GPOD on the Road: Philadelphia Flower Show’s Oddest Plants

Some of the most interesting and out-of-this-world plants from a flower show filled with prize-winning specimens

glad Friday GPODers !

Over the past few week I ’ve been partake some of my personal highlight from the 2025Philadelphia Flower Show . So far , I ’ve showcased various display that caught my attention and inspired me to mull over different look of gardening and garden design . If you missed any of those posts , discipline out : the luminous unveiling display(reflecting this twelvemonth ’s theme ofGardens of Tomorrow),Welcoming Wildlife Home(a whimsical design that was one of the Best in Show success ) , andRootswithTomorrow ’s Eden(two displays that celebrated what is unremarkably hidden underground ) .

Today I wanted to shift gears and explore another prospect of this yearly show , the 100 of unbelievable plant life specimens on display . Some of these plants are displayed by various plant societies in the Philadelphia region , but most are go in by amateurs who wish to have their plunder plant displayed and judge in various category ( with the hope of walking by with a gloomy medal ) . Below are some of the plants that not only caught my attention , but made me rub my eyes and take a closer look . They may be a little unearthly , unbelievable , or indescribable , but they are also all wonderful .

The first mathematical group of plants are from thePhiladelphia Cactus & Succulent Society , and this picayune cacti was fantastic color search like it would be right at home amongst some clowns at the circus . The star cactus ( Astrophytum asterias , Zone 10–12 ) is also commonly name the ‘ sea urchin ’ cactus because some of these flora have more bleary dit that can make it reckon like an empty sea urchin without prickle . This variegate version is a very rare variety .

The next plant looks less playful and far more unsafe , which is dead by design . Elephant ’s luggage compartment plant life ( Pachypodium namaquanum , Zone 10–11 ) is native to Southern Africa , where is has adapted to survive in super waterless atmospheric condition and developed a stem full of spikes to defend against hungry herbivore . As a houseplant this succulent will not grow very declamatory , but in it ’s aboriginal environment the elephant ’s trunk plant can grow up to 13 animal foot marvellous !

Some things are odd at first glimpse , and even odder when you do your research . Believe it or not , the coarse name of this plant life is the penis cactus ( Trichocereus bridgesiivar.monstrose , Zone 9–11 ) . The straight species of this cactus ( Trichocereus bridgesii ) has a much more traditional shape , but themonstrosevariation turn in this irregular segments that are be intimate to form these sculptural shapes . I guess you should never adjudicate a ledger by its cover version , or by its name !

One arena where cacti and succulents always deliver the goods for me is their multifariousness , which also makes them dangerour for any plant devotee who has a proclivity for roll up . African candelabra ( Euphorbia ammak‘Cristata ’ , Zone 9–11 ) is native to the Saudi Arabia peninsula , but it would feel right at family in any sci - fi picture .

Of course , cacti and succulents were n’t the only oddities on display . climb up next to a vast staghorn fern ( Platycerium bifurcatum , Zone 9–13 ) was this trailing , straining , and curling plant I had never seen before . This is a tropical works called the keeled tassel - fern ( Huperzia carinatum‘Heatons Fine ’ , Zone 10–12 ) . Despite its name , it ’s technically a fern friend . These are plant life that share many equipment characteristic with fern , but are not true fern .

This beach gong ( Kalanchoe manginii , Zone 10–12 ) is a another trail plant life that was out - of - the - norm , but perfectly enchanting . I was fascinated by the efflorescence - laden stems that both uprise up and hung down , creating a very unique shape for a flowering plant .

And a closer flavor at those pretty flowers and glossy foliage .

I have seen drinking glass haworthia ( Haworthia springbokvlakensis , Zone 10–12 ) in a few dissimilar variations before , but none ever as burnished and calendered as this . The exposure does not do DoJ to how much this teeny tiny plant shimmered . If you take the air by rapidly you might have thought it just got a hardy watering , but it was whole dry .

If there one was rummy - orchis ( disconsolate for the obvious paronomasia ! ) industrial plant that was receive all of the tending , it was this short - leaved abromeitiella ( Deuterocohnia brevifolia , Zone 9–11 ) . aboriginal to Argentina and Bolivia , this plant grows tons of one - inch rosette that make into these perfect hammock . In their native home ground they produce around rocks , creating awesome carpet of green . As a potted plant , and with enough patience and care , you could make a stunning shape like this .

And to evidence this was n’t a one - sided works , a purview from above . Outside of topiary and train trees , I do n’t recollect I ’ve ever seen a works so symmetrical well - shaped . Also , moderate out that blue decoration it so justly deserved !

Not an oddity , but I could n’t think of a more appropriate postal service for a respectable garden gag . If you ’re in a clime where you may grow cacti outside , or if you move your cacti assembling outdoors every summertime , I thought this was outstanding inhalation from some hilarious garden art !

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