Flowers are more than pretty decor, they’re nature’s masterpieces that each tell a unique story and carry symbolic meaning. While roses and tulips are usual favorites, the plant kingdom has some interesting treasures that will take your breath away. But these rare flowers aren’t just stunning, they also carry rich symbolic meanings.
We invite you to step off the well-worn garden path and explore 9 of the most uncommon flowers in the world. Each one carries a deep meaning in the language of flowers, expressed through their strange and captivating forms.
1. Skeleton Flower (Diphylleia grayi) – Growth & Transformation
Imagine a flower that can literally become see-through. The Skeleton Flower is native to the mountainous regions of central and northern Japan as well as parts of Russia. While it looks common, the secret reveals itself when it rains. Its white petals turn transparent when wet, revealing its inner “skeleton.” Once dry, the petals regain their usual opaque white color.
The Skeleton Flower means personal growth, transformation, and the revelation of one’s true self. The transition of the petals is often associated with letting go of the past identity. “Revealing” the skeleton represents accepting oneself.
2. Monkey Orchid (Orchis simia) – Playful & Mysterious
This flower brings a whole new meaning to monkey business. The Monkey Orchid resembles a monkey’s body with a hood. The top petals and sepals create a hood-like shape over the lip, which has curly secondary lobes that project like a monkey’s limbs and tail. It ranges in color from greyish-pink to red with white throughout, but there are lavender and pure white variants as well. It blooms in late summer to early spring, but is considered threatened due to significant habitat loss.
This orchid symbolizes playfulness, curiosity, and also the delicate beauty and mystery that lie within the natural world.
3. Blue Puya (Puya berteroniana) – Friendship & Loyalty
The Blue Puya is an electric blue pineapple-like tower that shoots up from the dry Andes Mountain landscape in Chile. They’re also known as Turquoise Puya or Aqua Sapphire Tower. These rare flowers can take up to a decade to bloom, but when it does, its vibrant azure petals are a sight to behold.
Blue Puya is linked to loyalty, friendship, and peace. This is in line with its calm blue colors and the energetic vibe it emits. Its unusual look and rarity also render it a symbol of being different and standing out confidently.
4. Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) – Rarity & Enchantment
The Jade Vines are flowers that look as if they are directly out of a fairytale. It’s a gorgeous flower from the Philippines that’s well-known due to its peculiar color. The claw-shaped blue turquoise flowers hang in big cascading clusters that make it one of the world’s most visually dramatic flowers.
The Jade Vine symbolizes rarity, exclusiveness, and the celebration of unique beauty. In Filipino culture, this flower is a representation of good fortune, prosperity, and success. They’re mostly given as a means of introducing positive energy and abundance.
5. Caleana major (Flying Duck Orchid) – Freedom & Grace
Imagine an orchid that looks like a duck in flight. The Caleana major, better known as the Flying Duck Orchid, is a small native flower in Australia. The main petals imitate a duck’s head and neck, while the outer petals resemble wings in flight. It’s usually reddish brown to purple in color, but in rare instances, they can have greenish spots.
The Celeana major symbolizes freedom, grace, and the marvels of natural adaptation. Its extraordinary mimicry and delicate form reflect themes of evolutionary ingenuity and the beauty of specialized ecological relationships.
6. Fuchsia Flower (Fuchsia triphylla) – Trust & Elegance
Fuchsias are like the ballerinas of the flowers. The Fuchsia flowers are famous for their bright combinations of pink, purple, red, and white. They are native in South America but have different variants in parts of Asia. They have an odd shape that’s reminiscent of dainty skirts with outstretched petals and stamens which resemble legs, creating a playfully refined appearance.
Symbolically, fuchsias speak the language of the heart. They represent trust, elegance, heartfelt emotions, and romantic love. In Western cultures, they symbolize romance and delicate beauty, while in some Asian cultures, they’re revered as bringers of good luck, fortune, and prosperity.
7. Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) – Love & Purity
Don’t be fooled by its name, the Bleeding Heart is all about love. While its real name is Lamprocapnos spectabilis, it’s currently more well known as Dicentra spectabilis. Dicentra features heart-shaped flowers with dangling inner petal, which is often referred to as drops of blood. These give the flower a dramatic yet whimsical look. They bloom in spring and early summer and die back to the ground as the heat of summer arrives.
Despite their appearance, Dicentra is a symbol of romantic love and purity. But due to their ‘bleeding droplets’ they’re often associated with romantic sorrow.
8. Passion Flower (Passiflora) – Sacrifice & Spiritual Faith
Straight from the tropics, Passion flowers bring the heat with their exotic, fringed blooms. Their unique structure has inspired religious symbolism. In Christianity, the parts of the flower have been interpreted to symbolize the Passion of Christ. The petals and sepals symbolize the faithful apostles while the tendrils are the whips used during the flagellation of Christ.
Because it’s primarily attributed to Christianity, the flower alone symbolizes hope, spiritual belief, and offering. So, whether you believe or not, you may use these flowers to remind yourself to live life with passion.
9. Checkered Lily (Fritillaria meleagris) – Humility & Modesty
And lastly, with their beautiful checkered patterns and modest bell shapes, Checkered Lilies are the quiet heroes of spring gardens. With their soft whites to deep purples, the flowers have an unusual and somewhat whimsical appearance. The boxy checkered print lends them an air of dignified, architectural beauty. They often appear in mid to late spring, occupying meadows, woodlands, and the quiet recesses of naturalized gardens.
The Checkered Lily is a representation of uniqueness, mystery, and delicate beauty. Its intricate checkered design makes it a stand-out in any spring landscape. It’s also associated with humility and modesty, quietly enchanting those who take the time to appreciate its gentle charm.
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