This Flower’s Petals Look Like Hummingbirds

The Internet is full of wonders, from memes to stunning photographs, an endless ocean of tweets to political manifestos. People are free to share pretty much anything, and while some use it to share things that they should probably keep to themselves, others sometimes drop a thing or two that absolutely mesmerizes the online public.

One Reddit user by the name of OctopusPrime recently shared a photograph that had many not only confused but pretty fascinated. Dropped in the subreddit NatureIsF**kingLit, the photo showed a type of flower that resembled a collection of tiny green hummingbirds. The author commented, “Check out these beautiful flowers that look like tiny hummingbirds!” and, boy, did people check them out!

In fact, so many were interested in the picture of this weird plant that just in a day, the post raked 47.5k upvotes with impressive almost-400 comments. Most of the commentators were the questioning kind while the rest tried their best to provide some answers about these rare flowers. And when someone wanted to know why exactly the flower looked like tiny beautiful birds, one person had all the answers.

The yellow flower that got everyone’s attention is actually Crotalaria cunninghamii, although the Latin name might be quite a challenge to pronounce and memorize, that’s why people also refer to it as green birdflower or regal birdflower. It is a species native to inland northern Australia. This plant grows well in sandy areas, that’s why it’s mostly found in sand dunes, along beaches, and Mulga communities. The Birdflower was used by Aboriginal people to treat eye infections.