Alien Plant Name Generator
Xenobotany names for strange worlds and stranger flora
Generate alien plant names for science fiction: settler folk names like Screaming Fern and Knifegrass, survey binomials such as Pyrothrix vesuvia, alien-language flora like Zhaari Bloom and Vresk'thal, and hybrid names that tie a plant to its home world. Built for sci-fi novels, tabletop campaigns, video games and worldbuilding wikis.
About alien plant names
Alien plants get named the same way Earth plants did: by whoever met them first. Colonists and survey crews coin blunt folk names that describe what the thing does or what it nearly did to them, which is why Screaming Fern, Knifegrass, Tripwire Creeper and Miner's Warning sound like they came out of a frontier logbook rather than a marketing deck. Xenobotanists follow with Latin-flavored binomials (Pyrothrix vesuvia, Cryophyllum tenebris) that encode a trait and a place. And if the planet already has natives, the flora carries their words, like Zhaari Bloom or Vresk'thal, usually with an English plant-type tacked on by translators.
The trick to a convincing alien plant is to break one rule of Earth botany and keep the rest. A reed that hums, a lichen that eats iron, a lily that opens only during eclipses: each name should point at that single strangeness (Pulse Orchid, Static Moss, Eclipse Fern) so readers picture it instantly. Tying a plant to its world also helps, either by prefix (Veldran Glasswort, Tharsis Lantern Moss) or by a colony name (Coldharbor Kelp).
Mix registers within one setting. A survey report, a settler's kitchen and an alien elder would never call the same plant by the same name, and letting all three coexist makes your world feel inhabited.
How to choose alien plant names
- Decide who named the plant before you pick a name: settlers give it a blunt English nickname (Knifegrass), scientists give it a binomial (Lithophyton murmurans), natives give it a word from their own language (Oolumbra).
- Name the one strange thing the plant does and nothing else: Screaming Fern, Mirror Kelp and Tripwire Creeper each tell the reader exactly what to expect.
- Anchor flora to a world with a prefix or colony name (Tharsis Lantern Moss, Coldharbor Kelp) so the ecology feels mapped rather than random.
- Keep alien-language names to two or three syllables with a single odd sound; Quorvenn and Zhaari read easily, while a string of apostrophes and doubled consonants does not.
- Give every plant a use or a danger in your notes (food, fuel, medicine, hazard) because that detail is what makes the name come up naturally in dialogue.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a plant name sound alien rather than just fantasy?
Fantasy flora borrows from folklore and herbalism (wolfsbane, kingsfoil), while alien flora borrows from field science and frontier slang. Survey-style binomials, planet or colony prefixes, and names for physical oddities like gas bladders, static charge or metal uptake all push a name toward sci-fi.
Should I use Latin binomials for alien plants?
Only when the name is coming from a scientist or a survey database. Latin-flavored names like Xenocarpus luminis are great for reports, field guides and in-world documents, but settlers and characters in dialogue will almost always use a shorter folk name such as Lantern Cactus.
How do I name plants from a planet with its own intelligent species?
Use the native word, then let human translators add a plant type: Zhaari Bloom, Ixashi Frond, Thrazz'ul Reed. Keep the native part consistent with the phonology of that species' personal and place names so the whole language feels like one system.
Can I use these names in a published game or novel?
Yes. Every name here is an original coinage, so they are free to use in commercial fiction, games and worldbuilding projects. Just check that a chosen name is not already a signature plant in a well-known franchise.
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All 500 alien plant names
A: 18 names
- Acidoradix corrosiva
- Aelivuun
- Aerolilium vagans
- Aethelon Vapor Lotus
- Airlock Fern
- Amber Drip Vine
- Ankhoran Sedge
- Antler Bush
- Anvil Fungus
- Aquavitis profunda
- Arbiter's Spine
- Argentilium specula
- Argyrocalyx tremula
- Ashen Lung Fungus
- Ashfall Lichen
- Ashkaal Vine
- Ashplain Grass
- Aurora Kelp
B: 24 names
- Ballast Reed
- Balloon Sedge
- Barnacle Fungus
- Barnard Thorn
- Basalt Rose
- Beacon Bloom
- Beetle Fern
- Bhellu Reed
- Binary Bell
- Bleeding Palm
- Blister Bloom
- Blisterbark
- Blue Hour Vine
- Bluebottle Fern
- Bog Lantern Reed
- Boiling Cap
- Bonecoral Tree
- Brannoch Tallow Tree
- Breath Orchid
- Brevvu Cup
- Brumaflora glacialis
- Bulkhead Fungus
- Burn Reed
- Burrowing Tuber
C: 40 names
- Caelocarpus altus
- Callisto Rockwort
- Canyon Float Bloom
- Captain's Folly
- Cargo Fern
- Carmine Jaw Fungus
- Carnicarpus edax
- Cartographer's Bramble
- Cassini Drift Sedge
- Ceres Salt Cactus
- Ch'keth Bloom
- Charon Shade Moss
- Chasm Reed
- Choke Fern
- Chronolotus lentus
- Cinder Tongue
- Cinerocalyx maris
- Cliffhang Vine
- Clockwork Bloom
- Cloud Forest Lung
- Cobalt Bell
- Cobalt Bracken
- Coil Bloom
- Coldharbor Kelp
- Colony Lantern Bush
- Comet Tail Reed
- Conduit Vine
- Copperclaw Bramble
- Coral Palm
- Courier Vine
- Crab Fern
- Cradle Vine
- Crater Rim Fern
- Crawling Lichen
- Creeping Glass Lily
- Crimson Lung Sedge
- Crown Sponge
- Cryo Fern
- Cryophyllum tenebris
- Cyan Thread Kelp
D: 19 names
- Dark Cycle Moss
- Dawnburst Sedge
- Dayside Cactus
- Dazzle Bloom
- Deserter's Gourd
- Dewtrap Reed
- Dhurvek Cane
- Dravik Reed
- Drift Lotus
- Drifter's Thistle
- Drifting Mote Moss
- Droamu
- Dropship Bramble
- Drowning Bell
- Drozhak Iron Lichen
- Drum Melon
- Drumleaf Tree
- Dune Spine
- Dusk Lantern Orchid
E: 15 names
- Echinocalyx ferox
- Eclipse Fern
- Eel Vine
- Ellumbrae Vine
- Ember Lantern Moss
- Ember Sedge
- Enceladus Frost Cup
- Envoy Lotus
- Ephaloor
- Equinox Bloom
- Essuvrae
- Europa Ice Frond
- Exile Palm
- Eye Bloom
- Ezzrakh Reed
F: 9 names
- Ferrocactus tharsii
- Fingergrass
- First Harvest Gourd
- Float Reed
- Founder's Thorn
- Frostlung Lichen
- Fulgurella tempestas
- Fumarole Sedge
- Furnace Bloom
G: 25 names
- Gas Bladder Kelp
- Gas Lamp Kelp
- Geyser Moss
- Ghorram Palm
- Ghost Cane
- Ghost Plum
- Glacier Mouth Bloom
- Glass Forest Pine
- Glass Reed
- Glasswater Reed
- Gleam Lettuce
- Gliese Cane
- Gloaming Bulb
- Gnat Cup Moss
- Goldvein Vine
- Gossamer Gourd
- Grandmother Moss
- Grav Plate Creeper
- Gravel Blossom
- Gravitrix pendula
- Gravity Apple
- Greenhouse Vine
- Greeting Flower
- Grraav Tree
- Gutvine
H: 25 names
- Hab Ring Cane
- Haemovitis rubra
- Halo Fungus
- Halocladus salinus
- Hammer Palm
- Hazard Bloom
- Heartwood Pulse Tree
- Heliograph Fern
- Hermit's Lamp
- Hollathrae
- Hollow Drum Tree
- Hollow Melon
- Homesick Rose
- Hook Bramble
- Hornuvael
- Hotspring Orchid
- Hour Lily
- Hroval
- Hull Moss
- Hum Bloom
- Hunger Orchid
- Hushbriar
- Hydrofungus abyssi
- Hydroponic Ghost Lettuce
- Hyperion Kelp
I: 12 names
- Icarion Salt Lily
- Ice Shelf Lichen
- Ieshuun Moss
- Ilthissa
- Infrared Bloom
- Io Sulfur Bloom
- Ionophyton scintillans
- Iorvannith
- Itchgrass
- Ithyll Reed
- Ivory Lantern Moss
- Ixashi Frond
J: 5 names
- Jaw Fungus
- Jellyfish Tree
- Jettison Weed
- Jorruthe
- Juno Bramble
K: 13 names
- Ka'Tesh Weeping Reed
- Kapteyn Sedge
- Karst Moss
- Kepler Lantern Bush
- Keshvel Gourd
- Kessrin Bloodvine
- Kethrune
- Kettle Fungus
- Kirrun Bloom
- Kite Tree
- Knifegrass
- Kreeshith
- Kryllian Cinder Fern
L: 16 names
- Lalande Cup
- Lamprey Vine
- Landing Day Lily
- Lantern Bell Palm
- Lantern Cactus
- Lava Tube Fungus
- Leech Cane
- Lhorrane
- Lifeboat Kelp
- Lithophyton murmurans
- Long Night Fern
- Lumencoralis aurea
- Lumerian Whisper Fern
- Lumiquo
- Lung Lily
- Luyten Fern
M: 24 names
- Magenta Gourd
- Magnetoflora polaris
- Malluvin Reed
- Mantis Lily
- Marrow Cane
- Marsh Clock
- Maw Lily
- Mellifera xenos
- Mercury Bracken
- Mesa Crown Cactus
- Meteor Gourd
- Methane Lotus
- Mezzaran Pulse Orchid
- Mhaloq
- Mimic Blossom
- Miner's Warning
- Miranda Cliff Vine
- Mirror Kelp
- Moon Cup Fern
- Mossuvel
- Moth Lily
- Mourning Bracken
- Mudflat Tuber
- Mycoderma velutina
N: 18 names
- Nabbith Spire
- Nadir Fungus
- Navigator's Fern
- Nebulorchis caerulea
- Nemmaroth
- Nerve Vine
- New Tharsis Bramble
- Nexothallus ramosa
- Night Lantern Vine
- Nightside Lotus
- Niiskra
- Nnarith Bell
- Nocticarpa pallida
- Noon Crystal Fern
- Noonfire Cactus
- Novaterra Bellwort
- Numbleaf
- Nyxaran Drift Moss
O: 19 names
- Oberon Lantern Palm
- Obrennu
- Obsidian Reed
- Ochre Cap
- Octopus Moss
- Oculanthus vigilans
- Ogrun Thorn
- Oil Lantern Tree
- Ollovorn Lichen
- Olympus Reed
- Ombrellith
- Oolumbra
- Opaline Cane
- Oridian Night Fern
- Orphan Reed
- Orundhi
- Ossiphyllum rigidum
- Ossivek
- Outpost Thistle
P: 23 names
- Panthrik Vine
- Paper Lung Tree
- Perihelion Bloom
- Perseid Fern
- Petrolilium crassa
- Pewter Fern
- Pherrek
- Phobolith Crust Fungus
- Phosphorella mutans
- Pilgrim Moss
- Pillar Sponge
- Pilot's Hope
- Pioneer Bramble
- Plasmaphyllum vivax
- Polar Cup Moss
- Porthole Orchid
- Prekkoth
- Pressure Bloom
- Prospector's Lung
- Proxima Reed
- Psychophyton somnifer
- Pulse Orchid
- Pyrothrix vesuvia
Q: 9 names
- Qhollis Moss
- Qo'vath Spine Palm
- Quarantine Moss
- Quartz Rose
- Quesh Moss
- Quillavorn
- Quiver Reed
- Quorvenn
- Quthaal Spire
R: 19 names
- Raakith Cup
- Ranger's Cup
- Ratchet Vine
- Ratgrass
- Ration Berry
- Ration Gourd
- Razor Palm
- Reactor Lichen
- Red Dwarf Moss
- Red Static Fern
- Relay Tower Moss
- Rhea Ghost Fern
- Rib Fern
- Ridgeback Bush
- Rimefrost Goblet Fungus
- Ross Lichen
- Rubiginosa tharsica
- Rust Lily
- Rustfield Thistle
S: 64 names
- Saffron Spine Bush
- Salt Anemone Fern
- Salt Flat Lily
- Salt Pear
- Saltglass Thistle
- Saltpillar Moss
- Saltwick
- Sandlung Moss
- Scald Reed
- Scorpion Bloom
- Screaming Fern
- Scree Bramble
- Seed Vault Lily
- Serpentaria volubilis
- Settler's Cabbage
- Settler's Candle
- Sevvik Spire
- Shadowside Lichen
- Shale Fern
- Shivering Lotus
- Siderophyllum atrox
- Signal Reed
- Sillumvae
- Silverlung Moss
- Singing Thistle
- Sinkhole Fern
- Sk'vaal Palm
- Skaarvoth
- Skellu Lily
- Skull Gourd
- Slate Frond
- Sleeper Bulb
S, continued
- Slow Lightning Vine
- Smokepod
- Snail Bloom
- Solstice Palm
- Sonophyllum clamans
- Sorrowglass
- Sour Lantern Fruit
- Spiculanthus acerba
- Spider Lantern
- Spindle Palm
- Spine Tree
- Spitting Gourd
- Sponge Thistle
- Spore Chimney
- Sporodendron gigas
- Squid Reed
- Sshaamal
- Stalking Gourd
- Starfall Lichen
- Static Moss
- Steam Iris
- Stellariopsis remota
- Sting Lily
- Stormhaven Thistle
- Stowaway Moss
- Stranded Lily
- Stutter Bloom
- Sulfur Cup
- Survey Bloom
- Surveyor's Bane
- Swarm Thistle
- Sythera Moon Cane
T: 43 names
- Tallfrost Sedge
- Tallow Fungus
- Tallow Lantern
- Tamvaroth
- Tar Lily
- Tarnvik Cane
- Teegarden Gourd
- Tenebrocactus umbrae
- Terminator Fern
- Terraform Sedge
- Tessimbra
- Tether Bloom
- Thandorra
- Tharsis Lantern Moss
- Thermobulbus ardens
- Thornlight Creeper
- Thrail Bloom
- Thraxian Bladder Vine
- Thrazz'ul Reed
- Throat Reed
- Thunder Lily
- Thunderhead Sedge
- Thuunda Bloom
- Tide Clock Lily
- Tidefeather Weed
- Tidepool Lung
- Tiikra Bulb
- Tin Cup Lichen
- Tinker's Kelp
- Titan Tar Sedge
- Toldovar Fern
- Tongue Moss
- Tooth Moss
- Torch Lichen
- Trappist Bloom
- Trench Kelp
- Tripwire Creeper
- Triton Ammonia Lily
- Tundra Heart
- Tusk Cactus
- Twin Sun Orchid
- Tycho Crater Moss
- Tympanodendron resonans
U: 9 names
- Ulkoro
- Ullanor Ash Sedge
- Ultraviolet Orchid
- Umbrafilix nigra
- Umbriel Pit Fungus
- Umbrosse
- Unvesshi
- Urchin Bush
- Ustrik Fern
V: 23 names
- Vaal'shuun
- Vacuum Lichen
- Vaelori Crown Moss
- Valles Lichen
- Vapor Lily
- Vault Orchid
- Vaurrok Sponge
- Vein Lichen
- Veldran Glasswort
- Vennaroth
- Vent Bloom
- Vent Coral Tree
- Venticaulis tortilis
- Verdigris Bloom
- Vesper Bloom
- Vesta Shard Bush
- Vexian Lamprey Bloom
- Violet Pulse Reed
- Vitreocaulis fragilis
- Voktari Palm
- Voltavitis cerulea
- Vrellik Fern
- Vresk'thal
W: 14 names
- Wanderer's Cactus
- Wasp Gourd
- Watchman Tree
- Wayfinder Fern
- Weeping Lattice
- Wennuvar
- Whistling Bulb
- Widow Reed
- Widow's Coral
- Windscrew Tree
- Wire Weed
- Wolf Star Moss
- Wollumbrae
- Worm Sedge
X: 4 names
- Xenocarpus luminis
- Xentharan Bloom
- Xerrakan
- Xillu Fern
Y: 3 names
- Yllorin Moss
- Yorrek Moss
- Yssandra Frond