Plants that look like birds may be grown inside or outdoors to add to the beauty of your home’s interior or outdoor garden. However, due to their unique properties, you cannot cultivate all bird-like plants found across the globe in your home area.
We have compiled this list of plants that resemble birds to help you learn more about them and choose the perfect plant for your garden or inside.
JUMP TO TOPIC
List of Plants that Look Like Birds
1. Yulan Magnolia
The Yulan Magnolias of the Magnoliaceae family, also known as Lily Trees, go by the botanical name Magnolia Denudata. It is a little Magnolia genus plant that is native to China, and it produces some of the most gorgeous flowers that can be seen anywhere in specific areas. When you first take a glance at this plant, you would not assume that it is a Lily Tree, as it does not resemble a bird at all.
However, why do yulan magnolia look like birds that answer is simply because if you look more closely at its flowers, the more you will see that there’s a bird perched on a limb there.
This plant has huge, upright, cup-shaped flowers that, just before they open their petals, take on the appearance of teeny-tiny birds that has their wings resting on the sides. Around four thousand years ago, this plant was most likely the first Magnolia to be grown.
Magnolia Denudata is well-known for having gorgeous flowers that are completely white. You may adorn your lawn with single-trunked or multi-stemmed or Magnolia Denudata to add a touch of class and elegance.
This plant is known for producing an exceptionally lovely atmosphere in the yard, or in the garden. However, at the early part of its growth phase, the Magnolia Denudata has a propensity to grow upward, but as it grows older, it broadens out and becomes even more rounded.
This plant is perfect for creating a spring garden decor tree that can be placed on your patio or yard. Magnolia Denudata is the progenitor of a number of cultivars, some of which are more well-known than others, because of the graceful appearance that they have.
2. Crane-fly Orchid
The Crane-Fly Orchid is also referred to as the Crippled Crane-Fly. The scientific name for this plant is Tipularia Discolor, and it is classified as a perennial woodland orchid that grows on land and is a member of the family Orchidaceae. This particular species of plant is the sole member of the genus Tipularia that may be seen in North America.
On the other hand, it may even be discovered in sporadic locations all over the Southeastern regions of the United States. This plant is simple to identify in the wild owing to the fact that its inflorescences are of plain color and its leaves are quite unique. The upper surface of the leaves has a dull to lustrous green color, while the undersides are purple.
The flowering stem of this plant may reach a height of up to 22 inches, is herbaceous in appearance, is smooth and upright, and has a greenish-brown coloration.
Crane-fly Orchids are most often discovered in the wet, humus-rich soils of deciduous woods along creek terraces and slopes, as well as in locations with somewhat acidic soils such as oak-pine forests.
The Moths are the most important pollinators for Crane-Fly Orchids, because a number of pollinaria may be found in the blooms of several orchids. This orchid has specialized structures called pollinium that carry pollen inside of them.
Moths visit the flower, where pollinaria attach themselves to the insect’s eyes. The moth then transports the pollen to the location that has been predetermined for it.
3. Bird of Paradise
This list would be incomplete without listing the famous Bird of Paradise plants, botanically known as Strelitzia Reginae, and the white-colored one is called strelitzia Nicolai.
The narrow-Leafed Bird of Paradise which is also known as Strelitzia Juncea, is a variety of Birds of Paradise. This is a native South African plant. It has huge leaves and brightly colored flowers that resemble some type of exotic bird.
As a result, it was given the moniker Bird of Paradise. Furthermore, because of its distinctive form, the Bird of Paradise Flower is also known as the Crane Flower.
While Bird of Paradise is noted for its vivid blue or orange flowers, they may also be blue and white or simply white. Its leaves may grow up to twenty feet tall in the wilds of Southern Africa.
However, whether planted inside your house or in your yard, it is more likely to grow to a height of four to nine feet. If you wish to grow it inside your home, choose a location away from drafts and air vents with a minimum of four hours of western, eastern, and southern exposure.
Though Bird of Paradise may flourish in medium-light situations, it will not develop well in the long term if not given adequate sunshine. As a result, we always recommend putting it in direct sunlight.
4. Bird Head Orchid
The Birds Head Orchid plant originated in Southeast Asia. Because this plant was difficult to cultivate from seed, it was formerly highly costly and scarce. However, since the Birds Head Orchid is no longer difficult to cultivate, it is now one of the most renowned flower plants worldwide.
If you look at it closely, especially at the flowers of this plant, you will detect a dove dropping upon something below. It’s a one-of-a-kind orchid species with flowers that look a lot like a head of a bird and also a moth.
For this purpose, it is known as the Moth Orchid. From a perspective, this plant resembles a hovering moth, but up close, you can see the head of a bird protecting the nectar.
The Birds Head Orchid grows well on a window sill or ledge. It has a robust root system and may bloom all year long. It grows best in temperatures ranging from 70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also adjust to temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Furthermore, Bird Head Orchid plants require low light levels and high humidity levels of 60 percent to 70 percent. At the same time, they may adapt effectively to the common low humidity levels inside the house. Even though this orchid needs a lot of water, overwatering may cause the roots to rot.
5. White Egret Orchid
The scientific name for the White Egret Flower is Habenaria Radiata, but it is more generally known as Fringed Orchids.
This plant is indigenous to Japan, Korea, and Russia. This plant is quite sophisticated and lovely in appearance, and that is because it is very similar to the appearance of a flying white bird called an egret, it was given that name.
In spite of how it is not as well-known as some of the other flora out there, you should still go check it out. Within the Araceae family of plants, this flower is among the most well-known of all of its fellow members.
The long stems of this beautiful plant are long and thin, and they give rise to long vines that develop from a crown of leaves in the center of the plant.
This Orchid is a robust plant that may be found in a variety of habitats, including upland bogs, seepage slopes, coastal strand vegetation, wetland marshes, hardwood scrub, coastal dune swales, hardwood hammocks, cypress domes, grassy wetlands, wet pinewoods.
It has the potential and the ability to reach a height of around one foot and yield huge flowers that are 1.5 inches across.
However, what you must know is that unfortunately, cultivating this flower requires a great deal of perseverance and attention to detail; nonetheless, if you have an interest in rare and exotic flowers, this plant might be your next point of interest.
What you must know is that this plant’s lengthy blooming season starts in September and lasts all the way until the end of the year, as it is an annual plant.
You may often find this orchid growing on a tree limb that is situated rather high off the ground. This plant may be found growing in the wild on rocks that are located at the water’s edge or on trees that dangle over bodies of water.
6. Flying Duck Orchid
The Flying Duck orchid, whose scientific name is Caleana Major, is indigenous to Australia. It grows flowers that are exactly like flying ducks.
Because of its symbiotic association with a particular fungus that is only present in Australia, notably in the eucalyptus woods of Southern and Eastern Australia, it is notable that this plant is highly prevalent in Australia.
A symbiotic connection implies that the Flying Duck and the fungus both need each other to exist and flourish, as it grows up to 20 inches long.
This is the main cause of this plant’s absence from the international market. visiting Australia is the only opportunity to view this stunning shrub in person. Outside of Australia, many plant lovers have attempted to cultivate this beautiful but unusual plant.
But none have been successful. The beautiful flowers of this orchid have developed to entice male sawflies, who are misled into believing the flowers are female sawflies. Although they are not pollinators, sawflies are nonetheless crucial for the survival of this orchid’s flowers.
7. The Dove Orchid
This plant, also known by its scientific name, the Peristeria Elata Orchid, is a kind of orchid. Panama is home to this stunning and elusive plant that is unique to the country.
On the other hand, you must also note that it may also be seen in Venezuela and Ecuador. Dove Orchid is the common name for this plant because the shape of its flowers is found to resemble a dove flying down.
Flor del Espiritu Santo, Flower of the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost Orchid, and Holy Trinity Orchid, are some of the other names that are given to this orchid for the same reason, although they do sound out of the blue, but they all have to do with how it looks.
It is possible for its inflorescences to reach heights of up to three feet and include more than a dozen flowers. The flowers start to appear between the end of summer which is almost the beginning of October.
However, it may take many months for the spikes to achieve their full maturity. These plants are often found to be flourishing at or very near the ground among rich humus material and decaying plants.
They may also be seen growing in rotting wood. This plant thrives best in warm-to-hot growth settings that maintain temperatures of at least 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the whole growing season.
You should supply it with low to medium light while it is a seedling, but as it grows, providing it with strong indirect light will considerably aid in its development. You must make sure that you give it the appropriate amount of water as it is developing. You must take care, however, not to let the soil around its roots grow dry for a lengthy amount of time.
8. Western Bearded Greenhood
This plant is also known as Pterostylis Barbata according to its scientific name and it is indigenous to the Southwestern region of Australia.
It grows well in wooded areas and woods, often forming dense mats or clusters in the leaf litter of Casuarina trees. This is a widespread species that may be found in the Darling Range close to Perth.
It is most often found between Albany in the US and Bindoon in Australia. The Swan Coastal Plain, the Warren Biogeographic Regions, the Esperance Plains, the Jarrah Forest, and the Avon Wheatbelt are all included in its range.
At its base, it has a ring of leaves arranged in a rosette pattern. From the center of its base emerges a solitary, transparent white flower.
That particular flower has some dark green patterns on it, which give it the appearance of a bird perched on a stem, and they would simply attract birds with their graceful shape. This herb is a terrestrial perennial that sheds its leaves in the fall and comes with a tuber that grows underground.
The deep green leaves with the lighter regions may reach a maximum length of two inches and a width of half an inch. On a blooming stem that is ten inches tall, there is often a single flower that is three inches long and one and a half inches broad.
9. Bird’s Mouth Orchid
The Bird’s Mouth Orchid is a species of orchid that is endemic to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. It is known by the name Orthoceras Strictum in the botanical world. It may produce up to nine flowers and can have up to five leaves that grow in a straight line from its base.
These flowers often have hues that are described as blackish, brownish, and yellowish-green. This plant seems to look like a young bird that is awaiting nourishment from its parents, and this is due to the plant’s peculiar coloring and form. This is where the term Bird’s Mouth Orchid came from, by the way.
It is also known by the name Horned Orchid on occasion. The Bird’s Mouth Orchid plant may be found all over the world, although it is most common in Victoria, New Caledonia, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland. It is able to make a successful living in a diverse selection of environments, from heathlands to grassy woods.
10. Green Bird Flower
The Green Birdflower plant is more properly known by its biological name, Crotalaria Cunninghamii.
It is also known as Parrot Pea, Birdflower Ratulpo, and Regal Birdflower. Sand dunes, deserts, coastlands, and drainage lines of Western Australia, as well as some sections of the Northern region of the nation, are its natural habitats.
It is a member of the Fabaceae family, which is classified as a legume family, and it has a rather short lifespan for a perennial plant.
This plant looks like a bunch of hummingbirds who have flown in to eat some flowers. This plant is really a shrub that may grow to be about ten feet tall and about six feet broad as it matures.
At the start of the summer, this plant produces flowers that resemble a bird. In addition, dry pods develop underneath the flowers. You can use this plant to get rid of physical conditions such as headaches, earaches, and eye infections. This plant is also well-known for its therapeutic benefits.
Honeyeaters and bees are the primary agents of pollination for this flower. Birds are one of the animals that the plant might sometimes draw in.
Hummingbirds, in particular, are drawn to them, as they come and rest upon these gorgeous flowers. The “Mangarr Plant” is the name given to it by local people who go by the name “Nyangumarta Warrarn.”
11. Bat Flower
The flower known as the Bat Flower is referred to by its scientific name, Tacca Chantrieri. Because the flower has such a striking resemblance to a bat, some people could find it creepy.
The deep purple sepals of its flowers are shaped like the wings of a flying bat. The flowers may reach a diameter of up to one foot and feature lengthy ‘whiskers’ that can reach a maximum length of two and a half feet.
Another plant species that is virtually identical to this one is the Tacca integrifolia, sometimes known as the “White Bat Plant.” Flies that are interested in decomposing organic matter may be responsible for pollinating the Bat Flower, according to one idea.
But a number of other investigations came to the conclusion that this plant can, to a large extent, pollinate itself.
The Tacca Chantrieri plant is endemic to the tropical areas of Southeast Asia, including India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Southern China. The Tacca Chantrieri plant may be found growing in wooded areas, valleys, and rivers.
As they belong to the understory, they need at least 60 percent shade to thrive. You would have to grow them on soil that is well-drained and has an adequate circulation of air, in order to see them thrive. You should keep in mind that this plant also likes a high humidity level and need a great deal of water.
12. Parrot Flower
Impatiens Psittacina is the scientific name for the Parrot Flower or Parrot Palm. The name originates from the fact that it resembles a little parrot. However, when it was discovered by Joseph Dalton Hooker, it was described as a plant that resembled a flying cockatoo.
Nonetheless, this flower is an eye-catching flower. This plant is native to Thailand and parts of India. Images of this flower were once assumed to be computer-generated. However, this plant has now been shown to exist. Thailand has even designated it as a protected species.
13. Red Birds in a Tree
The “Red Birds in a Tree” is more properly known by its scientific name, Scrophularia Macrantha. This perennial plant is very simple to cultivate, and it produces a large number of unusual flowers that looks like a flock of birds in red color sitting on a branch.
An uncommon perennial that can only be found in the southern highlands of Arizona and New Mexico, the “Red Birds in a Tree” is a beautiful plant.
It blossoms continuously throughout the summer, producing spikes of red flowers with white lips. This flower is not only kind to bees, but also draws butterflies and hummingbirds to its nectar.
It takes more than four weeks for the flower to fully blossom. This plant requires very little care to cultivate and may even be grown in pots if that is more convenient for you.
If you have a rock garden, you can cultivate this plant successfully. It is important for you to bear in mind that this plant needs to be in the shadow in the afternoon and in full light in the morning.
To properly care for this plant, you need to give it a very little bit of water at a time. This plant has the potential to reach heights of up to three to four feet and a width of up to one and a half feet. The beginning of July all the way until the middle of October is its flowering season.
14. Angel Orchid
This Orchid gets its name from its remarkable similarities to an angel-looking bird dressed in a garment. It was founded in 1932 and is known botanically as Coelogyne Cristata. It is indigenous to India’s grasslands.
This orchid is a little orchid with a singular heart-shaped leaf that lies flat on the ground. The flowers ultimately bloom in clusters of one to five orchid petals. They are the earliest orchids that bloom when the monsoon season begins. It is a highly fast-growing orchid with a lovely scent.
Conclusion
There are various plants that look like birds that you may nurture inside your home, such as the Birds of Paradise, as you can see from this list. Furthermore, flowers that look like something else such as the Flying Ducks, are not ideal for various settings.
Overall, now you have a good notion of what kinds of bird-looking plants you can acquire for yourself. Which means if you want to know why do plants look like birds it’s because of how nature imitates itself, and this is through the uniqueness of these flowers and the beauty that they carry.
