Top 8 Unique Plants To Grow In Your Garden
Make Your Garden Stand Out With These Zany Unusual Plants
We've got a fast challenge for you. What three words would you use to describe nature?
"Beautiful" may be the first word that pops into most people's minds. You might also use words like "serene", "delightful", and even "elegant"!
But there's a whole other side to nature that people often miss. As exquisite as it can be, nature is also strange, freaky, and enchanting!
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This wild-- but still magnificent-- aspect of nature is never more so clear than in unique plants! While all plants have extraordinary features, these oddballs have a bit more of an edgy and daring appeal.
The good news is, you can grow a bunch of unique flowers and plants in your own garden! Not only do they arouse curiosity and create visual interest to your yard, but they can also match your one-of-a-kind identity.
This is why we've put together a list of 8 unique plants to grow in your garden! These stunning flora and foliage are perfect for rousing your plant passion and keeping you on your toes. The promise of their eye-catching, awe-striking end results will make all your work worth it.
Who knows? Growing a few of these might even inspire you to start a wacky garden with lots of unusual plants! Read on to find your best-loved unusual garden plants and start growing them now!
Interested in a formal course on gardening? Want to get licensed as a gardening expert? Explore organizations offering classes in floristry and horticulture, like:
National Gardening Organization
American Floral Endowment
American Horticultural Society
Glass Gem Corn
Hardiness Zones: 3-11
Light: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, well-drained
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0.
Water: 1 inch of water each week.
Temperature: Warm weather.
Maintenance: Add slow-release fertilizer and mulch through the growing season.
Harvest Time: 1-2 weeks.
It's no exaggeration to say that this mesmerizing rainbow-colored crop is among the most attractive plants in the world. Back in 2012, Glass Gem Corn became known to the public when a photo of it went viral on Facebook. Until today, it holds a reputation as a marvelous garden crop that everyone can grow! Plus, it makes for great popcorn and cornmeal. Stunning and sumptuous to boot!
Kohlrabi
Hardiness Zones: 2-11
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Rich, loamy, well-drained
Soil pH: 5.5-6.9
Water: 1 to 1.5 inches of water every week
Temperature: Cool weather
Maintenance: Put in manure or composted organic matter prior to planting. Side-dress with compost after 3 weeks and again before harvest.
Harvest Time: 45-60 days
Want your garden to look out of this planet? Well, we have the ideal vegetable for you. Also known as space cabbage, kohlrabi could be as close to an alien life form as we're ever going to get. Plus, it's pretty versatile in the kitchen! Crunchy with an interesting hint of spice, you can eat kohlrabi raw or add it in a variety of mouth-watering recipes.
Lamb's Ears.
Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Light: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Well-draining, moist
Soil pH: 6 to 6.5
Water: Water only when soil is dry. Refrain from overwatering as it brings about rotting and disease.
Temperature: Can tolerate several weather conditions, but avoid humidity
Maintenance: Add mulch during the growing season; bring in compost during spring.
Growing Time: Around 21 days
Known for its soft fuzzy texture, Lamb's Ears shows that plants can be pets too! You can't resist stroking its attractive velvety foliage. Its unique texture and impressive silvery-green give it a soft, almost divine look. That's why it's ideal for edging borders and paving. Even better, it's quick and easy to maintain! It grows lush and heavy leaves even with little water.
Shame Plant (Mimosa pudica)
Hardiness Zones: 2-8
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-draining, loamy, enhanced with peat moss
Soil pH: 6.6-7.5
Water: Water enough to keep soil moist but not soggy
Temperature: Warm, humid. Cannot thrive in drastic heat or cold.
Maintenance: Feed with a high-potassium fertilizer once every 2 weeks. Prune regularly.
Growing Time: 7-21 days depending on weather
While humble in appearance, the Mimosa pudica stands out for its surprising response to physical stimuli. Its fern-like leaves sag and close in when you touch them. After a few minutes, they open once again. They also respond like this to darkness and wind breezes. Their fragile nature is even more enhanced when they produce tiny, fluffy blooms. So delicate and intriguing, these are a wonder to grow in your garden!
Alpine Strawberries
Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Light: 4-5 hours of full sun
Soil: Damp, loamy, well-draining
Soil pH: 6.0-6.5
Water: 1-inch water each week. Drip irrigation is strongly recommended.
Temperature: Cool weather. Keep soil cool in warm seasons.
Maintenance: Top-dress with compost or bring in organic fertilizer every spring. Weed routinely.
Harvest Time: Around 3 weeks. Bears fruit all throughout its growing season (June-October).
Smaller than their more well-known counterparts, alpine strawberries often tend to be rather neglected among strawberry varieties. And that's a shame! Alpine strawberries grow without fuss, yield a lot even in the summer, and taste quite scrumptious. Each bite-sized fruit packs a punch of flavors with a rush of sweetness and a hint of pineapple-like tartness.
Chinese Lantern
Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Light: Full sun. Can thrive with light shade.
Soil: Rich, well-draining, sandy
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5
Water: Water all throughout its growing season. Once grown, water only when soil is dry to keep soil damp.
Temperature: Warm to cool weather. Avoid extreme cold.
Maintenance: Add in fertilizer once a month while they're growing. Weed regularly during growing season. Provide mulch and compost.
Blooming Time: Early autumn to late summer
Also called the winter cherry, this dazzling perennial boasts a lot of fantastic features! At the top of the list is its remarkable papery husk that resembles Chinese lanterns. Inside it is a sweet edible berry that you can prep in multiple recipes. It also yields gorgeous heart-shaped leaves and elegant white blooms. Warning: this plant is notorious for being invasive! Be sure to weigh the risks before planting.
Bat Flower
Hardiness Zones: 10-11
Light: Full to partial shade
Soil: Well-draining, moist, fertile
Soil pH: 6.1-7.5
Water: Consistent watering all through its growing season. Allow soil to dry in winter before watering.
Temperature: Cool weather and shade. Avoid extreme heat or cold.
Maintenance: Fertilize once a month, if possible with acid fertilizer.
Blooming Season: Spring to early autumn.
Got a liking for the gothic? Well, the ever-dramatic bat flowers would be awesome for you! True to their name, these strange blooms look like a bat in flight. Ruffled, rich purple petals mimic the bat's wings, while a whitish spot in the middle of each bloom acts as its eyes. Surrounded by thin, delicate bracteoles that echo a bat's whiskers, these exotic blooms bring flair to your garden like nothing else.
Night Sky Petunias
Hardiness Zone: 9-10
Light: At least 6 hours of full sun
Soil: Rich, well-draining, fertile
Soil pH: 5.5-6.0
Water: Regular moderate watering; avoid overwatering
Temperature: Thrives in most climates; Patterns change according to temperature
Maintenance: Fertilize frequently with rich compost to boost flowering.
Blooming Season: Summer to fall
We can't take our eyes off these mesmerizing petunias! These dreamboats seem to hold swirling galaxies in their spectacular petals, flaunting the beauty of nature and the cosmos. Fun fact: their "night sky" dotted patterns may change according to the weather. Their whites emerge more in cooler temperatures and their purples in warmer temperatures.
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