Not everyone is a botanist, and sometimes the only thing you can do is stare at a plant wondering what on earth it is.
Luckily for us, the internet is ready to help. The subreddit r/whatsthisplant is a place where us clueless folk upload photos of mystery greenery to get IDs. The 490K-strong community jumps in, often sharing more than just a name—they add care tips, mention quirky features, and never criticize you for asking questions.
Not every living being can introduce themselves, so it’s nice that others can do it for them.
#1 I Thought You Would All Enjoy This Chimera Rose, My Friends Parents Have A Red Rose Bush Where On One Particular Branch It Blooms These Beauties
Plant geneticist here!
1 Nice rose!
2 I bet this was caused by a somatic mutation, specifically a transposon (jumping gene) inserting near something that activates color in petals (a transcription factor or anthocyanin gene). The unevenness could be due to variable epigenetic silencing of that region to keep the transposon from jumping again. The same mechanism causes striped flowers in petunias and morning glories.
Anyway, I think it’s cool from a professional standpoint and wanted to share. 🙂
Image source: dishsoapalmighty
#2 Growing Corn In My Garden And Thought My Corn Was Growing Rocks. What In The World Is This!?
Corn smut. It’s an infection. Totally edible though. As a matter of fact in Mexico it’s called huitlacoche and it’s considered a delicacy
Image source: s0njc
#3 Noticed This Thing Popped Up In Front My Window About A Week Ago And It Keeps Getting Bigger. I Don’t Know What It Is, We’ve Had This Plant For 5 Years And It’s Never Done This Before
Agave only flower once–one absolutely giant asparagus-like flower stalk–and then die. It will make many little pups though.
Image source: TheNarcissisticNobod
#4 This Plant Is Not Dead! I’ve Had It For Years And It Has Neither Died Nor Grown. The “Branches” Are Not Particularly Woody Or Stiff, At Least Not As Much As They Look. What Is It?!
It’s dead. It’s been dead for years.
What exactly makes you think it’s alive? It’s not green, it doesn’t grow.
Image source: BuriedComments
#5 What Is This Spectacular Yellow And Pink Tree?
Looks like a Redbud to me, too. I’ve never seen one with so many blossoms coming directly from the bark like that. A few, but not such dense clusters. Very pretty.
By the way, those pretty golden newborn leaves will be regular ol’ green leaves in a few days.
Image source: BenevolentCheese
#6 What Is My Sunflower Doing?
A sunflower is actually made up of a bunch of individual flowers of 2 different types. The petals around the outside are called ray flowers. The middle is made up of many disk flowers. This one just has a few ray flowers where there would normally be disk flowers.
Image source: notgingerbutnotred
#7 Moved In To This House Last Fall. I Mowed My Grass 5 Days Ago… And This Plant Sprouted Out Of No Where. 3 Of Them, And This Is The Biggest
Asparagus
Image source: Lana-Next-Door
#8 Not Looking For The Tree, Wondering What The Lump Is
Congratulations, it’s a burl!
Image source: -Glowl
#9 Beautiful Picture My Friend Sent Me To Identify
Santa Rita prickly pear
Image source: mixed-episodes
#10 Watching A Friend’s Plants And Noticed A Nasty Smell In My Kitchen. It’s Coming From This Thing That Just Flowered, What Is It?
Stapelia lol
They smell bad because they attract flies as pollinators
Image source: baconwitch00
#11 What’s This Curly Cactus?
Cereus forbesii cv Spiralis
and that is a stunning specimen of it.
Image source: black_rose_
#12 My So’s Mother Has This Magnificent Plant, But She Couldn’t Identify It. Can Anyone Help?houseplant Is Located In North Carolina
This woman grew the most epic fiddle leaf fig anyone has ever seen and has the audacity to not even know what it’s called?
Image source: glowphotosglow
#13 Just Caught 5 Y/O Son Eating One Of These Berries, Made Him Spit It Out Soon As I Saw, ID Please? Located In East Sussex, UK!
This plant has been identified as Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna.) OP’s son ate some of the fruit, experienced mild poisoning symptoms and was treated by a local emergency room. The child is now ok. The doctor commented that the child was lucky he did not consume more of the fruit. This occurred in the UK.
This demonstrates the importance of not eating random plants you find in the wild and keeping an eye on children around wild plants. This isn’t always an easy task so you should be prepared.
If in doubt, call poison control for advice (link below to all poison control phone numbers worldwide.) If you’re unable to talk to anyone on the phone, take the person or animal who has ingested the plant material straight to the doctor/emergency room or vet/emergency vet.
Post here to get an ID from the community, but do not wait for an ID as time is critical in cases of poisoning. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.
Note: It is important to note that you should NOT induce vomiting if you think a poison has been consumed. There is a risk of choking on vomit, and plants can sometimes be toxic in a caustic way, meaning you will cause more damage by vomiting. Always let medical professionals make the decision whether to induce vomiting.
Image source: reddit.com
#14 Unedited Photo. Deepest Must Vibrant Purple I Have Ever Seen In Nature. What Is This Little Guy (Flowers Are A Penny In Diameter Or Less)
Blue lobelia
Image source: GnarlsGnarlington
#15 What Plant Is This? It Has Pink Flowers… I Was Curious To Whether My Neighbours Are Growing Opium
Opium poppy, but plenty of people grow them as ornamentals
Image source: OutlandishnessOk3735
#16 Should I Keep This In The Garden?
Monk’s Hood – Aconitum genus
In the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Aka Wolf’s Bane
Image source: ramakharma
#17 Help
Spiral Aloe, Aloe polyphylla
Image source: Pretty-Initiative630
#18 Little Plant Growing Where My Cat Was Buried
If it is indeed fleabane
Image source: juhbekky
#19 Found Sitting Alone On A Bed Of Moss In The Middle Of The Woods
A red trillium! Nice find.
Image source: okaysureyep
#20 My Sweet Kind Neighbors Who Dont Speak English Very Well Gave Me This… Squash? Because It Was Growing On My Side Of The Fence. Any Help?
It’s a long bottle gourd.
Image source: poisonivy4444
#21 What Is This Grape-Like Vine Thing Growing Over My Fence In New Zealand?
Grapes
Image source: arheff
#22 A Strange Big Plant
That is 💯 giant hogweed. Observe from a distance only. DO NOT TOUCH!
Image source: Accomplished-Yak7289
#23 Found In A Small Body Of Mossy Water Just Underneath A Statue, Slimy Texture And Burst When Slightly Pressed
Wow! So many people have never seen frog eggs yet keep saying that’s what these are. The biggest giveaway that these are not frog eggs is that there are no baby frogs in them!
This is a type of freshwater cynanobacteria, much like the common bubble algae that people get in their reef tanks.
Image source: AntonioGarzaHi123
#24 Seen In Santa Monica, CA. I Couldn’t Get Any Closer But It Looks Gorgeous!!
It’s probably a Bougainvillea.
Image source: arkwl
#25 Please Help Identify I’m In Love
its a bougainvillea
Image source: Biogirl0322
#26 What’s This Purple Guy? Found Hiking Near The Hollywood Sign. Super Cool Shape And Color:
Datura
Image source: rossblanket
#27 This Strange Thing In My Onion Field
Egyptian walking onions do this.
They get heavy and fall over, planting themselves
Image source: Clear_Rise_5005
#28 Lived Here 3 Years And Never Saw This Before
Morel Mushroom, Morchella sp.
Image source: comicconnie
#29 Strange Round ‘Fruit’ With Stringy Latexy Insides – Pic Of Tree In Comment
Sodom Apple?
Do not eat.
Image source: blippyj
#30 BF Bought “Venus Fly Trap” Seeds From Temu, Wtf Is This ?
Celosia, this one has a crested flower, so could end up as a cockscomb
Image source: queenmarimeoww
#31 Identify This Plant? A 6years Old Boy Ate Some Berries And Currently Developing Seizures And Is At Emergency
Tanner’s tree (Coriaria nepalensis) maybe? “Toxicity : All parts of tanner’s tree are toxic, containing coriamyrtine. Ingestion leads to severe symptoms like seizures and death.”
Image source: Middle-Chemistry810
#32 Cut Open A Peach And There Was An Almond Inside?
Peaches and almonds are related. Do Not Eat Peach Seeds!!!
Image source: KingofCam
#33 Whats Is The Name Of This Plant?
Aglaonema pictum Tricolor cultivar
Araceae family
Image source: reddit.com
#34 What Is This Fruit My Friend’s Mom Handed To Me?
No offense intended but, where are you from that you don’t know this is a pear?
Image source: reddit.com
#35 Very General White Flowers.. All Help Is Appreciated!
I put it through google lens, looks like Saxifraga Findling.
Variety or Cultivar ‘Findling’ _ ‘Findling’ is a low, cushion- to mound-forming, evergreen perennial with rosettes of small, oval to spoon-shaped, mid-green leaves and short stems bearing cup-shaped, white flowers from mid- to late spring.
Image source: distinct–shuffle
#36 This Thing Made A Popping Sound And Launched Out If The Tree
Looks like a Morinda citrifolia fruit, also known as noni. They are edible, but smell and taste horrible. It’s famine food and a common ingredient in scam super juices.
Image source: boxfullofirony
#37 The Pups Keep Digging These Up In The Yard. It Smells Like Garlic And Onions But Not In A Good Way. My First Guess Was Truffles But My Plant ID App Says It’s A Fungus
Truffles are fungi.
Image source: imgotcheese
#38 Found In Ventura, CA. Anyone Know What This Is?
Geraldton Carnationweed, Carnation Spurge (Euphorbia terracina) I believe.
Image source: Wilmoire
#39 My Friend Took A Bite, I Said Not To
Rose hips. The fruits of a rose plant
Image source: BecomeTheMeme
#40 What Flower Is This? Is It Real?
RuiYunDian Chrysanthemum. Google showed me similar images when I typed in “flower that looks like icing.”
Image source: Acceptable_Link_6546
#41 What’s This Trippy Fella Called? Found This In A Group Post On Facebook. No Details Including Location
Rising Sun Redbud
There was a post on r/mildlyinteresting featuring one of these about a year ago. Cool trees, I’ve never seen one IRL.
Image source: Release1975
#42 What Plant Is This, Street In Jerez, Spain
Those are common grape vines, Vitis vinifera. I think there’s a winery at that place.
Image source: krup_z
#43 Found The Most Intricate Flower I’ve Ever Seen Today In A Regular Roadside Bush
Passionflower. They’re very distinctive!
Image source: ThatMarionberry5465
#44 What Is This? Smells Like A Dumpster
Dracunculus vulgaris
Image source: anonymousamonite
#45 Found This Growing Voluntarily Over My Dogs Grave
Claytonia virginica
Image source: JoRHawke
#46 Just Spent An Hour Mowing This, It’s Not Poison Ivy Right Guys? 🙂
Looks like it to me. You should take a good shower with dish washing detergent and scrub every exposed inch of skin to get any oil off. Wash clothing with hot water and grease cutting detergent. The shoes may be a goner. Hopefully you’re immune, but others in your household might not be and they can definitely get a rash from contaminated items. Good luck.
Image source: Jgwood99
#47 What Is This Fruit? Tastes Like Nintendo Cartridge
Devils Apple. A species of Nightshade. Toxic.
Image source: Kreamhood
#48 What Are These? The Devils Testicles? I Stepped On One With My Bare Heel And My Life Flashed Before My Eyes
Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua seed pods.
Image source: cookiemonstrosity54
#49 From The Japanese Garden In Singapore
Judging by the super pink flower in the blurry back this is probably just lotus. Nelumbo nucifera.
Image source: blabgasm
#50 Found This On A Stroll In Vancouver
monkey puzzle tree
Image source: Trail_Blaze_R
#51 What Are These Beach Flowers? Ignore The Elephant Seal
Looks like ice plant.
Image source: VacuousVoid
#52 Tree In My Neighborhood That I Have Been Wondering About
Caribbean tree cactus!
And one of the largest, oldest and most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen even online. this thing is absolutely awe inspiring
Image source: cl4ptpbot321
#53 Pulled These Out Of My Dogs Armpit, What Is This?
Nassella leucotricha. It’s a species of speargrass. It is engineered to spin itself with changes in humidity, which will self plant in soil. It will do something similar in fur.
Image source: Previous_Remote_6892
#54 Look What They Did To My Boy. .
Sometimes I see this type of damage when a caterpillar ate a hole through leaves before they unfurled. The inner leaves have smaller holes bc it didn’t eat all the way through-
Image source: ExtraRaw
#55 Who Is This Pretty Weirdo?
Looks like Papaver somniferum
Image source: wandering__rat
#56 Young Son Decided To Plant Something Random In A Bucket. We’ve Been Watering It But Have No Idea What It Is
Solanum nigrum complex aka black nightshade
Image source: BobblesMagee
#57 What Is This Heavenly Smelling Thing?
Pocket melon.
In 19th century upper class ladies would keep one in their handbags at festivies.
Rich Sweetness is a common variety. This one is probably a Queen Anne’s.
Image source: Impossibum
#58 Saw This On My Walk To The Library. They’re So Bright. What The Heck?
Beauty berry, popular with birds in winter
Image source: smarsapan
#59 What Are These Pointy Cone Things Growing In My Garden?
Those look like newly emerged bamboo canes. Did you recently move into this house?
Image source: imleekingout
#60 What’s This Blue Thing?
Blue Roundhead mushroom, Stropharia caerulea
Image source: SalmonSammySamSam
#61 What’s Wrong With This Pineapple?
I have never seen a fasciated pineapple. So cool!!
Image source: sinsamantha
#62 Vine With Weird Spiky Fruit [north Brisbane, Queensland, Australia]
Bitter melon or bitter gourd. Raw fruit is A staple in Indian cuisine, turns yellow/orange when ripe and the thin flesh around the seeds is sweet.
Image source: GHOULminy
#63 My Buddy Just Ate Some Of This Weird Fruit In Northern California. He Said His Stomach Feels Fine And It Just Tasted “Un Ripe”
looks like osage orange, aka nature’s softball lol
your friend should be fine but obviously isn’t too bright
Image source: Dump_Bucket_Supreme
#64 Came Across The Most Detailed Flower I’ve Ever Seen Today Growing On A Simple Roadside Bush
passion flower
Image source: Global_Palpitation90
#65 Found Near The Arkansas/Oklahoma Border! Emits A Pinkish/Purple Gas/Mist When Touched
It’s a fungus. Puffball
Image source: patar365
#66 Need Some Help Iding These Blue Flowers That Look Like Tiny Wizards
It’s called Corydalis, from mountains of China originally! It’s perennial so enjoy for years!
Image source: twilson1209
#67 Are These Blueberries? Found Near A Mica Deposit In New Brunswick, Canada
Oh, it’s actually blueberries.. crazy
Image source: somefishingdude
#68 It Looks Like An Orchid. What Is It?
I call them Johnny Jump Ups because my father always did. But yes, violas.
Image source: melocotonn_
#69 What’s This Bush?
Smoke bush
Image source: ColourMeCrazyDoctor
#70 What Is This Alien Looking Flower?
Looks like a bromeliad, Puya.
Image source: Luckydog12
#71 Wife Found This Online, No Context, And Wants Me To Get One
Let your wife know that AI plants are a huge scam online right now.
Blue Japanese Maple’s do not exist.
Nor do flowers that look like cats.
You can get her a cyclamen but its going to look more like the ones in this article.
Image source: Wabisabiharv
#72 What Is This Flower Seen In Paris
The cultivar is called Bumble Rumble!
Image source: ThunderyIndigo
#73 Got A Package Delivered To Me In My Name Today But I Didn’t Order Anything
Resurrection plant maybe?
Image source: CarefulWhatUWishFor
#74 Did I Just Pull Out Poison Ivy With My Bare Hands?
Boston ivy.
Image source: zebrazebras
#75 Is This Poison Ivy?? It’s Everywhere
As others have stated, it is almost certainly poison ivy. I wanted to add that you should absolutely NOT burn it as it will atomize the irritant and can then get into your lungs and eyes. Also, if you kill it with chemicals, it can still irritate your skin after it is dead.
Image source: Audi2slow
#76 My Buddy From Portugal Sent Me This Photo. What Is This Plant?!
Metrosideros excelsa, commonly known as Pohutukawa in New Zealand.
Image source: MonkeyOnMushrooms
#77 Inherited This Plant From My Dad. He’s Since Passed Away And I Can’t Remember What He Said It Was
Haemanthus albiflos (Paintbrush Lily).
Image source: donteyeballmegandhi
#78 What Are These Rainbow Berries
Porcelain berry, related to grapes and highly invasive in some places. The berries are technically edible, but aren’t considered desirable to eat due to lack of flavor and slimy texture (according to the internet, never tried them myself).
Image source: rashad_juwan
#79 I Guess I Don’t Really Care What It Is Just Saw This On My Hike And Thought It Looked Cool!
Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa)
Image source: MeganopolisOkayCool
#80 What Is This Leaf That I Took From A Botanical Garden?
Looks like a Coccoloba. Lots of species in that genus, but the closest I’m familiar with is Coccoloba pubescens.
Image source: Piputi
