Flowers, with their bright colours and unique shapes, are a wonder of the nature. They make the world a beautiful place. Be it the much-known rose or the lesser known orchids, flowers are always mesmerizing. Let us look at some of the most beautiful and strange flowers that adorn the world around us.

1. Monkey Face Orchid

Let’s face it (pun intended), this little guy didn’t take a whole lot of imagination to name; “Dracula” because of it’s two long, fang-like petals and “simia” for its resemblance to primates. The two dark little eyes, fuzzy dotted eyebrows, and furry little nose and beard area bear striking simian similarities that become even more apparent when viewed from a distance. The Monkey Face Orchid is rare oddity so don’t get upset if you’ve never seen one before. It is only found in the cloud forests of Peru and southeastern Ecuador at altitudes of more than 3,000 feet. It can bloom all year round, and its flowers smell like ripe oranges, making it a prized addition to any orchid connoisseurs garden.

2. Bee Orchid

Ophrys apifera is one of the most beautiful, weird flowers. It looks like a smiling bumblebee. Although this flower is available in parts of the world such as Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, it is considered one of the endangered species because it is hard to propagate.

3. Swaddled Babies

The Angloua Uniflora is a beautiful orchid which is commonly known by the name, Swaddled Babies. The plant grows in the Columbian Andes. The most stunning feature of the plant is its flowers which are large, creamy-white and waxy. Their structure is quite complex, and at a certain stage of opening, they start to look like a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth. Each flower blooms from a single stem from the base of the pseudobulbs.

4. Bat plant

The White Bat Plant is one of the world’s largest and most unusual flowers. It’s strange little black flowers come in clusters of twenty to forty and resemble bats’ faces while the white bracts above resemble bats’ ears. The Bat Plant can grow to anywhere between 60 and 90 centimeters tall and comes in both a black version and a white version. The whiskers of the flower will also grow quite long, sometimes reaching all the way to the ground. An interesting fact about this weird wonder is that despite its resemblance to the lily it is actually a member of the yam family!

5. Angel Orchid

Zygopetalum rhein is called Angel Orchid because botanists resemble its look to an angel wearing a gown. This flower originates from India where it was found for the first time in 1932. It is a short flower that does not exceed 5 inches tall. Angel orchid is very beautiful, and it makes an excellent decoration.

6. Hooker’s Lips

While many might consider it an exaggerated description, the Psychotria Elata, also called the Hooker’s Lips or Kissing Lips plant, is absolutely genuine. It exists in the tropical rainforests of Central and Southern Africa. The waxy bract, which is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with the flower, is bright red in color, and is shaped like the luscious lips of a woman, complete with a well-defined cupid’s bow. The actual star-shaped flowers emerge from the bract’s center.