What is the Most Hideous Plant on Earth?

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I stumbled across this article from the Daily Mail while I was looking for something else. The plant is called the Welwitschia of Namibia Desert in southern Africa. This plant is...weird. With everything else we've talked about lately, this seems like something of interest to our gang.

Here's the link to the article. It lives for 2,000 years, has only two leaves and is, well, ugly. I don't think any of us will pot this thing at home.

Since it's poisonous, I doubt we'll see it in any recipes anytime soon.

 

[raebates]

That reminds me of a plant we had where I worked years ago. It was a gift to the office from a generous donor, so my boss didn't want to just pitch it. It was really ugly, though. We never watered it. We kept it in a dark corner to try to starve it for months on end. We sometimes put it in the strongest light we could to try to burn it up. My boss cut the leaves back with office shears when it got too big. He had been trying to kill it for almost a year when I arrived. After I'd been there for a year, he retired. One of his last duties before he left was tossing that plant in the dumpster. He told me that he'd wanted to to that since the day it arrived.

The Welwitschia of Namibia Desert in southern Africa is even worse, though.

 

[amy07]

I've seen houseplants that look like that! Of course they needed water.

 

[chefann]

Weird.

The author does have a point about endangered species, though. The only species we hear about, and have "Save the xxx" funds for are the good-looking ones.

 

[raebates]

Finally got a chance to read the article. It may be ugly, but that's one amazing plant.

And, yeah, beauty has a lot to do with "save the _____" issues. After all, no one mentions the dead flies on your grill. Get caught with one butterfly wing stuck to it, though, and people almost tear up.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Q: What's the last thing to go through a bug[s mind when he hits the windshield?A: His butt.

 

[AJPratt]

That is quite a plant. That would be great in my yard! LOL

 

[chefann]

That is quite a plant. That would be great in my yard! LOL

Until somebody's loose dog gets into your yard, eats it, dies, and the owner sues you.

But I agree with you. I can only handle plants that are pretty good at taking care of themselves.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Okay, I have to say I agree that the plant looks hideoous...however, check out the Corpse Plant. When it flowers the scent is of a rotting corpse. It doesn't flower often but it does have a pretty flower.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10143135/

 

[jrstephens]

So, are these plants I cannot kill then? B/c my husband loves to "talk" to my plants and tell them how sorry he is that they are about to die!!!!!

And I am on a planting kick this summer, so far all is living! Even my fern that I usually kill within a month! Normally, I can grow them like crazy in the ground but a plotted plant is doomed in my house!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Until somebody's loose dog gets into your yard, eats it, dies, and the owner sues you.

But I agree with you. I can only handle plants that are pretty good at taking care of themselves.

I can kill silk plants.

 

[GourmetGirl]

I've killed a cactus before! twice!

 

[katie0128]

I've killed a cactus before! twice!

I'm SOOO glad I found someone who can kill cactuses (sp???), too! I had one that was on a shelf behind my front door... it had a really pretty flower on it... then I forgot about it... every now and then I would think that I should water it, but never got around to it. One day I realized the pretty flower was gone and the cactus kinda looked like a raisin. Oh well!

 

[reba515]

I don't know KG this may have you beat as far as hideous! I found this growing in my yard last summer ..........ewwwww!

it's just too gross to post a pic of

its called stinkhorn fungus and if you crush it it smells terrible, also gives off a strange odor just sitting there looking gross. luckily I destroyed it and it hasn't returned. ewwww again!




http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/profiles/disease/stinkhorn5-s.jpg

 

[katie0128]

looks like a carrot with frostbite...

 

[reba515]

ooh its so nasty looking it looks all slimy too.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

All I did was quote the story title - I didn't make my own assesment.

 

[jrstephens]

I've killed a cactus before! twice!

I have too! I do have a Christmas Cactus that I have had for 2 years - I am waiting for it to kill over any day now.

 

[raebates]

The plant I mentioned is the only plant I've ever cared for that lived. I've killed three air plants. I have a black thumb. Thankfully, The Furry Guy is great with plants. Our property is filled with beautiful plants.

 

[ElizabethPurvis]

We used to have those fungus things in our back yard when I was growing up!! They really are nasty!

 

[raebates]

ooh its so nasty looking it looks all slimy too.

Since it's in the desert, it probably isn't actually slimy. Although, it gets its moisture from the thick fog in the area, so it's probably a bit slimy when it's foggy.

 

[pamperedlinda]

eeewwww.....all three of these are very nasty looking! I'd hate to have any of them in my yard. My weeds are looking much more appealing to me right now!