There are certainly fewer plants starting with X than most other letters of the alphabet, but there are a few fascinating ones to discover.
Here are 25 amazing botanical delights starting with the letter “X”. Make sure you also check out our list of25 Flowers That Start With X afterward to find more inspiration that marks the spot!
Plants Starting with X – Quick Look
- Xanthoceras Sorbifolium
- Xyris
- Xeronema
- Xeranthemum Annuum
- Xanthorhiza
- Xerophyllum Tenax
- Xylobium Colleyi
- Xanthocyparis Vietnamensis
- Xanthisma Paradoxum
- Xanthoxylum
- X Chitalpa Tashkentensis
- X Fatshedera Lizei
- Ximenesia Encelioides
- Xanthorrhoea-Latifolia
- Xylosma Congestum
- Xylomelum Pyriforme
- Xeranthemum Lumina
- Xyris Difformis
- Ximenia
- X Solidaster Luteus
- Xerochrysum
- Xanthosoma Sagittifolium
- Xylopia
- Xyris Operculata
- Xylosma
1. Xanthoceras Sorbifolium
- Common Name(s): Yellowhorn, Shiny leaf yellowhorn, Goldenhorn, Chinese flowering chestnut
- Scientific Name: Xanthoceras Sorbifolium
- Native to: China
In 1887 Joseph Hooker, then director of the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens described this plant as “one of the most attractive and interesting hardy garden shrubs that has been introduced in many years”.
They bloom in May with small, fragrant flowers.
2. Xyris
- Common Name(s): Yellow-eyed grasses
- Scientific Name: Xyris
- Native to: Worldwide
These flowering plants are found everywhere. When the buds appear in the morning, the flower will expand to a flower by evening.
3. Xeronema
- Common Name(s): Xeronema, Poor Knights lily
- Scientific Name: Xeronema callistemon
- Native to: New Zealand
The common name for this flower actually comes from an island which is in turn named after a bread-based pudding!
“Poor Knights Pudding” was said to have a similar group to these islands by European settlers, and the flowers were discovered there.
4. Xeranthemum Annuum
- Common Name(s): Annual everlasting, immortelle
- Scientific Name: Xeranthemum annuum
- Native to: Europe and western Asia
These flowers are popular not only for their beauty in bloom but also for their ability to hold their color well years after being dried out.
5. Xanthorhiza
- Common Name(s): Xanthorhiza, Yellowroot
- Scientific Name: Xanthorhiza simplicissima
- Native to: Eastern United States
Yellowroot can be used to make a striking yellow dye. It was used by Native Americans to make war paint. They also used it for its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties in medicine.
6. Xerophyllum Tenax
- Common Name(s): Bear grass, Soap grass, Quip-quip, Indian basket grass.
- Scientific Name: Xerophyllum tenax
- Native to: North America
Native Americans used this plant for food and material. The roots can be roasted and the pods cooked.
The grass is also woven into baskets and the leaves are dried and braided to ornament clothing.
7. Xylobium Colleyi
- Common Name(s): Xylobium, Xyl
- Scientific Name: Xylobium
- Native to: Tropical America
These beautiful orchids prefer cool to middling temperatures and can be very sensitive to root rot if water touches the leaves.
8. Xanthocyparis Vietnamensis
- Common Name(s): Vietnamese golden cypress.
- Scientific Name: Xanthocyparis Vietnamensis
- Native to: Vietnam and southeast China
This tree is the only one in its genus. It was originally thought to be endemic to Vietnam after its discovery there atop karst limestone mountains in the Hà Giang Province. But they have now been discovered in China, too.
9. Xanthisma Paradoxum
- Common Name(s): Xanthisma Paradoxum
- Scientific Name: Xanthisma
- Native to: North America
The only place to find this flower is the “Four Corners” region where the borders of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It’s named for the town of Paradox in Colorado.
10. Xanthoxylum
- Common Name(s): Xanthoxylum, Zanthoxylum
- Scientific Name: Xanthoxylum
- Native to: Temperate and subtropical areas worldwide
These species make excellent bonsai trees. Historically, the bark was used for traditional medicines.
11. X Chitalpa Tashkentensis
- Common Name(s): X Chitalpa
- Scientific Name: X Chitalpa
- Native to: North America
This flower is a hybrid borne of two other hybrid plants! It bears alternately arranged flowers with long, frilly stems.
12. X Fatshedera Lizei
- Common Name(s): Tree Ivy, Aralia Ivy
- Scientific Name: X Fatshedera
- Native to: France
This plant was created to be a successful houseplant due to its tolerance of shady conditions.
13. Ximenesia Encelioides
- Common Name(s): Golden Crownbeard
- Scientific Name: Ximenesia Encelioides
- Native to: Golden crownbeard, Gold weed, Wild sunflower, Cowpen daisy, Butter daisy, Crown-beard, American dogweed, South African daisy
Wherever this daisy appears it seems to limit the growth of other plants.
It has been shown to have an allelopathic effect on radishes, meaning it uses biochemicals to influence the other plants' growth, which may go some way to explaining its dominance over other species.
14. Xanthorrhoea-Latifolia
- Common Name(s): Xanthorrhoea latifolia
- Scientific Name: Xanthorrhoea latifolia
- Native to: Australia
These odd trees are found along the coast of Australia. They prefer gravelly or sandy soil and are very slow to grow.
15. Xylosma Congestum
- Common Name(s): Xylosma Congestum, Shiny Xylosma
- Scientific Name: Xylosma Congestum
- Native to: China
The leaves of this plant begin a red or bronze color before slowly turning green. It rarely flowers, but can produce a small, black fruit that attracts birds.
16. Xylomelum Pyriforme
- Common Name(s): Woody pear
- Scientific Name: Xylomelum pyriforme
- Native to: Eastern Australia
These plants are slow to develop and are rarely seen in the wild due to the scarcity of their seed. It can take 20 years to reach the flowering stage after it’s planted.
17. Xeranthemum Lumina
- Common Name(s): Paper Daisy
- Scientific Name: Xeranthemum Lumina
- Native to: Australia
These flowers present a pretty and delicate paper-like flower that works well in cut flower arrangements.
18. Xyris Difformis
- Common Name(s): Xyris Difformis
- Scientific Name: Bog yellow-eyed grass
- Native to: Central and North America
The color of these plants can vary. They bloom in early summer and are either yellow, pink, or red.
19. Ximenia
- Common Name(s): Ximenia, Sourplum
- Scientific Name: Ximenia Caffra
- Native to: The tropics in Africa, Asia, America, and Australia
These shrubs produce a tasty fruit that is sour with a dry aftertaste, and packed with potassium!
20. X Solidaster Luteus
- Common Name(s): Lemore
- Scientific Name: X Solidaster Luteus
- Native to: North America
These plants are a cross between two other flowers, Aster and Goldenrods. The pale yellow flowers are grown and sold commercially as cut flowers across the world.
21. Xerochrysum
- Common Name(s): Xerochrysum, Bracted Strawflower
- Scientific Name: Xerochrysum
- Native to: Australia
This species is commonly grown as a garden ornamental and not often found outside of cultivation.
22. Xanthosoma Sagittifolium
- Common Name(s): Elephant ear, Arrowleaf elephant's ear, Malanga, American taro
- Scientific Name: Xanthosoma Sagittifolium
- Native to: Central and South America
This plant is useful in reforestation in the jungle as it helps prevent weeds and provides shade for early growth.
23. Xylopia
- Common Name(s): Xylopia
- Scientific Name: Xylopia
- Native to: Asia, Africa, and the Americas
The seeds ve been used in many different traditional medicines for many ailments. One remedy was to crush the seeds against your forehead to relieve a headache.
24. Xyris Operculata
- Common Name(s): Tall yellow-eye
- Scientific Name: Xyris Operculata
- Native to: Southeast Australia
These small yellow flowers like bogs, swamps, and other moist areas. The flowers bloom one at a time.
25. Xylosma
- Common Name(s): Logwoods
- Scientific Name: Xylosma
- Native to: The tropics and subtropics
The name “xylosma” is a combination of the words “wood” and “smell,” referring to the fragrant wood of some of the species.
