Plants are all around us, yet we often take them for granted. Getting to know plants better can open our eyes to the incredible diversity and complexity of the plant kingdom. Riddles are a fun way to learn more about different plants and test your knowledge. In this article, we have collected 59 riddles about a wide variety of plants along with the answers. See how many you can get right! Don’t scroll down too quickly to find the answers – take time to think through each riddle first. Ready to challenge your brain? Let’s dive in!
Flower Riddles
These riddles are all about common and unique flowers:
Riddle 1
I am a cluster of trumpet-shaped flowers, often white or pink. I am named after a bird and seen in many gardens. What am I?
Answer: Larkspur
Riddle 2
My clustered purple flowers grow on tall spikes. I am named after a knight’s weapon and grown as an ornamental plant. What am I?
Answer: Lupine
Riddle 3
I am a vine that produces trumpet-shaped orange flowers. I am named after a brave woman warrior. What am I?
Answer: Clematis
Riddle 4
My flowers have sword-shaped leaves and five petals with “bearded” centers. I come in many colors and my name means “rainbow” in Greek. What am I?
Answer: Iris
Riddle 5
I am a tropical flower that opens at night. My white blossoms smell sweetest in the evening. What am I?
Answer: Moonflower
Riddle 6
I am a cluster of tiny yellow flowers that look like bells. I am poisonous to horses but my leaves are edible. What am I?
Answer: Daffodil
Riddle 7
My five-petaled flowers are bright and fragrant. I symbolize friendship and am commonly exchanged on Valentine’s Day. What am I?
Answer: Carnation
Riddle 8
My blossoms have five heart-shaped petals and come in a rainbow of colors. I represent love and make a popular bouquet flower. What am I?
Answer: Gerbera daisy
Riddle 9
I am a tropical climbing vine with large, showy flowers. My name refers to my blooms’ resemblance to roosters’ combs. What am I?
Answer: Chicken of the woods mushroom
Riddle 10
My white, star-shaped flowers have sweet fragrance. I am named after a month of the year when my blossoms open. What am I?
Answer: Mayflower
Tree Riddles
Stretch your dendrology knowledge with these tree riddles:
Riddle 11
My leaves turn bright red in autumn. I produce winged seeds called “helicopters” that whirl to the ground. What tree am I?
Answer: Maple
Riddle 12
My bark is silvery-grey and peels off in thin, paper-like sheets. My leaves quiver easily in the lightest breeze. What tree am I?
Answer: Aspen
Riddle 13
I am a majestic tree that can live for thousands of years. My bark contains tannin used to tan leather. What tree am I?
Answer: Oak
Riddle 14
My needles are soft and grow in bundles of two. I have a distinctive smell and am a popular Christmas tree. What am I?
Answer: Pine
Riddle 15
I am a vine-like tree with drooping branches. My twisted trunk and vines are featured in many haunted tales. What am I?
Answer: Weeping willow
Riddle 16
My leaves are lobed and I produce spiny seed pods. My roots fix nitrogen in the soil, enriching it for other plants. What tree am I?
Answer: Black locust
Riddle 17
I am an evergreen tree with waxy, scale-like leaves. My small cones hang down and I am used as ornamental tree. What am I?
Answer: Arborvitae
Riddle 18
I am a flowering tree that produces showy, pink blossoms in early spring before my leaves emerge. What tree am I?
Answer: Magnolia
Shrub Riddles
Let’s move down to smaller woody plants with these shrub riddles:
Riddle 19
My leaves are evergreen and resemble spiny rods. My red berries are used to make tea and jam. What shrub am I?
Answer: Holly
Riddle 20
I produce clusters of tube-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds. I am a drought-tolerant shrub common in the western United States. What am I?
Answer: Fuchsia
Riddle 21
I am a deciduous shrub with arching stems and white flowers. My purple berries are edible but must be cooked first. What shrub am I?
Answer: Elderberry
Riddle 22
My leaves are oval with toothed edges and silvery undersides. My flowers are fuzzy white balls that give way to bright red berries. What shrub am I?
Answer: Snowberry
Riddle 23
I am an evergreen shrub with waxy, needle-like leaves. I produce round, blue berries that birds love to eat. What shrub am I?
Answer: Juniper
Riddle 24
My leaves are aromatic when crushed. I am used as a culinary herb and my flowers are attractive to bees. What woody shrub am I?
Answer: Rosemary
Vine Riddles
Think you know your vines? Try these climbing plant riddles:
Riddle 25
I am a fast-growing vine with large, lobed leaves. My tendrils help me climb trellises and walls quickly. What vine am I?
Answer: Grape ivy
Riddle 26
My clusters of fragrant, purple flowers are edible. I am grown commercially for use in perfumes and aromatherapy. What vine am I?
Answer: Clematis
Riddle 27
I produce gourd-like fruits after my trumpet-shaped white flowers bloom. My seeds are edible and oil can be extracted from them. What vine am I?
Answer: Moonflower
Riddle 28
I am a vine with dark green, heart-shaped leaves. My tendrils allow me to climb walls and trees. What prolific vine am I?
Answer: Virginia creeper
Riddle 29
I am a fast-growing annual vine with lobed leaves and curly tendrils. My large yellow flowers mature into orange-yellow courgettes. What am I?
Answer: Zucchini
Riddle 30
I produce juicy, edible berries along my trailing vines in summer. Birds love my small blue-black fruits. What berry vine am I?
Answer: Blueberry
Herb Riddles
How is your knowledge of culinary and medicinal plants? Test it out with these herb riddles:
Riddle 31
I am a short perennial herb with fuzzy gray-green leaves. I have a licorice-like flavor and am used in cough drops. What am I?
Answer: Mullein
Riddle 32
My lacy leaves are used in French cuisine. I am known as the “king of herbs” in Italian cooking. What herb am I?
Answer: Basil
Riddle 33
My golden flowers are used to color cheeses and butters. I represent courage in floral bouquets. What edible flowering herb am I?
Answer: Calendula
Riddle 34
I am a Mediterranean herb used in stews, soups, breads, and meat dishes. My small gray-green leaves grow on upright woody stems. What am I?
Answer: Thyme
Riddle 35
I am a cool weather herb that tastes like licorice. My lacy leaves are used in cough drops and absinthe. What am I?
Answer: Fennel
Riddle 36
My leaves smell citrusy and are used to flavor drinks. I represent hospitality in bouquets and my flowers attract bees. What herb am I?
Answer: Lemon balm
Riddle 37
My purple flowers are edible and give a minty, peppery kick to salads. In folklore, I represent courage. What herb am I?
Answer: Lavender
Vegetable Riddles
How are your vegetable identification skills? Give them a try with these veggie riddles:
Riddle 38
I am a root vegetable with brown skin and orange flesh. I am known for my high vitamin A content. What am I?
Answer: Carrot
Riddle 39
I am a crunchy, water-filled vegetable with dark green rinds. My relatives include cucumbers and squash. What am I?
Answer: Zucchini
Riddle 40
I am a brassica vegetable with dark green, wrinkled leaves. I am high in calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K. What am I?
Answer: Kale
Riddle 41
I am a root veggie with brown, nutty-tasting flesh and edible leafy greens. My name comes from the Italian word for turnip. What am I?
Answer: Beet
Riddle 42
I am a green, bell-shaped vegetable with a crisp, juicy texture. I can be stuffed and baked or eaten raw in salads. What am I?
Answer: Green pepper
Riddle 43
I am a tropical American vine grown for its large, melon-like fruit. My skin can be tan, green, yellow, or red. What am I?
Answer: Pumpkin
Riddle 44
I am a crunchy, tear-shaped vegetable with curly green tops. I come in a variety of colors like white, yellow, purple and orange. What am I?
Answer: Carrot
Riddle 45
I am a fibrous, tart vegetable that is technically a berry. I am high in vitamin C and make a great pie filling. What red vegetable am I?
Answer: Rhubarb
Mushroom Riddles
Expand your fungi fun facts with these mushroom riddles:
Riddle 46
I am an edible mushroom with a small tan cap and white stem. I go well with seafood and am known as the “eggplant” of the sea. What am I?
Answer: Enoki mushroom
Riddle 47
I am an inedible mushroom with a honeycomb-shaped red cap and white warts. I am found in the woods and considered poisonous. What am I?
Answer: Fly amanita
Riddle 48
I am a mushroom named for the dark gills on the underside of my cap. My meaty stem makes me a popular pizza topping. What am I?
Answer: Portobello mushroom
Riddle 49
I am a shelf-like mushroom that grows in overlapping clusters on tree trunks. I am edible when young but too tough when mature. What mushroom am I?
Answer: Chicken of the Woods
Riddle 50
I am a funnel-shaped mushroom with a grainy yellow-brown cap. I can be used to dye wool and other fabrics brown or olive green. What am I?
Answer: The Miller mushroom
Plant Cell Riddles
Let’s go microscopic with these plant cell riddles:
Riddle 51
I am the jelly-like substance inside plant cells that provides structural support. You can find me inside fruits like tomatoes. What am I?
Answer: Pectin
Riddle 52
I am the rigid outer layer of plant cells. I provide protection and help plants maintain their shape. What am I?
Answer: Cell wall
Riddle 53
I am the green pigment found in plant cells that allows photosynthesis to occur. Plants appear green because I absorb red and blue light. What am I?
Answer: Chlorophyll
Riddle 54
I am a saclike organelle in plant cells that converts sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. What organelle am I?
Answer: Chloroplast
Riddle 55
I am a membrane-bound organelle in plant cells that stores water, enzymes, and waste products. What organelle am I?
Answer: Vacuole
Seed & Fruit Riddles
Expand your botanical knowledge with these seed and fruit riddles:
Riddle 56
I am the dry, one-seeded fruit of flowering plants. Examples include corn, wheat, and rice. What type of fruit am I?
Answer: Grain
Riddle 57
I am the reproductive unit of a seed plant, formed from the ovary after flowering. Examples of me include apples, squashes, and beans. What am I?
Answer: Fruit
Riddle 58
I am the seed-containing structure of a plant, consisting of an embryo encased in a protective outer covering. What am I?
Answer: Seed
Riddle 59
I am the fleshy, ripened ovary of a flowering plant containing seeds. I am a type of fruit with thin skin and fleshy interior. Examples include peaches, plums and cherries. What am I?
Answer: Drupe
Conclusion
How did you do with these plant riddles? Being able to identify plants and understand their unique structures and functions takes curiosity and careful observation. While riddles offer a playful way to expand your botanical knowledge, nothing beats getting outside and exploring the incredible diversity of the plant kingdom firsthand. Pay attention to the details – leaf shape and color, flower structure, growth habits, aromas. Understanding plants helps us appreciate the vital role they play in sustaining all life on Earth.
