Welcome to the corner of botany that didn’t evolve to be polite. Each week we profile a bloom that stinks, snaps, traps, fakes, or flaunts—and explain the strategy behind the spectacle. Expect rot-scented romances, UV runway stripes, pyrotechnic pigments, and predators dressed as petals.

What you’ll get every Thursday: a fast read with

• the scene (what it looks/smells/does),

• the trick (how it works),

• the trade‑off (why evolution pays for it),

• where to see it (and when).

Because flowers aren’t just bouquets. They’re scams, seductions, and survival plans in costume. If delight mixed with discomfort sounds like your thing, you’re in the right garden.

1. Hot Lips (Palicourea elata): Red for Birds, Not for You

2. Meet the Darth Vader of the Plant World: (Aristolochia salvadorensis)

3. Black Bat Flower  (Tacca chantrieri): Wings, Whiskers & Understory deception