Cool Flowers: 14 Unusual Blooms That Will Make You Look Twice

Some flowers are pretty. Others make you stop mid-step and stare. This list is for the second kind — blooms that look like bats, monkeys, lips, birds, and even a certain helmeted movie villain. Every entry includes its scientific name (verified), what makes it cool, and an honest growing note.

Quick answer: The coolest flowers to discover include the black bat flower (Tacca chantrieri), chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus), ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), corpse lily (Rafflesia arnoldii), and parrot’s beak (Lotus berthelotii) — a mix of striking shapes, rare colors, and wild survival stories. A handful grow easily in US gardens; several others are best admired from afar.

1. Black Bat Flower

Scientific name: Tacca chantrieri

Native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, the black bat flower is the goth icon of the plant world: deep purple-black bracts spread like bat wings, with long, whisker-like bracteoles dangling up to two feet below the bloom. It is one of the closest things in nature to a truly black flower. In the wild it blooms in deep shade on the forest floor.

Growing note: Give it shade, warmth, and constant humidity; in the US it is a tropical houseplant or greenhouse plant outside the warmest zones.

2. Chocolate Cosmos

Scientific name: Cosmos atrosanguineus

This Mexican native produces velvety, deep maroon blooms that genuinely smell of cocoa and vanilla on warm evenings — a scent almost no other flower offers. It is believed to be extinct in the wild, surviving today only through cultivated plants propagated by division, since it rarely sets viable seed. It is the anchor of any "chocolate garden" theme.

Growing note: Full sun and warm, still air bring out the strongest scent; it is tender, so lift the tubers in cold climates.

3. Ghost Orchid

Scientific name: Dendrophylax lindenii

A leafless orchid that clings to tree bark in the swamps of Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas, the ghost orchid seems to float in midair when its white, frog-like blooms open. Its roots photosynthesize in place of leaves, and it was famously the subject of the book The Orchid Thief. Wild populations are small and closely monitored by conservationists.

Growing note: Effectively impossible to grow at home — this is a look-but-don’t-touch conservation story, not a garden plant.

4. Corpse Lily

Scientific name: Rafflesia arnoldii

Don’t confuse it with the corpse flower below: Rafflesia arnoldii is a parasite with no leaves, stems, or roots, living inside Tetrastigma vines in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. It produces the largest single flower on Earth — nearly a meter across and up to 11 kg — a fleshy, spotted, five-lobed bloom that smells of rotting meat to attract carrion flies. Each bloom lasts only a few days before collapsing.

Growing note: Cannot be grown at home under any practical circumstances; see it at a botanical garden or in nature documentaries.

5. Corpse Flower (Titan Arum)

Scientific name: Amorphophallus titanum

Also native to Sumatra, the titan arum is the corpse lily’s equally stinky but completely unrelated rival. It produces the world’s largest unbranched flower structure — a towering spadix wrapped in a frilled spathe, reaching up to about 2.7 meters — and releases its famous carrion stench to lure pollinating flies and beetles. Blooms are rare events; a plant may flower only a few times in its life.

Growing note: Greenhouse-only in the US; a handful of botanical gardens bloom one every few years and draw huge crowds.

6. Monkeyface Orchid

Scientific name: Dracula simia

High in the cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru grows an orchid whose blooms bear an uncanny resemblance to a tiny monkey’s face — complete with eyes, nose, and furry-looking lip. The genus name Dracula ("little dragon") refers to the long, fang-like spurs on the flowers. Like most of its relatives, it thrives in cool, misty mountain air rather than tropical heat.

Growing note: A cool-growing specialist for humid greenhouses; needs shade, constant moisture, and cool nights.

7. Jade Vine

Scientific name: Strongylodon macrobotrys

Native to the rainforests of the Philippines, jade vine hangs its flowers in cascading clusters of claw-shaped blooms in a turquoise-green color that barely exists anywhere else in the plant kingdom. Each hanging raceme can stretch close to a meter long. In the wild it is pollinated by bats, which explains the sturdy, nectar-rich flower shape.

Growing note: A tropical greenhouse vine in the US — it needs warmth, humidity, and something strong to climb.

8. Parrot’s Beak

Scientific name: Lotus berthelotii

Endemic to the Canary Islands and thought to be extinct (or nearly so) in the wild, parrot’s beak survives through cultivation — a good-news story for gardeners. Its sickle-shaped blooms in flame red, orange, or yellow end in a sharp beak-like point, an adaptation for bird pollination, set against trailing silver-gray needle-like foliage. It blooms from spring into summer.

Growing note: Full sun, well-drained soil, zones 10–12; superb spilling from containers and hanging baskets, or grown as an annual elsewhere.

9. Naked Man Orchid

Scientific name: Orchis italica

This Mediterranean native earns its name honestly: each tiny floret in its dense pinkish spike is shaped like a little naked man, arms and legs outstretched. Look closely and the resemblance is unmistakable — which is exactly why it photographs so well. It blooms in spring across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Growing note: A temperate terrestrial orchid; needs a dry summer dormancy and cool, wet winters — tricky outside Mediterranean-type climates.

10. Hooker’s Lips

Scientific name: Palicourea elata (still widely sold and labeled as Psychotria elata)

Before it flowers, this Central and South American rainforest plant produces a pair of bright red, waxy bracts shaped unmistakably like puckered lips. The resemblance is so perfect it looks staged — then small white true flowers emerge from the "mouth." Note the taxonomy: Kew now accepts Palicourea elata as the current name, with Psychotria elata as a synonym.

Growing note: Tropical rainforest understory plant — greenhouse or conservatory only in the US.

11. Bleeding Heart

Scientific name: Lamprocapnos spectabilis (formerly Dicentra spectabilis)

A shade-garden classic that still stops people: arching stems dripping with rows of puffy, heart-shaped pink-and-white blooms, each with a white "tear" protruding from the bottom. Native to Siberia, northern China, Korea, and Japan, it is hardy in zones 2–8 and one of the most reliable spring perennials for dark corners. Foliage goes dormant by midsummer, so pair it with hostas or ferns.

Growing note: Part to full shade in rich, moist soil; mark its spot, since it vanishes completely in summer.

12. Bird of Paradise

Scientific name: Strelitzia reginae

Named for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, this South African native produces one of the most architectural blooms in gardening: vivid orange sepals and blue-purple petals emerging one at a time from a boat-shaped bract, like an exotic bird taking flight. It blooms intermittently through autumn, winter, and spring in the right conditions.

Growing note: Full sun and rich soil; frost-tender, so grow in large containers and overwinter indoors in cold climates.

13. Darth Vader Flower

Scientific name: Aristolochia salvadorensis

A small evergreen shrub from the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala, bearing flowers along stems that scramble across the soil surface. Each 2–3 cm bloom is a heavily veined hood wrapping a glossy maroon interior with two pale, helmet-like "eyes" — the resemblance to a certain Star Wars villain is genuinely startling. It is rare even in botanical collections.

Growing note: Strictly a tropical greenhouse curiosity; rarely available through normal nurseries.

14. ‘Karma Choc’ Dahlia

Scientific name: Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’ (RHS-accepted cultivar)

Proof that you don’t need the tropics for drama: ‘Karma Choc’ bears velvety, very dark red double blooms that look nearly black at their centers, with dark foliage and stems to match — and even a faint chocolate scent. Bred in the Netherlands’ Karma cut-flower series, it has strong stems and a long vase life. Unlike most entries here, it is easy to buy and easy to grow.

Growing note: Full sun, rich soil, regular deadheading; hardy in zones 8–11 — lift and store tubers where winters are colder.

Keep Exploring

Love letter-themed lists? Browse our full A–Z guides: flowers that start with B, C, D, G, H, J, M, O, P, R, and T.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the coolest flowers in the world?

There is no official ranking, but the flowers on this list — black bat flower, chocolate cosmos, ghost orchid, corpse lily, and parrot’s beak — are the ones gardeners and botanists most often name for sheer visual drama. "Cool" is subjective, so the best answer depends on whether you value rarity, weird shapes, or growability.

Are there really black flowers?

No truly black flower exists in nature — what we call "black" flowers, like the black bat flower or ‘Karma Choc’ dahlia, are extremely dark shades of purple, maroon, or red that read as black in most light. Breeders keep pushing darker, but true black pigment has never evolved in petals.

Can I grow chocolate cosmos in the US?

Yes, in most of the US it grows as a tender perennial or annual: plant it in full sun in warm soil after the last frost, and lift the tubers before hard frosts if you want it back next year. Warm, still evenings produce the strongest chocolate scent.

Is the corpse flower the same as the corpse lily?

No — they are completely unrelated plants that happen to share a nickname and a rotting-meat smell. The corpse flower is Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), which produces the world’s largest unbranched flower structure; the corpse lily is Rafflesia arnoldii, which produces the largest single flower. Both use carrion scent to attract fly pollinators.

Which of these cool flowers can I grow indoors?

Parrot’s beak works in a bright conservatory or sunny window, bird of paradise and black bat flower do well as large houseplants with enough light and humidity, and ‘Karma Choc’ dahlia can start indoors before moving out. The orchids, jade vine, and Hooker’s lips need greenhouse conditions; the ghost orchid, Rafflesia, and titan arum are not home plants at all.

Where does the ghost orchid grow in the wild?

In the swamps of South Florida (notably the Fakahatchee Strand), Cuba, and the Bahamas, where it grows leafless on tree bark. It is rare and protected — admire it through conservation programs and botanical garden displays, never by collecting.

What is the Darth Vader flower’s real name?

Aristolochia salvadorensis, a small evergreen shrub native to the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala. Its hooded maroon blooms, borne on stems along the ground, look strikingly like Darth Vader’s helmet. It is a botanical-garden rarity, not a nursery plant.

Do any of these flowers smell bad?

Yes — the two "corpse" plants (Rafflesia arnoldii and Amorphophallus titanum) famously smell of rotting flesh, which is how they attract their fly pollinators. On the pleasant end, chocolate cosmos smells of cocoa and ‘Karma Choc’ dahlia carries a faint chocolate scent.

Which unusual flowers on this list are easiest for beginners?

‘Karma Choc’ dahlia is by far the easiest — it grows like any other dahlia in full sun. Bleeding heart is a reliable shade perennial, and parrot’s beak is straightforward in containers or warm climates. Start with those three before attempting anything tropical.

Are these unusual flowers safe for pets?

That varies by species and, honestly, many exotic flowers on this list have not been well studied for pet toxicity. Before planting, check the ASPCA’s toxic plant database for the specific species, and keep curious pets away from anything you cannot verify.

Sources & Further Reading

• Kew on Rafflesia arnoldi — the largest single flower: https://www.kew.org/plants/rafflesia-arnoldi?wpmobileexternal=true
• Cambridge University Botanic Garden on Aristolochia salvadorensis: https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/the-garden/plant-list/aristolochia-salvadorensis/
• NC State Extension on Lotus berthelotii (parrot’s beak): https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lotus-berthelotii/
• Missouri Botanical Garden on Lamprocapnos spectabilis (bleeding heart): http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=258957&isprofile=1&basic=Lamprocapnos+spectabilis