Back to the page
  • Welcome
  • Visit us
    • Visit us
    • Opening times & information
    • Visiting the Garden
    • Ticket Prices
    • Garden map
    • Group Visits
    • Tours
    • Press and photography
    • The Garden Cafe
    • The Garden Shop
  • Accessibility
  • What’s on
  • The Garden
    • The Garden
    • About the Garden
    • Horticultural Collections
    • Understanding Plant Labels
    • History of the Garden
    • Wildlife
    • Plant picks of the week
  • Learning
    • Learning
    • Adult Learning
    • Trails for Adults
    • Schools, Further and Higher Education
    • Family Activities
    • Community Projects
    • Science on Sundays
  • Science
    • Science
    • Our Science Staff
    • Our Staff Publications
    • Your Science
    • Supporting Your Research
  • Collections
    • Collections
    • Living Collections
    • Seed Bank
    • Herbarium
    • Cory Library
    • Archives
    • Living Collections Portal
  • News
  • Support Us
Donate

Lorem ipsum testing

Cambridge University Botanic Garden
menu

Today's Opening Times:
10:00am - 6:00pm

  • News
  • Support Us
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Home
  • Visit us
    • Ticket Prices
    • Opening times & Information
    • Visiting the Garden
    • Garden Map
    • Group Visits
    • Tours
    • Pre-book tickets
    • Press & Photography
    • The Garden Shop
    • The Garden Cafe
    • Accessibility
    • Virtual Visits
  • What’s on
  • The Garden
    • About the Garden
    • Horticultural Collections
    • Understanding Plant Labels
    • History of the Garden
    • Wildlife
    • Plant picks of the week
  • Learning
    • Adult Learning
    • Trails for Adults
    • Schools, Further & Higher Education
    • Family Activities
    • Community Projects
    • Science on Sundays
    • Gardening Club
    • Book a Learning Visit
    • Festival of Plants 2020
    • Cambridge Festival 2021
  • Science
    • Our Science Staff
    • Our Staff Publications
    • Your Science
    • Supported Publications
    • Supporting Your Research
  • Collections
    • Living Collections
    • Herbarium
    • Seed Bank
    • Cory Library
    • Archives
    • Collecting Expeditions
    • National Plant Collections ®
    • Living Collections Portal
  • Wellness Wanders
  • Open search panel
Close search panel
Blumenbachia insignis
Home Plants Blumenbachia insignis
Share Created with Sketch.
  • Email Share this with Email
  • Facebook Share this with Facebook
  • Twitter Share this with Twitter
  • Pinterest Share this with Pinterest
  • WhatsApp Share this with WhatsApp
  • Google + Share this with Google plus

Blumenbachia insignis

View all plants

This unusual hardy annual is worth a look on the Systematic Beds.

This species is perfectly placed within the rock nettle, or Loasaceae, family, having fine, stinging hairs which cover all parts of the plant. These irritant hairs have earned it the common name electric shock plant. The complex flower comprises white petals which encase the nectar scales and staminodes. It has an inferior ovary, and the seed pod has five chambers which produce the effect of twisting. Here we treat it as a hardy annual, and it will self-seed readily on the Systematic Beds. The species was first introduced to British gardens in 1826 from Argentina.

University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden

Social

  • Follow us on YouTube
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Threads
  • Follow us on LinkedIn

© 2025 Cambridge University Botanic Garden

  • Privacy policy
  • Contact us