IN BLOOM

It's the first full month of spring, with lilacs, daffodils and tulips a-blooming. But if those traditional plants are a bit tame for you, check out these crazy ones at botanical gardens across the country.

Aesculus californica

AKA: California Buckeye
Where it is: San Francisco Botanical Garden, late April through early June
Why it's funky: It's known to be poisonous to insects, large mammals and even humans. Oddly enough, hummingbirds can drink its nectar unharmed. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

Sarracenia

AKA: Pitcher Plants
Where it is: Atlanta Botanical Garden, through May
Why it's funky: These carnivorous plants lure bees and butterflies into a slippery "pitcher" with the promise of sweet nectar. Then they digest the insects' soft tissue, leaving skeletons behind. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

Symplocarpus foetidus

AKA: Skunk Cabbage
Where it is: New York Botanical Garden, through May
Why it's funky: This foul-smelling plant generates its own heat to warm the cold ground and melt spring snow. www.nybg.org

Amorphophallus konjac

AKA: Devil's Tongue
Where it is: United States Botanical Garden (Washington, DC), through May
Why it's funky: Routinely 5 feet tall, these large, sinister-looking plants emit a powerful smell of decaying flesh. www.usbg.gov