseplants to spice up your collection.
- Air plant
- Begonia Maculata
- Spiral Cactus
- Alocasia Cuprea
- Monkey Face Orchid
- Bat Plant
- Hooker’s Lips
So this is our list, let’s jump in and take a closer look at some of these weird and wonderful houseplants and you can start writing your shopping list for your next plant order.
Air plant
One of the most unusual plants currently available is the air plant and that is because it behaves so unlike what we are used to for a plant. An air plant exists in the air without soil or a pot. Many air plants just need submerging in water once a week, access to light and that’s it. They’ll happily survive with only that. The best thing about air plants is that since they don’t need a pot you can put them pretty much anywhere as long as they’re receiving light. This makes them great for terrariums, hanging them from your ceiling, placing them in small spaces. They not only look great, will be different from what your friends have but are also excellent as a design feature.
Monkey Face Orchid
This one is perfect for all of the flower lovers out there. Now you will see Orchids in many homes and they really aren’t that unusual, in fact we would go as far to say that they are super common but not this type. The Monkey Face Orchid gets its name from the adorable little monkey face you’ll find in the centre of the flower. From a distance this plant may look relatively normal so if that’s not what you’re looking for then it may not be the one for you. But if you don’t mind having to look to seek out the strangeness then this plant is great.
Begonia Maculata
If you want a show stopping plant that really looks quite unsual then the Begonia Maculata could be the plant for you. This plant is the king of unsual houseplants. It may be becoming more popular among plant collectors but it will still catch the eye of anyone who hasn’t seen one before. Begonia Maculata have a truly distinct look to them with their white polka dot leaves and their beautiful red undersides. They almost have a prehistoric aesthetic and will definitely cause your guests to ask where do you get it or what type of plant is it. The Begonia Maculata is probably our favourite unusual houseplant.
Alocasia Cuprea
Alocasia in general were quite an unusual houseplant until the past couple of years and now they have soared in popularity as people love their strange looking foliage. However one of them still remains quite strange although more and more common and that is the Alocasia Cuprea. It stands out from other ones of its species due to the beautiful deep red of it’s foliage, making it a great feature piece in a room or a perfect way to help you decorate.
Bat Plant
The Bat Plant is one of our favourites of the unusual plants, partly because it is actually one of the most unusual houseplants any of us have ever seen! With its deep purple flowers and trailing filaments it truly is a flower unlike any other. Coming from the tropics it can be quite difficult to take care of but if your house is warm and humid then there’s no reason this little guy shouldn’t thrive in your indoor jungle.
Hooker’s Lips
You’re going to love our next choice and that is Hooker’s Lips, named for the uncanny resemblance to a mouth painted with red lipstick. Found in central and south america the Hooker’s Lips is a popular choice among flower lovers, especially those who are looking for something a bit saucy. You might find these plants quite difficult to come by in many plant shops as they are not only unusual but also aren’t very common but if you do manage to find them they like to be kept warm and humid. We haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t smiled when they’ve laid eyes on this highly unusual houseplant.
Spiral Cactus
A houseplant collection wouldn’t be complete without a cactus but a cactus is also fairly common. That’s where the Spiral Cactus comes in, it gets its name from the strange way it twists itself up in a spiral giving it a very different look from other types of Cacti and allowing us to characterise it as one of our unusual houseplants. Since many of you have probably already owned a Cactus it should come as no surprise that this little guy likes bright light, dry air and infrequent waterings.
A selection of other rare and unusual houseplants that nearly made the cut include:
- Snap Dragon Seed Pod
- Corpse Lily
- Tropical Pitcher Plant
- Birds of Paradise
You might be able to find more unusual plants out there but for now these are the ones that we have found that we think make the cut. Let us know what you think of our picks of unusual houseplants, whether or not you agree with them, which ones we should’ve left out and which ones you think we’ve missed. And if you’d like us to go into detail about any of our reserve choices just let us know!
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