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5+ Unique Flowers That Look Like Faces

Nature never fails to astound us, and the plants with unique flowers that look like faces are a true testament to the beauty and diversity of nature.

In general, some plants like Monkey Orchid, Darth Vader, and Hooker’s Lips have flowers that look like faces or have one or two facial features. The fascinating appearance of flowers with faces is due to the plants’ mimicry phenomenon.

So, stick with the article till the end to find out and feast your eyes on all the exotic flowers with faces.

Do Flowers Have Faces?

For survival in the wilderness, plants have adopted mimicry, creating unique patterns to attract pollinators or to avoid being eaten.

And due to mimicry, you can find a plant that produces flowers with patterns that look like faces.

Some flowers tend to have patterns that flawlessly showcase the facial features of humans, animals, and birds.

Flowering plants adopt mimicry to increase the chances of pollination and deter natural predators. For instance, Bee Orchids produce deceptive flowers that look like a female Bumble bee to attract male bees for pollination.

flower fact of bee orchid that looks like a bumble bee
It is a prime example of how mother nature handles plants’ survivability.

Nevertheless, in a literal sense, flowers do not have faces, only a pattern with facial features.

Furthermore, flowers having a face-like pattern is also subjective and can differ from each peoples interpretation.

5+ Interesting Flowers That Look Like Faces

From the face of a monkey to Darth Vader, there are unique flowers that look like naked men or swaddled babies.

So, without dillydallying anymore, here are some weird yet fascinating flowers with pictures that look like faces:

1. Monkey Orchid

True to its name, Monkey Orchid (Dracula simia) has flowers with the faces of Monkeys.

The flower petals look like the ears of a Monkey, and the lip looks like the nose and mouth.

monkey orchid flowers that look like monkey faces
Monkey Orchid has flowers with monkey faces.

This exotic flowering plant is now endangered due to rapid habitat loss and overcollection.

Therefore, if you find this flower in the wilderness, just appreciate the beauty and move next.

2. Darth Vader

If you are a Star Wars fan, nature has an interesting surprise. There is a Darth Vader plant with flowers like the helmet of Darth Vader.

The Darth Vader plant (Aristolochia salvadoriensis) produces reddish-brown flowers. These flowers have helmet-shaped petals with two white holes that look like the eyes of Darth Vader.

Darth Vader flower with helmet like structure
Perhaps you could gift your Star Wars fan friend with this exotic plant.

Despite the unique appearance, the flower smells somewhat like rotting flesh. Moreover, the plant is hard to care for and grown mainly in greenhouses only.

So, if you want to look at Darth Vader, you can visit botanical gardens like Missouri Botanical Garden.

3. Naked Man Orchid

Though the name sounds a bit explicit, the plant is not really something you need to worry about showing to your children.

The Naked Man Orchid (Orchis Italica) produces a flower in a shape that looks like a naked man.

naked man flowers that looks like naked man
The Naked Man flower is a species of Orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin.

The flower is often pink and white with two small round black spots that look like eyes. Likewise, it has a short nose-like protrusion resembling a man’s phallus.

Also known as the Italian Orchid, this flowering plant is moderately rare. In Italy, eating Naked Man Orchids is believed to increase men’s virility with other medicinal benefits.

4. Swaddled Babies Orchid

As the name suggests, Swaddled Babies Orchid has a complex flower (Anguloa Uniflora) that looks like a small baby face cuddled and wrapped in a swaddling cloth.

The creamy white flowers have full features of a baby face wrapped inside wavy spiral petals that resemble swaddled cloth.

Swaddled Babies Orchid flower
The Swaddled Babies Orchid is a rare Orchid known for its large, fragrant, creamy-white flowers.

This exotic Orchid variety is native to the Andes Mountains of South America and is very hard to care for.

The plant can grow up to 18-24 inches tall in its natural habitat and produce flowers in April and May.

5. Purple Beard Orchid

Another fascinating plant that looks like faces is Purple Beard Orchid (Calochilus platychilus).

The green to brown flowers have long, hairy lip with purplish stripes that looks like a beard on a face.

purple beard flowers that looks like a beard on human faces
Purple beard flower is a herbaceous perennial plant that blooms in late spring to early fall with spikes of purple tubular flowers.

Albeit not rare as Ghost Orchids, Purple Beard is relatively rare that produces beard-like flowers in the Spring and Summer.

Besides the appearance where the beard grows about 0.1 inches long, the flower has a sweet floral scent.

6. Hooker’s Lips Flower

Another extravagant plant with flowers that looks like faces or facial features is Hooker’s Lips or Hot Lips plant.

The plant earned its name thanks to its distinctive red bracts that look like a pair of human lips.

hot lips flowers that looks like lips of human faces
Hot lips flower is a perennial sage with bicolor flowers that bloom from early summer to frost.

Also known as the Kissy plant (Psychotria elata), it is a popular tropical plant.

The pair of lips that look exactly like human lips are not flowers but a bract of the plant. But the flowers are relatively small and white, lying inside the bract.

Editor’s Note

Some Flowers That Look Like Birds!

To make the plant mimicry more uncanny, there are flowers that look like birds in flight besides the ones like faces.

Such plants include the Bird of Paradise, Parrot Flower, Dove Orchid, Flying Duck Orchid, and White Egret Orchid.

Enjoy and Happy Gardening! 

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