Interesting may be in the eye of the beholder. Even so, I’d bet you have a mental list of at least a few interesting plant names. Mother-in-law’s tongue is one I’ve always found amusing. Then there’s the Corpse Flower, which would be right at home with Wednesday Addams not just for the name, but also for the foul smelling aroma it produces.

Then there are those plants that have interesting names in the way they describe what the plant does. The carnivorous Venus Flytrap is a good example. Then there’s sneezewort, which, as you can probably guess, is said to induce sneezing.

Then there are interesting plant names like the new variety of plant in today’s story, A Whole Bunch of Fishies! When C. Duane Hague went to visit his young nephew one day, he was immediately pulled back to the garden. There, the vegetables were just starting to sprout and at the head of each row was a seed packet stuck to a small stake. At a glance, C. Duane could tell what was growing in the garden.

But there was one hand drawn seed packet that he was sure didn’t come from any garden shop. His five-year-old nephew had some ideas about what else might grow in the garden. Gardening with kids is always an adventure, but this one just might take the cake.

Enjoy More Stories About Interesting Plant Names and Unusual Garden Flowers 

This story comes from our archive that spans over 30 years and includes more than 130 magazine issues of GreenPrints. I love pieces like these that remind us that we often harvest much more than just fruits and vegetables in the garden. I hope you enjoy this story as well.

A Whole Bunch of Fishies!

By C. Duane Hague

As I stepped from my car, my five-year-old nephew, Mark, immediately grabbed my hand and started yanking me along.

“Oh, wow, Mark, what’s up? Where are you dragging me off to?”

“You’ll see, Unka!” Mark exclaimed.

He led me around the house to the carefully planted garden in the back. The vegetables were just beginning to sprout. At the head of each row, a seed pouch with a picture of a vegetable stood on a stake.

“See, Unka! Seeseeseesee!” my nephew shouted.

“What? Where?” I asked.

“Here!” Mark said, dropping to his knees.

A drawing was staked to the ground, just like the seed pouches. It was a picture of a fish—not a bad effort for a five-year-old.

“Member when I caught that little fish?”

“Yeah,” I replied, thinking back to last weekend when I had tagged along with Mark and his father on a fishing expedition. Mark’s fish had been almost as small as the hook that snagged it. I remember him bringing the fish home to put in his aquarium.

“How’s it doing? Did the other fish put out the welcome mat?” I chuckled.

“It died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Knowing how delicate a small child’s feelings can be, I put on a grave face. I knelt down and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Well then, this must be the fishie’s grave. I’m sorry I missed the funeral.”

He looked up at me with a bright smile. “Oh no, Unka. I planted it. I am going to grow a whole bunch of fishies!” ❖

By C. Duane Hague of Portland, OR., published originally in 2018, in GreenPrints Issue #113. Illustrated by Dena Seiferling

What do you find to be some interesting plant names? I’d love to read them in the comments below!