From mischievous grins to delicate gazes, nature never fails to impress us with flowers that, with their charming petal arrangements and patterns, bear an uncanny resemblance to human faces. In this captivating exploration, we’ll guide you through the eccentric world of flowers that look like faces, so get ready to embark on your imagination and turn your landscape into a head-turning botany festival!
Table of Contents
10 Flowers That Look Like They Have Faces
Monkey Face Orchid (Dracula simia): The Quirky Primate Bloom
Zones: 9 to 11
Light: Bright, indirect
Soil: Organic-rich, moist
Watering: Regular watering
The monkey face orchid is one of the true flowers that liven up to their name. These flowers that look like monkey faces share such an uncanny resemblance to our primate–to the point some people think that they’re not real! Monkey face orchid is a native to the forests of Ecuador and Peru, and sadly due to habitat destruction caused by deforestation and human activity, this flower is now classified as a threatened species.
Bat-faced Cuphea (Cuphea llavea): Alluring Vampire Companion
Zones: 9 to 12
Light: Bright, direct or indirect
Soil: Fast-draining
Watering: Adequate watering
With two prominent red upright petals that resemble a bat’s ears and a furry center that looks like a bat’s face, these native-to-Mexico flowering plants surely give a distinctive appearance. The unique flower structure of bat-faced cuphea is also attractive enough for some pollinators, including hummingbirds! These flowers that look like faces are generally easy to take care of, and in comparison with monkey face orchids, they’re way easier to find.
Three Faces in a Hood (Viola tricolor): Sad and Grumpy Biennials
Zones: 2 to 9
Light: Bright, full sun or partial shade
Soil: Sandy or loamy, well-aerated
Watering: Regular watering, slightly dry
Also nicknamed wild pansy, three faces in a hood has a classic color combination of deep purple, yellow, and white or light blue with dark markings that resemble sad or grumpy expressions. Thanks to the presence of flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins in their colorful petals, three faces in a hood is not only safe to consume by humans but is also appealing to pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Black Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri): When Hammerpede Meets the Botanical World
Zones: 9 to 11
Light: Bright, indirect or dappled shade
Soil: Fertile, permeable
Watering: Balanced watering, let slightly dry during the colder season
If you’re a fan of the alien movie franchise, you might see how this native to South-East Asia resembles the alien snake hammerpede, thanks to their striking triangular black petals that somewhat look like bat wings. In contrast to three faces in a hood, these flowers that look like faces might not be for plant lovers who crave good-smelling plants, as they’re known for producing an unpleasant odor that smells like a combination of rotten fruit, burnt paper, and a slight mushroom.
Happy Alien (Calceolaria uniflora): Playful Extraterrestrial Bloom
Zones: 8 to 10
Light: Bright, indirect
Soil: Organic-rich, permeable
Watering: Balanced watering, let slightly dries out between waterings
If the black bat flower is the main ‘antagonist’ that thrives in your landscape, happy alien is then the main ‘protagonist’ we all need. The most distinctive feature of these highly rare flowers that look like faces, as you can see, is their extraordinary bloom shape that resembles small alien creatures with ‘smiling’ pouches or pockets. In addition to their scarcity, they’re also quite challenging to grow and are mainly cultivated for ornamental purposes.
Swaddled Baby Orchid (Anguloa uniflora): Tenderly Wrapped Infant Orchid
Zones: 10 to 12
Light: Bright, indirect or dappled light
Soil: Well-composted, porous
Watering: Consistent watering, slightly dry
Next, we got other flowers that look like faces from the Orchidaceae family. Unlike monkey face orchids that mirror the face of an animal, swaddled baby orchids, as the name states, would wow you with their spectacular broad and rounded petals, with a unique pattern that displays a smiling baby wrapped in a blanket or swaddle. Like their orchid cousins, swaddled baby orchids are an epiphyte in their natural habitat, which means they’re often found grown on trees for support but not as a parasite.
Dancing Girls Impatiens (Impatiens bequaertii): Because Plants Wanna Have Fun Too
Zones: 10 to 12
Light: Bright, indirect and filtered
Soil: Organic-rich, fast-draining
Watering: Consistent watering
This native to Central Africa flowering plant is perhaps one of the most quirky-looking flowers with anthropomorphism traits out there. The fused tubular petals and flared lobes give the plant a dancing appearance of figurines, and this plant is also tolerant to heavy shade! Despite being low maintenance and highly sought after by plant enthusiasts, unfortunately, dancing girls impatiens are considered an endangered species and can be challenging to find.
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum): A Reminder of Death
Zones: 7 to 10
Light: Bright, full or partial shade
Soil: Fertile, porous
Watering: Consistent watering
You might be wondering, what the heck is the normal-looking and gorgeous snapdragon doing here? Well, you’re not certainly wrong. Although favored for their raceme-shaped and showy flowers, frankly enough, after their flowers fade, snapdragon develops eerie seed pods that look just like small skulls with bony appearance and color. Snapdragon can be grown as short-lived perennial in milder climates, but mostly cultivated as annuals.
White Egret Orchid (Habenaria radiata): Seraphic Egret-like Orchid
Zones: 6 to 10
Light: Bright, direct or partial shade
Soil: Sandy, slightly acidic
Watering: Consistent watering, slightly dry
With a white egret orchid, you could turn your nursery into a heaven-like palace. The most notable point about this native to East Asia flower is its petals and sepals, that are forming long and narrow extensions that resemble an egret’s wings, while ‘the lip’ of the flower looks just like an egret’s beak! As beautiful and elegant as their appearance, white egret orchid also produces sweet and pleasant fragrance, mainly to attract pollinators like butterflies.
Bumblebee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora): The Buzzing Floral Impersonator
Zones: 8 to 10
Light: Bright, indirect
Soil: Slightly acidic, sandy, or loamy
Watering: Balanced watering, slightly dry
No, it’s not the transformer’s bumblebee that we’re talking about, but these flowers that look like faces are rather blessed with an eccentric appearance as a female bumblebee’s doppelganger. This clever mimicry tactic, along with its fragrant scent, is the plant’s unique way of survival and reproduction in attempts to lure male bees to mate with the flower. Alas, bumblebee orchids have a shorter life span, and the individual flowers usually only last for a couple of weeks.
What Are the Cultural or Symbolic Interpretations Associated with Flowers That Resemble Faces?
Flowers, regardless of their color, shapes, and sizes, are tied with their meaning in various cultures, and these eccentric beauties are no exception! Although not all flowers that look like faces have any significant meaning, some do have meaningful symbolism. First, we shall take a look at the graceful white egret orchid. In Japan, this flower is considered as a symbol of purity and elegance.
While snapdragon, thanks to their bizarre seed pods, has gained a reputation for symbolizing both mortality and supernatural things. For three faces in a hood, it’s a whole different story. These flowers that look like they have faces are often associated with love and free-thinking–and have gained more popularity due to their mention in Shakespeare’s play titled “A Midsummer Night Dream”.
Are Flowers That Look Like Faces Rare?
Seems like it’s in nature’s unwritten law that the more peculiar the flower’s traits or appearance is, the more difficult to get them. While some face-like flowers such as bat-faced cuphea, three faces in a hood, and black bat flower are easier to find, the majority of these flowers are, unfortunately, would be demanding to find, let alone to thrive. Some of these flowers that look like faces, the white egret orchid, and the monkey face orchid, for instance, are even in the conservation of endangered or threatened.
Petal Portraits: Nature’s Artwork in the Form of Face-Like Flowers
To enjoy the beauty of art, sometimes, you don’t need to spend your time in a fancy museum. Instead, you can venture into nature’s own art gallery. From orchids that mimic the face of a monkey to the seed pods of snapdragons that look as if they were made for Halloween, these floral creations do spark wonders!
Further reading:
- The Best Indoor Plant Grow Lights for Thriving Houseplants
- Gardening Books: Essential Reads for Green Thumbs
- DIY Garden Projects: Creative Planting Ideas
- The Ultimate Guide to Organic Fertilizers for Healthy Plant Growth
- Top 10 Essential Gardening Tools Every Plant Lover Should Have
New author in the hood. Loves gardening and flowers are my spirit animals (yes I know they are not animals but I insist). I will be covering most of the flowers’ topics here and occasionally random though as well.
