Isn’t it surprising that some botanical names can make you giggle? Here are some handpicked funny tree names that guarantee to entertain you!
There are a tonnes of trees in the nature with some having really interesting names, while some have funny ones. We have 15 of the latter examples!
Funny Tree Names
1. Bald Cypress Tree
Botanical Name: Taxodium distichum
Origin: Southeastern United States
The Bald Cypress is one of the few coniferous trees that loses its needles in the fall. It gets a stylish seasonal makeover and appears “bald” during the winter.
2. Whistling Pine
Botanical Name: Casuarina equisetifolia
Origin: Australia and Southeast Asia
This amusing name refers to the sound of its needle-like leaves which produce a soft whistle when rustled by wind. So, if a whistle sound makes you turn your head, don’t worry-it’s not a ghost. There might be a whistling pine nearby!
3. Buddha’s Belly Bamboo
Botanical Name: Bambusa ventricosa
Origin: Vietnam
One of the most funny tree names for sure, this bamboo is named so because its unique swelling internodes mimic rounded shape of Buddha’s belly!
4. Monkey Puzzle Tree
Botanical Name: Araucaria araucana
Origin: Chile and Argentina
This Chilean National Tree is named by its spiky trunk and curvy branches, which claim to puzzle even the most cunning of monkeys. It’s often known as a “living fossil” perhaps because even monkeys can’t figure out how it survived so long!
5. Toothache Tree
Botanical Name: Zanthoxylum americanum
Origin: Central and eastern United States and Canada
The bark and leaves of this tree were used by native Americans and early settlers to treat toothaches. If you spot one in the wild, don’t forget to try for a aching tooth!
6. Old Man’s Beard Tree
Botanical Name: Chionanthus virginicus
Origin: North America
This tree gets its name from a lichen that looks like hanging beards. It is nature’s style to flaunt its facial hairs! We even selected the right picture for you to enjoy!
7. Drunken Parrot Tree
Botanical Name: Schotia brachypetala
Origin: South Africa
This intoxicating tree is known for attracting parrots to taste its fermented nectar and makes them looking a bit tipsy. Well, this is how nature hosts the special bird parties.
8. Elephant Tree
Botanical Name: Bursera microphylla
Origin: Southwestern United States and Mexico
This drought-resistant tree is referred as “Elephant Tree” for its thick and gray trunk that exactly looks like an elephant’s skin. Isn’t it funny?
9. Ironwood Tree
Botanical Name: Mesua ferrea
Origin: Various Regions
“Ironwood” means a wood as hard as iron, but isn’t it entertainingly hyperbolic name. Ironman must have got his name from Ironwood, don’t you think?
10. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick
Botanical Name: Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
Origin: England
In the early 1900s, this tree was named “Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick” after the Scottish entertainer Harry Lauder. The stems do resemble the look of twisty sticks!
11. Sausage Tree
Botanical Name: Kigelia africana
Origin: Africa
The fruits of this tree look like big sausages hanging from its branches. Well, it can tempt anyone to set up a barbeque right beneath it!
12. Dragon Blood Tree
Botanical Name: Dracaena Cinnabari
Origin: Island of Socotra, Yemen
This tree derives the name from its red sap, which resembles blood that native people believed matched the blood of the dragon of some folk tale.
13. Cabbage Palm Tree
Botanical Name: Sabal palmetto
Origin: Southeastern United States
This tree name sounds funny because it reminds of a leafy green vegetable rather than a majestic palm tree. Look at that cabbage like growth beneath the leaves! You’ll understand.
14. Snaggletooth Maple
Botanical Name: Acer grandidentatum
Origin: Western North America
The name seems to resemble trees with wicked grins and jagged, uneven teeth. The stems have this natural growth that’s often hidden between the leaves.
15. Traveler’s Palm
Botanical Name: Ravenala madagascariensis
Origin: Madagascar
Although it’s not a palm, its fan-shaped leaves look like an open book or a traveler’s spread map. This palm also looks like a giant hand-held fan. Don’t you think?
