Florists and botanists can have a sense of humour too! Here are some flowers with funny names that might help you take your mind off things for just a few minutes.

While the origins of these nicknames are not always clear to biological historians, we hope you can take the time to have a good laugh at the crude, absurd, and frankly silly that generations of plant enthusiasts have given to some species or genera of flowers.

1. Sneezewort (Achillea Ptarmica)

Sneezewort is a perennial plant in the Asteraceae family. The word "sneezewort" refers to its leaves, which are reportedly used by Native Americans as an herbal remedy for colds and stuffy noses.

Sneezewort can grow up to 18 inches and has clusters of flowers with white or dark purple centers. The flowers bloom from June through September.

The flowers never have more than six petals per flower head, but sometimes they have very oddly shaped ones.

They also make a special appearance in Harry Potter! The sneezewort is used in Confusing and Befuddlement draughts, as they have a strong bewildering effect on the brain.

Surprisingly enough, that’s not actually true in reality, though they smell absolutely delicious!

2. Sticky willy (Galium Aparine)

As a child, you might have enjoyed playing with ‘stickyweed’ or ‘the Velcro plant’ or ‘grab grass’, slapping it on other people’s clothing and in their hair, or desperately trying to remove it if we were not so lucky. I certainly did!

But what you may not have known as a child is one of the alternative nicknames the Galium aparine plant has… which is sticky willy.

The meaning of this is not deliberately crude, rather Willie is a nickname for the English version of the plant’s Latin scientific name, Galium.

3. Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria Trifasciata)

Sansevieria trifasciata, or mother-in-law's tongue, is the name given to a perennial flowering plant belonging to the genus Sansevieria. There are several plants that are called "mother-in-law's tongue". The Sansevieria genus is indigenous to Africa, which means none are similar in appearance. Other notable members of the group include the snake plant, golden snakeroot and mealycup sage.

Mother-in-Law's Tongue is one African plant among many that have been given this name as it resembles an older woman with long hair. This similarity has led to it being linked in superstition with feminine wisdom.

So Sansevieria trifasciata would therefore make a lovely, alternative Mother’s Day gift. Sansevieria plants are also very popular houseplants – we sell sansevieria houseplants online as well, take a look!

4. Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos Flavidus)

Anigozanthos flavidus are native to Australia, they flower during late winter, and have composite flowers. These flowers consist of the three outer petals that form a partially overlapping collar-like structure around the central lobe that looks like an opening "flower bud".

When viewed from the side it resembles a kangaroo's paw when all five toes appear together in front of you. There is at least one common variety that is named 'Kangaroos Paw' for this reason.

5. Corpse flower (Titan Arum)

The Titan Arum is called the Corpse flower because it emits a gas that smells somewhat like death.

The name corpse flower derives from the strong rotting smell emitted by this plant, a "foul" smells reminiscent of carrion or other animal carcasses. The scent attracts pollinating flies and beetles to serve as vectors for pollination but can also stink up an entire house if some of these flowers are not nearby, so they do not have to endure the full brunt of their odour.

It is often referred to as the most potent plant on earth.

According to one report, a single bloom in Chicago was said capable of delivering its malodorous payload for up to five hours at distances over 200 ft.

6. Turkey Corn (Dicentra Eximia)

Dicentra eximia, also known as turkey-corn or squirrel corn, is a dicot genus in the plant family Asparagaceae.

Originally from Eastern Asia, this species can now be found worldwide. The specific epithet "eximia" means “choice” and was given because of the abundant showy hybrids it produces.

The flowers are bell-shaped with five petals which can either have violet or white stripes; they are frequently yellow cream streaked with a deep brown border along their edges.

The long spadix bears lots of tiny flowers that pyramid up at the top like those on simple Japanese ivies (Abutilon Palmeri).

7. American skunk cabbage (Lysichiton Americanus)

American skunk cabbage, also called turkeybush or swamp lantern, is a plant native to wet areas in North America. There is an oral history for how the name "skunk cabbage" originated.

Native Americans in New England named it "sunkeu kuke" which literally translated to "skunk's—or weasel's—head."

The leaf cells have a musky odor reminiscent of some mammals (particularly skunks) and these leaves are excreted upward into water during rains.

8. Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga Quadriradiata)

Alinsoga Quadriradiata is a flowering plant that is native to South America and parts of Central America.

"Galinsoga" comes from the South American pseudonym for the Spanish slang word for Spanish soldiers (galo) plus Dutch soldier (soda).

Much like other common garden plants, the Shaggy Soldier is grown for its attractive flower head rather than its edible parts. It is also sometimes grown for medicinal purposes as being astringent (shrinking tissues) can help soothe irritated skin.

9. Swamp Lousewort (Pedicularis Lanceolata)

Pedicularis lanceolata is a flowering plant native to many regions of the world. It’s more commonly called the Swamp Lousewort, though, because all parts of this plant are toxic, and because of the belief that livestock grazing on the plant would get louse.

It has a beautiful purple flower and was traditionally applied externally to relieve pain and itchiness from insect bites.

10. Bastard Toadflax (Comandra Umbellata)

Comandra umbellatais called Bastard toadflax because it interbreeds with other plants in the genus, and because the plant's root sap contains a substance that burns slightly when swallowed.

These plants typically have bunches of pink flowers and small leaves; they can grow up to two feet tall.

It’s native to Europe and North America, but has been introduced to other regions including Australia, New Zealand, and China. Bastard Toadflax can be found in moist meadows, riverbanks, shady woods, and gardens.

11. Adder’s Tongue Spearwort (Ranunculus Ophioglossifolius)

The flowers of the Ranunculus ophioglossifolius grow up to about six inches in diameter and are clustered together with leaves up to two feet long.

This type of spearwort is often called buttercup flower. The name "adder's tongue" comes from the scarlet tongue-shaped mark on the top of the leaves. The shape is like a snake tongue and can easily be mistaken for an added.

In some stories, it was simply the colour of the plant snake-like beast, while others told of poisonous saliva being on its surface.

12. Mad Dog Skullcap (Scutellaria Lateriflora)

We cannot always be 100% sure why some plants have odd nicknames – the mad dog skullcap is an example of that.

Scutellaria lateriflora is a North American plant commonly known as skullcap or mad dog skullcap.

Some people believe the name "mad dog skullcap" came from its draught-resisting properties and because the combination of bitter-scented leaves with orange flowers might invoke a sense of canine madness.

The plant is best known for being made into a lovely herbal tea that is said to ease headaches.

13. Goat's Rue (Galega Officinalis)

Galega Officinalis is classified as a creeping perennial herb that can reach up to 0.3 meters in height and has either pink or blue flowers with white centers.

Again, nobody is entirely sure where the nickname comes from, but some think that it was called as such because it warded off evil spirits, and there are other folk beliefs that say that the leaves help pigs' milk production and taste like garlic.

Another theory is that it is nicknamed as such because of the scent of the leaves, which smell like a goat's wet fur.

14. Butter and Eggs (Yellow Toadflax)

Yellow toadflax, also called butter and eggs, is an herbaceous perennial plant.

It most probably got its delicious-sounding nickname because of the white, round seeds resembling eggs and the yellow flowers that give it a buttery colour. Essentially, its named after its appearance – just don’t cook with it! While it doesn’t taste fantastic, it is quite common for digestive and urinary tract disorders.

Yellow Toadflax is considered a weed in many places, as it looks like a weed with bright yellow leaves resembling buttercups. The leaf shape and flower petal arrangement are like those of mayweed, but they are not identical.

In French, its common name is herbe au grand couchant (herb of the sunset).

Conclusion

We hope this list has given you some cause for cheer. It truly is incredible the range of nicknames people come up with for different species or genus of flower. We also have a wide range of (slightly more conventionally named!) flowers available in our wonderful selection of bouquets. All our products are available for Birmingham flower delivery, and next-day delivery in the UK, with a 2pm cut-off for customers wishing to utilise this service.