Looking to spruce up your place with a few unique and strange houseplants?
Luckily for us, Mother Nature gave us a very wide array of plants you can introduce to your living area and some of them are cheaper and easier to take care of than you might first think.
In today’s article, we will be taking a look at our pick of the strangest and most interesting houseplants out there!
1. Living Stones (Lithops)
Right off the bat, living stones are a great choice if you’re aiming for something interesting. As the name suggests – these plants look like stones.
They naturally come from Africa, where they’ve evolved to look like pebbles. Given that they’re succulents, they love sunlight, but they don’t like water that much.
Living stones are an ideal plant to put near a window where they’ll get at least six hours of sunlight every day. They tolerate heat very well and they love hot environments.
When it comes to watering, they only need you to water them when their soil dries out completely.
You’re also getting a handful of choices here, as there are dozens of species of the living stone to keep in your home, perfectly balancing your home environment.
2. Jewel Orchid (Ludisia)
This orchid looks like a radioactive plant from a sci-fi movie, but they’re very real and they’ll draw the attention of everyone in the room. This makes them one of the most striking indoor plants.
With these orchids, it’s interesting that the leaves are what we’re looking for, not the flowers.
Their leaves are green, but they’re covered with an odd texture, forming strange patterns in yellow.
This contrast between colors makes it look like the leaves are glowing!
When it comes to caring, they like moist environments, just like most orchids. Unlike the previous entry, these plants like watering.
However, if you keep them in a moist environment, they’re going to require less water.
Additionally, some people prefer keeping them in their own enclosed terrariums. This way, you can always control the level of moisture.
3. Cooper’s Haworthia
This might be one of the strangest houseplants ever, as it looks more like modern art than a natural creation.
Another succulent on this list, Cooper’s haworthia has swollen leaves, looking like balloons.
If that isn’t enough to draw your attention, know that the balloons are translucent and light pass through them, leaving them with a distinct pattern.
They’re very slow growers and they like sunlight, but you don’t want to let them burn throughout the entire day.
Additionally, they need plenty of water during growing seasons (spring and fall), but you should let the soil drain out completely before you water it again.
Unlike the jewel orchid, which is really impressive in the dark, Cooper’s haworthia is at its best during the day, when rays of light can break through the leaves and achieve that mesmerizing effect!
4. Desert Rose
This plant is bound to mesmerize you as it’s an absolute work of art. It looks like a tiny tree with roses growing at the top – very similar to bonsai.
It’s native to Africa and it’s another slow grower, usually growing at a rate of 12 inches per year.
Given that it’s a native African plant, it loves the sun and it’s best to keep it in a sunny spot throughout the entire year.
Like most succulents, it only needs steady watering during summer and late spring (but even then, you shouldn’t be overwatering it). During fall and winter, watering should be kept to a minimum.
The most important thing to keep track of, however, is temperature. Remember that this plant is accustomed to extremely hot temperatures.
If you let the temperature drop to under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it can easily die. Interestingly, this shrub is evergreen, so it grows throughout the year.
5. Corkscrew Albuca
This is definitely one of the most freaky plants you’ll come across, looking like something that was created in a lab.
At first glance, you might mistake it for a weed or just some odd-looking grass, the corkscrew albuca is everything but that.
The green tips in question are actually leaves that can grow up to 8 inches, spiraling all the way up.
They’re a great addition to an environment with plenty of stones, and they can make a great pairing with living stones, which we mentioned before.
It appreciates plenty of sunlight and temperatures above 60 degrees, and you’ll also need to water it plentifully in the beginning. Once it’s established, it requires little care.
6. Paddle Plant
This succulent, originally from South Africa, is also known under the name ‘Desert Cabbage’ – as it literally looks like a very hardy cabbage.
One thing that you should prepare for is the sheer size, as these exotic indoor plants can achieve a height of 30 inches, while they can also be 18 inches wide.
They do well in sun, and grouping them with living stones and corkscrew albuca can create an attention-drawing trifecta.
The paddle plant doesn’t need much water, and you should avoid overwatering it as it will cause root rot.
7. Lifesaver Plant
The essence of this plant lies in the flower, which is uncannily similar to lifesavers.
Even though they’re small, these creepy house plants are definitely able to take care of themselves as they sometimes release a strong odor to attract pollinators.
Unlike many other plants, the lifesaver plant likes the shade and it’s not smart to keep it in too much sunlight or extreme heat. Also keep the temperature above 50 degrees.
It’s best to only water the lifesaver plant when the soil has dried out completely, while it needs almost no water during winter – the plant is dormant then.
8. Venus Flytrap
The absolute classic. Out of all the unusual houseplants, this one might be the most unusual one. This is because it’s a carnivorous plant.
As the name suggests, this plant will close its trap and eat flies (which can take hours), making it a very interesting centerpiece of any home.
They’re also fairly easy to grow – they need 12 hours of direct sunlight every day and regular watering, so even a child could care for one.
What’s important is that they’re made to be admired from up-close, so it’s best to keep it as the foremost plant in your indoor garden.
9. Bat Flower
This tropical plant can be a bit more difficult to grow, but that makes it a good choice if you’re looking for a challenge.
Just like the paddle plant, it can grow to great sizes, reaching 36 inches in length. What’s most interesting about these strange houseplants is that they’re reminiscent of bats.
That might sound odd, but the flower of this plant literally looks like a bat.
Since it’s accustomed to a more exotic environment, it needs proper shade, but a warm temperature with rich soil.
You need to keep the soil moist and never dry out.
10. Hoya Heart
If you’re looking for a romantic houseplant, then there’s no better choice than the hoya heart. These succulents grow into small hearts and they’re very easy to care for.
Also known as the ‘Sweetheart Plant’, for obvious reasons, this plant performs best in the sun, while some shade is tolerable.
It’s also best to keep the temperature above 60 degrees, while it needs very little water.
11. Pencil Cactus
Another odd-looking plant that makes little sense to us as we see it, the pencil cactus grows round, pink stems that are very similar to pencils.
Even though this plant will grow to massive sizes in the wild, if will rarely grow past 6 feet in height indoors.
It loves the sun, just like most cacti, so it’s best to keep it in full sunlight and water it once every three weeks during the summer.
These plants will really show their colors at temperatures above 65 degrees, while the temperature should never drop below 50.
12. Mistletoe Cactus
Very similar to our previous entry, the mistletoe cactus will grow in length, rather than in height, reaching 6 feet indoors.
However, the stems aren’t pink and they’re not pencil-like, having a more chaotic order.
It’s also different when it comes to light – it wants indirect sunlight and it likes the shade. Watering is also different, as it is like moist soil that never dries out.
Putting this cactus next to the pencil cactus is a great idea if your living area will allow that with light and temperature, but make sure that they don’t get entangled.
13. Common Sundew
Another carnivorous plant on our list, the common sundew is also one of the simplest plants to grow and care for on our list.
The catch is – those little bubbles at the tips of the plant aren’t dew – they’re actually a sticky compound that insects will stick to, after which the plant eats them.
These plants do great in full sun and they need constant watering, preferably with distilled water.
Obviously, they need a warm and humid environment, so they might be a bit difficult to take care of if you can’t provide that.
14. Mountain Rose
The mountain rose, also known as the mountain rose succulent, is the last entry on our list and it can be a great addition to living stones and the desert rose.
These succulents can be very difficult to find, but they’re worth the trouble, as they look like marble stones carved into roses.
In contrast to most succulents, these plants like a lot of water and a lot of sun to thrive, while the temperature should be kept above 60 degrees.
To End
There are plenty of unique and strange houseplants you may not have considered for your home, but here’s our pick of the most interesting ones.
Naturally, all of these plants can’t share the same environment as they have different needs. Some of them, however, can make a great display for a small indoor garden.
There are also active pieces like the Venus flytrap that will definitely attract looks from around the room and the pencil cactus that’s odd in the most beautiful ways.
