Springtime is here. The earth is waking up from its months-long sleep. Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips have begun to show themselves above the soil. Beautiful colors catch the eye, and the scents bring a sense of calm. Soon, petunias, marigolds, gardenias, daisies, dandelions, roses, and so many other flowers and plants will break through the surface and be added to the calliope of color and scent.
Many of these miracles of God’s creation are familiar to us, but what about other less seen, even exotic flowers and plants—also marvels of God’s handiwork? Let’s look at just a few.
Monkey Orchid
The Dracula simia, is more commonly known as the monkey orchid. Its most interesting feature is that it looks like a monkey’s face. There are several different faces. Its colorful blooms and strong orange-like fragrance make it an excellent pollinator plant. The flower is native to North America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
White Egret Orchid
The Habenaria radiata looks like a white egret in flight, its long neck stretched forward and wings extended. This orchid is native to Japan, Korea, Russia, and China.
Hot Lips Plant
The Psychotria elata is a tropical plant from the rainforests of Central and South America. Its flower is uninteresting, but its bracts—modified or specialized leaves—are bright red and resemble puckered human lips. It grows as a shrub or small tree. It is found in Central and South America, particularly in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama. It requires soil that is rich and humic from leaf litter, and requires partial shade. The plant is a traditional anti-inflammatory medicine used by the Amazon people in the treatment of arthritis and infertility.
Swaddled Babies Orchid
The Anguloa uniflora—the tulip orchid—looks like tiny babies wrapped up in a blanket inside the flower. Botanists Antonio Pavon Jimenez and Hipolito Ruiz Lopez discovered the flower during a ten-year expedition from 1777 to 1788 in Chile and Peru. This small orchid blooms in spring and is extremely fragrant. It prefers elevated regions like the Andes of South America—Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Happy Alien Flower
The Calceolaria uniflora was discovered in South America by Charles Darwin. It resembles a tiny orange penguin walking on the rocks. The flower is a combination of yellow, white, and brownish red. It originated in Tierra del Fuego in the southern part of South America.
Skeleton Flowers
The Diphylleia grayi is a perennial plant native to northern and central Japan. The flower is white, but when it comes into contact with water, the petals become transparent, which is how it became known as the skeleton flower. However, once it dries out, the petals become white again.
Only God could create such diverse, intricate plants using a rainbow of colors.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6
“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ ” Revelation 5:13
Sources: balconygardenweb.com/plants-or-flowers-that-look-like-things; wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphylleia_grayi; gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hot-lips-plant/what-is-hot-lips-plant, accessibility: February 2025