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Funny plant names: 240+ names for philodendrons, ferns and every houseplant

241 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The funniest plant names are leafy puns on famous names, like Dr. Phil-odendron for a philodendron, Frondo Baggins for a fern and Planty McPlantface for anything green on the windowsill. A good one matches the plant's type or its personality, so the joke lands the moment someone sees the pot.

Below are 240+ houseplant names grouped by style: funny and punny plant names, celebrity plant puns, names for philodendrons and ferns, names for pothos, monstera and other vines, cactus and succulent names, herb names, names for tough plants, carnivorous plants and the ones barely hanging on. Every name has a short note so you can match it to the right pot.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Spiderettes

    The real word for a spider plant's babies

  • Pincushion

    A real cactus type, and an accurate description

  • Chamomellow

    The calmest pot on the counter

  • Planthony Hopkins

    An award-worthy performance in a small pot

  • Sprout Loud

    Announces every new leaf to the whole room

  • Yoda

    Small, green, wise and very possibly ancient

Want endless ideas? Try the funny name generator and generate new names in one click.

Funny plant names

Big personalities for small pots. These work on any houseplant, from a tiny succulent to a giant fiddle leaf fig.

  1. Planty McPlantface: The internet's favorite naming formula, now with chlorophyll
  2. Sir Photosynthesis: Turns sunlight into snacks, very nobly
  3. Lord Leafington: A dignified title for a very leafy plant
  4. Do Not Disturb: For the plant that sulks whenever it is moved
  5. Gerald: Plants with plain human names are always funnier
  6. The Chlorophyll Factory: Pumps out a new leaf every single week
  7. Captain Chlorophyll: Superhero of the sunny windowsill
  8. Shrubbery: Every knight on a quest needs one
  9. The Hulk: Big, green and getting bigger every month
  10. Sproutacus: Leader of the great windowsill uprising
  11. Plantasaurus Rex: A prehistoric-looking plant with enormous leaves
  12. Supreme Ficus: Rules the living room from the corner
  13. The Office Plant: Survives on fluorescent light and gossip
  14. The Roommate: Pays no rent, but makes the place look nicer
  15. Mr. Fancy Pot: Lives in the most expensive pot in the house
  16. Pot Luck: Nobody knows what it will do next
  17. Sunbather: Always lounging in the brightest spot
  18. Thirsty Thurston: Asks for water every other day
  19. Chloe Rophyll: The green stuff in leaves, made into a person
  20. Shelf Elf: Lives on the bookshelf and watches everything
  21. Treevor: A classic name, but taller every year
  22. Rootbert: A classic name, rooted firmly in its pot
  23. Yoda: Small, green, wise and very possibly ancient
  24. Hedge Fund: The plant most likely to grow your savings
  25. Misty: Lives for a morning spritz from the spray bottle

Plant pun names

Leaf, root, stem and sprout puns. Every one earns a groan.

  1. Photosynthesizer: Makes music and oxygen at the same time
  2. Sprout Loud: Announces every new leaf to the whole room
  3. Unbe-leaf-able: Grows so fast it seems impossible
  4. Rootin' Tootin': A cowboy plant with very deep roots
  5. Stem Cell: A scientific little seedling
  6. Leaf It to Beaver: A classic TV pun for a classic plant
  7. Branch Out: Always trying something new, like a side shoot
  8. Full Bloom Ahead: Grows at top speed all summer long
  9. Grow Getter: Ambitious, sunny and always reaching upward
  10. Leaf It Be: Plays it cool and never complains
  11. Pot-ential: Small now, but just you wait
  12. Root Awakening: Shocked everyone by suddenly growing
  13. Water You Doing: Asks the same question every Sunday
  14. Plant Based: Nothing but leaves, and proud of it
  15. Rooting for You: Your biggest fan, firmly planted
  16. Leaf on Read: Ignores every text you send it
  17. Ficus Focus: Always concentrating hard on the nearest window
  18. Grow With the Flow: Easygoing, adaptable and never stressed
  19. New Leaf: For a plant that marks a fresh start
  20. Bloom Service: Room service, except it brings flowers
  21. Mist Opportunity: Every skipped watering becomes a lesson
  22. Leaf of Faith: For the cutting you hope will root
  23. Seed You Later: A plant that always says goodbye nicely
  24. Growing Concern: Doubles in size every spring
  25. Totally Rooted: Not going anywhere, and fine with that

Celebrity plant puns

Famous names with a green thumb. Great for a plant with star quality.

  1. Bonsai Jovi: A rock legend shrunk down to tabletop size
  2. Robert Plant: The rock legend whose last name does the work
  3. Orlando Bloom: Finally, a movie star named after flowers
  4. Moss Code: Sends secret messages from the terrarium
  5. Aloe Blacc: A real singer with a very plant-friendly name
  6. Planty Warhol: Pop art for a pop of green
  7. Begonia Wilder: A wacky, wonderful plant with candy-factory energy
  8. Planthony Hopkins: An award-worthy performance in a small pot
  9. Ficus Mulder: Investigates the unexplained, especially new leaves
  10. Fleetwood Moss: A rock band name for a moss terrarium
  11. Shrubby-Doo: A goofy, lovable plant always hungry for snacks
  12. Tom Fiddleston: A charming name for a fiddle leaf fig
  13. Elphaba: Green, misunderstood and defying gravity
  14. Chlorophyllis Diller: A comedy legend, now rooted in a pot
  15. Stemma Stone: An award-winning actress with a strong stem
  16. Leaf Neeson: Has a very particular set of growing skills
  17. Chris Pine: An actor whose last name is already a tree
  18. Twiggy Pop: A punk-rock legend in stick form
  19. Cate Plantchett: An award-winning performance every single day
  20. Plantonio Banderas: A suave leading man for a dramatic leading plant

Names for philodendron

Philodendron comes from Greek words meaning tree lover, because the vines climb trees in the wild. These names lean on Phil.

  1. Dr. Phil-odendron: Gives honest advice from the bookshelf
  2. Phil Collins: A chart-topping drummer, now climbing the curtains
  3. Uncle Phil: The wise, warm head of the household
  4. Phil Good: A feel-good plant for a sunny corner
  5. Phil Harmonic: Grows in perfect harmony with the room
  6. Phileas Frond: Traveled around the house in eighty days
  7. Philomena: A pretty, old-world name for a heart-leaf vine
  8. Phyllis: Classic, friendly and full of leaves
  9. Philo: Greek for loving, and the start of the plant's name
  10. Philly: A cheerful nickname with big-city charm
  11. Phil the Thrill: The flashiest vine in the house
  12. Philip: Formal, proper and ready for a nice pot
  13. Fill-odendron: Fills an empty corner in no time
  14. Heartleaf Harriet: Heartleaf is a real, popular philodendron type
  15. Pink Princess: A real variety with splashes of pink on its leaves
  16. Brasil: A real variety striped with lime and green
  17. Birkin: A real variety with white pinstriped leaves
  18. Micans: A velvet-leaf variety that feels soft to the touch
  19. Xanadu: A real compact variety, sharing a name with a 1980 musical
  20. Lemon Lime: A real neon-green variety that glows on a shelf
  21. Tree Hugger: Lives up to its Greek name, tree lover
  22. Phil Anthropist: Gives the whole room a fresh look for free
  23. Phil-osopher: Thinks deeply, mostly about sunlight
  24. Philbert: A goofy, lovable name with a Phil inside

Names for fern

Ferns are older than the dinosaurs and grow from spores instead of seeds. Names for Boston ferns, maidenhair ferns and every frond in between.

  1. Fernando: A classic pick, with a famous ABBA song to match
  2. Frondo Baggins: Carries the one frond to the bathroom shelf
  3. Fern Diesel: Tough, fast-growing and loyal to its plant family
  4. Fernie: A friendly short form for any fern
  5. Sherlock Ferns: Investigates the mystery of the dry soil
  6. Frond of the Family: The fern everyone in the house adores
  7. Fernadette: A classic name with a feathery twist
  8. Fernanda: Elegant, graceful and full of fronds
  9. Fronds Forever: Best friends, but leafier
  10. Fiddlehead: The curled tip of a brand-new fern frond
  11. Lady Fern: A real fern species, and an elegant name
  12. Maidenhair: A delicate real fern with fine, lacy leaves
  13. Boston: Named for the classic shaggy fern in hanging baskets
  14. Kimberly Queen: A real upright fern variety, popular on porches
  15. Staghorn: A real fern with leaves shaped like antlers
  16. Bird's Nest: A real fern that grows in a nest-like rosette
  17. Rabbit's Foot: A real fern with fuzzy creeping stems that look like paws
  18. Spore Loser: Sulks for days after losing a frond
  19. Fernomenal: Phenomenal, but with lots of fronds
  20. Fernsby: A posh English name for a posh fern
  21. Ferngus: A Scottish name with a fern tucked inside
  22. Jurassic Fern: Ferns were around long before the dinosaurs
  23. Fronda Kahlo: An artist famous for flower crowns, now in frond form
  24. Frondly Neighbor: The friendliest frond on the block

Names for pothos, monstera and trailing plants

Pothos, monstera, hoya and string of pearls love to climb and trail. Names for plants that are slowly taking over the bookshelf.

  1. Monstera Mash: Does the mash, and then the climb
  2. Cookie Monstera: Big, lovable and always growing new holes
  3. Monstera Truck: Huge, loud and taking over the room
  4. Swiss Cheese: Monstera's real nickname, thanks to the holes in its leaves
  5. Devil's Ivy: Pothos's real nickname, because it is so hard to kill
  6. Pothos-ible: Anything is possible with enough light
  7. Vine and Dandy: Fine and dandy, with tendrils
  8. Tarzan: Swings from vine to vine across the shelf
  9. Jungle Jim: A jungle explorer for a fast-growing climber
  10. Leafy Longstocking: Free-spirited, wild and very, very long
  11. Leonardo da Vine-ci: A Renaissance vine with artistic leaves
  12. Hoya Doing: Asks how you are every morning
  13. String Theory: For a string of pearls with big ideas
  14. Pearl Jam: For a string of pearls with rock-star energy
  15. Rapunzel: Lets its long tendrils down from the top shelf
  16. Trailblazer: Leads the way to the floor, one leaf at a time
  17. Golden Child: For a bright golden pothos
  18. Marble Queen: A real pothos with white marbled leaves
  19. Neon: A real pothos variety in electric green
  20. Curtain Climber: Has reached the curtain rod and kept going
  21. The Great Escape: Trying to leave the pot through the window
  22. Ivy Tower: For a trailing plant perched on top of the bookcase

Cactus and succulent names

Prickly names for cacti and plump names for succulents. Both are happiest when you mostly leave them alone.

  1. Cacti B: Bold, spiky and impossible to ignore
  2. Spike Lee: A legendary director with very sharp edges
  3. Prickly Pete: Grumpy on the outside, sweet on the inside
  4. Hug Me Not: Looks huggable, absolutely is not
  5. Sharp Dressed Plant: Always looks its best, spines and all
  6. Aloe-ha: A beachy greeting from a sunny windowsill
  7. Aloe Kitty: A sweet, soothing plant with a cartoon-cute name
  8. Jade: A lucky money-plant classic with shiny round leaves
  9. Echo: Short for echeveria, a rosette-shaped succulent
  10. Sergeant Spines: Stands at attention on the sunniest windowsill
  11. Pokey: Small, sharp and full of attitude
  12. Needles: For a cactus that is all spines
  13. Desert Rose: A real succulent with bright pink flowers
  14. Pincushion: A real cactus type, and an accurate description
  15. Hedgehog: A real cactus type, round and spiny
  16. Saguaro Sam: A giant desert cactus, in miniature
  17. Cactus Jack: A tough Wild West name for a tough plant
  18. Prickles: A cute name for a spiky friend
  19. Juicy Lucy: Plump, water-filled leaves and a sunny attitude
  20. Burro's Tail: A real trailing succulent, also called donkey tail
  21. Zebra: For a haworthia with bold white stripes
  22. Lithops: Real living stones that look like pebbles
  23. Sedum-tary Lifestyle: Sits still all day and loves it
  24. Ponytail: A real succulent with a fountain of long leaves

Funny herb names

Kitchen windowsill herbs work hard, so give them names with flavor.

  1. Thyme After Thyme: Keeps coming back, season after season
  2. Basil Fawlty: A classic sitcom hotelier, now in a kitchen pot
  3. Sage of Reason: Calm, wise and extremely logical
  4. Chives of Our Lives: A soap-opera herb with plenty of drama
  5. Oregano Grande: A big, bold pot with pop-star range
  6. Dill-igent: Works hard, grows fast and loves a pickle jar
  7. Mint Chip: A cool, fresh pot that smells like dessert
  8. Parsley Hilton: Famous for being fabulous on the windowsill
  9. Britney Spearmint: Pop-star sparkle with a fresh finish
  10. Rosemary Clooney: A real singer with an herb for a first name
  11. Herb: Old-fashioned, friendly and happiest on the windowsill
  12. Peppermint Patty: A sweet, bossy pot from the comic strips
  13. Pesto Presto: Basil that turns into dinner in a flash
  14. Lavender Haze: A dreamy, fragrant pot by the window
  15. Thymeless: Timeless, and always in season
  16. Big Dill: A very important herb, and it knows it
  17. Mintimalist: Simple, fresh and fond of a clean windowsill
  18. Chamomellow: The calmest pot on the counter
  19. Cilantro Says: Half the house loves it, the other half does not
  20. Chive Five: A high-energy herb ready to celebrate
  21. Lemon Balm-bastic: Bright, zesty and a little over the top

Names for snake plants, ZZ plants and other tough plants

Snake plants, ZZ plants, cast iron plants and rubber plants survive almost anything. Names for the toughest plant in the house.

  1. Sir Hiss: A snake plant fit for royalty
  2. Slytherin: Every snake plant belongs in this house
  3. Mother-in-Law's Tongue: The snake plant's real, sharp-edged nickname
  4. Hissy Fit: A snake plant with a short temper
  5. ZZ Top: Rock legends, and the obvious ZZ plant name
  6. Iron Man: For the nearly indestructible cast iron plant
  7. Cast Iron Chef: Survives low light, low water and total neglect
  8. Rubber Ducky: For a rubber plant with shiny leaves
  9. The Survivor: Has outlasted three moves and a vacation
  10. Old Faithful: Never fails, never droops, never complains
  11. Steel Magnolia: Pretty, tough and nearly impossible to wilt
  12. Balboa: Takes every hit and keeps on growing
  13. The Rock: Solid, dependable and impossible to faze
  14. Peter Parker: Your friendly neighborhood spider plant
  15. Spiderettes: The real word for a spider plant's babies
  16. Zen Master: Calm in any light and any season
  17. Low-Key: Low light, low water, no problem
  18. Cobra: A snake plant standing tall and proud
  19. Unbothered: Ignored for a month and still thriving

Venus flytrap and carnivorous plant names

Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and sundews eat bugs for dinner. Their names should sound a little bit dangerous.

  1. Audrey II: The hungry singing plant from Little Shop of Horrors
  2. Jaws: For a flytrap that snaps shut fast
  3. Chomper: Clears every fly out of the kitchen
  4. Snappy: Quick to close and quick to judge
  5. Venus: Named after the Roman goddess of love, like the flytrap
  6. Fly Guy: A bug-catching hero with a big appetite
  7. Bug Bouncer: Lets nothing buzz past the windowsill
  8. Captain Hook: Catches everything that comes near
  9. Gnat King Cole: Croons softly while catching gnats
  10. Pitcher Perfect: For a pitcher plant that never misses
  11. Dew Point: For a sundew sparkling with sticky drops
  12. Trapper John: A trap-setting plant with a doctor's calm
  13. Venus de Milo: A classical statue name for an elegant flytrap
  14. Seymour: The shop clerk who cared for the famous hungry plant
  15. Gulp: One fly, one bite, done
  16. Feed Me: The famous movie plant's favorite request
  17. Velcro: Everything sticks to it, especially gnats
  18. Gnat Attack: Hunts fruit flies on the kitchen windowsill

Names for plants that are barely hanging on

For the plant that has seen better days, and the owner who refuses to give up on it.

  1. Phoenix: Rises from a pot of crispy leaves every spring
  2. Crispy: Crunchy edges, brave heart
  3. Droopy: Always looks tired, mostly just needs water
  4. Drama Lily: Faints dramatically, then recovers right after a drink
  5. Comeback Kid: Written off in spring, thriving by fall
  6. Hanging by a Leaf: Hanging by a thread, only greener
  7. Last Leaf Standing: One leaf left and still trying
  8. Hope: Every plant parent needs a little
  9. Little Engine: Thinks it can, every single morning
  10. Overwaterloo: Met its defeat at the end of a watering can
  11. Wilt Chamberlain: Wilts dramatically, then recovers like a champion
  12. Brownie: Turned a little brown, still very loved
  13. Scraggles: Scraggly, scruffy and still hanging in there
  14. The Fighter: Every new leaf is a small victory
  15. Rescue: Saved from the clearance shelf at the store
  16. Clearance Rack Randy: Bought half-dead for a dollar, now thriving
  17. Second Chance: For a plant you nursed back to health
  18. Twig: Currently just a stick, but full of potential
  19. Hang In There: The kitten-poster motto, now in leaf form

How to pick the right name

Pun on the plant first

Start with what the plant is. A philodendron wants a Phil, a fern wants a frond joke, a monstera wants a monster pun and a cactus wants something sharp.

Name the personality

A peace lily that faints when thirsty, a vine taking over the bookshelf or a cactus nobody can hug already has a character. Pick the name that describes it.

Make a matching shelf

Got a whole collection? Pick a theme, like rock stars (Bonsai Jovi, Robert Plant, ZZ Top) or herbs with celebrity names, and name the plants together.

Write it on the pot

A name on a plant label or painted on the pot makes the joke last. It also helps everyone in the house remember which plant needs water.

Funny plant names: 241 ideas from Nomezo

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Frequently asked questions

What are some funny plant names?

Planty McPlantface, Bonsai Jovi, Cacti B, Monstera Mash and Ficus Focus are crowd favorites. Puns that match the plant type, like Dr. Phil-odendron or Frondo Baggins, are the funniest.

What should I name my philodendron?

Lean on Phil: Dr. Phil-odendron, Uncle Phil, Phil Good and Phil Harmonic all work. The word philodendron comes from Greek for tree lover, so Tree Hugger fits too.

What is a good name for a fern?

Fernando, Frondo Baggins, Fern Diesel and Fiddlehead are popular picks. Real fern names like Lady Fern and Maidenhair also make lovely plant names.

What are good names for cacti and succulents?

Try Cacti B, Spike Lee, Aloe Kitty, Hug Me Not or Sedum-tary Lifestyle. Prickly puns suit cacti, and soft, sunny names suit plump succulents.

Why do people name their houseplants?

A name makes a plant feel like part of the household, and many people find they pay more attention to a plant with a name. It is also simply fun.

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