25 Terrific Plants Starting with T (2024)

There’s a range of interesting plants starting with T to discover, from common garden flowers to beautiful tropical plants.

Here are some familiar, and unusual, plants that start off with “T” for you to learn about. Make sure you also check out our list of 25 flowers that start with T afterward!

Plants Starting with T – Quick Look

Tiger Flower
Tea Rose
Thyme
Texas Ranger
Tecoma
Tomato
Toad Lily
Tree Mallow
Trumpet Creeper
Tulip
Twinleaf
Turtlehead
Torch Ginger
Thistle
Tickseed
Toadflax
Tomatillo
Terrestrial Orchids
Tree of Heaven
Tobacco Plant
Tall Bearded Iris
Tall Verbena
Tail Flower
Thorn Tree
Tayberry

1. Tiger Flower

Common Name(s): Tiger flower, Tiger lily, Jockey's cap lily, Mexican shellflower, Peaco*ck flower
Scientific Name: Tigridia pavonia
Native to: Mexico

This beautiful flower displays intense colors and distinctive markings. It is grown ornamentally, but the bulbs can be roasted and eaten. They have a lovely chestnut-like flavor.

2. Tea Rose

Common Name(s): Tea Rose
Scientific Name: Rosa × Odorata
Native to: China

Some say that this rose has an aroma similar to black tea. After being cultivated in China their popularity soon grew across the Western World in the 19th century.

Historians speculate that their spread is as much due to good marketing as botany.

3. Thyme

Common Name(s): Thyme
Scientific Name: Thymus
Native to: The Mediterranean Region

As well as a delicious herb, thyme contains an antiseptic oil called “thymol.” This was added to bandages before the invention of modern antibiotics, and can still be found in products like mouthwash today.

4. Texas Ranger

Common Name(s): Texas Ranger, Texas rain sage, cCnizo, Texas silverleaf, Texas barometerbush, Ash-bush, Wild lilac, Purple sage
Scientific Name: Leucophyllum frutescens
Native to: Texas

The plant adopted the name Texas Ranger as it is native to Texas, but the unusual name “barometerbush” stems from the fact that it will bloom once the air starts to become humid after a long drought, indicating rainfall soon.

5. Tecoma

Common Name(s): Tecoma, Trumpetbush
Scientific Name: Tecoma
Native to: Africa and the Americas

This plant contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, it also contains a compound that lowers blood sugar levels. In Mexico, it is used as a folk remedy for type-2 diabetes.

6. Tomato

7. Toad Lily

Common Name(s): Toad lily
Scientific Name: Tricyrtis
Native to: Asia

With their beautiful patterned flowers, many species of this flower are grown ornamentally across Asia.

8. Tree Mallow

Common Name(s): Tree Mallow
Scientific Name: Malva arborea
Native to: Coastal Europe

This plant is highly tolerant of salt levels and grows commonly in coastal areas where this trait gives it a significant advantage over competitors.

9. Trumpet Creeper

Common Name(s): Trumpet creeper, Trumpet vine, Yellow trumpet vine, Cow itch vine, Hummingbird vine
Scientific Name: Campsis radicans
Native to: Eastern United States

This vine grows readily in woodland areas as well as being a popular garden plant. It is sometimes known as the “cow-itch vine” as some people develop a slight allergic reaction after contact with its leaves.

10. Tulip

Common Name(s): Tulip
Scientific Name: Tulipa
Native to: Asia

Although originating in Asia, tulips are commonly associated with the Netherlands. They began to be grown there in the 17th century and it led to a fascination and craze for them known as “Tulip Mania”.

However, they were quite rare and sold for astronomical prices. As the plants were further propagated, the price crashed. “Tulip Mania” is considered the first economic bubble and is still a term used for similar crazes in the market today.

11. Twinleaf

Common Name(s): Twinleaf, Jeffersonia, Rheumatism root
Scientific Name: Jefferson diphylla
Native to: Eastern North America

This plant was used plentifully by Native Americans in medicine, treating dropsy, inflammation, and gall among other conditions.

It's a protected species in Minnesota and is often found growing among other uncommon woodland plants.

12. Turtlehead

Common Name(s): Turtlehead, White turtlehead
Scientific Name: Chelone glabra
Native to: North America

This name comes from the fact that these funny little flowers remind people of tortoise heads. Seems everyone is in agreement as “chelone,” the scientific name of the plant, also comes from the Greek word for tortoise.

13. Torch Ginger

Common Name(s): Torch ginger, Ginger flower, Red ginger lily, Torch lily, Wild ginger, Porcelain rose
Scientific Name: Etlingera elatior
Native to: Southeast Asia

As well as being grown for its showy pink flowers, this plant is also an important cooking ingredient across southeast Asia.

14. Thistle

Common Name(s): Thistle
Scientific Name: Cirsium spinosissimum
Native to: Europe

The national flower of Scotland is known for the prickles which defend it against being eaten by animals.

It is these same prickles that, in the 13th century, caused invading Vikings to yell out as they stepped on them, alerting Scottish clansmen to their approach.

This is why the thistle was given its honor as a national flower and is the oldest known national flower on record.

15. Tickseed

Common Name(s): Tickseed, calliopsis
Scientific Name: Coreopsis
Native to: North America

If you grow these in your home you will start to notice bees and other insects visiting as they are a great source of pollen and nectar.

16. Toadflax

Common Name(s): Toadflax, Common toadflax, Yellow toadflax, Butter-and-eggs
Scientific Name: Linaria vulgaris
Native to: Europe, Siberia, and Central Asia

It takes larger insects, such as bumblebees, to pollinate this flower as its pollen is closed under a lip that requires opening.

17. Tomatillo

Common Name(s): Tomatillo, Mexican groundcherry, Large-flowered tomatillo, Mexican husk tomato
Scientific Name: Physalis philadelphica
Native to: Mexico

This delicious plant has different tastes depending on when it’s harvested. It is common in Mexican cuisine and used to make many sauces.

18. Terrestrial Orchids

Common Name(s): Terrestrial Orchids
Scientific Name: Orchidaceae
Native to: Worldwide

“Terrestrial orchids” encompasses any orchid that grows in the ground, while their counterparts “epiphytic orchids” grow in trees.

19. Tree of Heaven

Common Name(s): Tree of heaven, Ailanthus, Varnish tree
Scientific Name: Ailanthus altissima
Native to: China and Taiwan

This tree boasts a long history in Chinese culture and can even be found mentioned in the first Chinese dictionary. The tree is often grown for silk production as it hosts the “ailanthus silkworm.”

20. Tobacco Plant

Common Name(s): Tobacco Plant
Scientific Name: Nicotiana
Native to: The Americas

Well known for its leaves that are rolled up and smoked, the unfortunate spread and popularity of this plant have led to many preventable deaths.

21. Tall Bearded Iris

Common Name(s): Tall bearded iris, German bearded iris
Scientific Name: Iris × germanica
Native to: Germany

This iris presents beautiful ruffled petals that are often covered in a colorful pattern making them a great addition to a stately garden.

22. Tall Verbena

Common Name(s): Tall verbena, Purpletop vervain, Clustertop vervain, Argentinian vervain, Pretty verbena
Scientific Name: Verbena bonariensis
Native to: Tropical South America

This flower hates winter but is good in a drought. It blooms in late summer attracting many butterflies.

23. Tail Flower

Common Name(s): Tail Flower, Laceleaf, Anthurium, Flamingo flower
Scientific Name: Anthurium
Native to: The Americas

With their distinctive, deep-colored petals, these flowers make great houseplants or outdoor plants in mild climates.

24. Thorn Tree

Common Name(s): Thorn Tree, Acacia, Wattles
Scientific Name: Acacia
Native to: Angola and Australasia

The sap from this tree serves as food to many reptiles, such as the native house gecko in Australia.

25. Tayberry

Common Name(s): Tayberry
Scientific Name: Rubus fruticosus x R. idaeus
Native to: Scotland

This berry is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. It’s named after the River Tay in Scotland. They can be eaten fresh or used to make jellies, jams, and pies.