6 Plants That Look Like Animals - Grow Your Own Zoo!

The wide world of plants is fascinating and diverse. One interesting thing that some plants do is mimic the shape, color, and general appearance of something else. Plants that look like other things are sometimes random and coincidental, but others have resulted from evolution to get an advantage. Regardless of the cause or reason, these whimsical plants are fun to grow indoors as houseplants or in the garden.

Among plants that look like things, the most endearing are those that resemble animals. From monkeys to bees to birds, plants that mimic animals are truly fascinating. But how do they do it? Plants are not the only living things that mimic others, but unlike animals, they can’t see.

The answer has to do with the nature of evolution. All living things evolve over time. When a random mutation in the genetics of an individual gives it an advantage over others, it reproduces and passes that mutation on to the next generation.

Consider the case of a flower that looks like a bee. The mimicry gives it an advantage because it has an additional tool for attracting bees that will pollinate the flowers and help produce the next generation. That appearance resulted from randomness but worked, so it got passed down to subsequent generations. Many other random mutations never make it past one or two plants.

Among the plants that resemble animals, some are the result of this evolutionary strategy. Others are probably just random and do not necessarily give the plant any kind of an advantage. Here are some examples of fun plants to add to your home “zoo.”

This is an example of mimicry that clearly is not related to an evolutionary advantage. Looking like a shrimp doesn’t help this plant in any way. But for gardeners, it’s an