Things That Are Red in Nature

Welcome to our list of naturally red things!

Red is a spectrum of colour, and varies widely from light pinkish reds to dark burgundies and earthy terracotta tones. We’ve done our best to encompass all of these shades and tones in this list, including naturally red things that are also multicoloured (but primarily red).

Here’s a visual list of things that are red in nature:

Here’s a longer and more detailed list of things that are red in nature, including descriptions:

  • Rubies: These are a coloured gemstone known for their rich red colour. They’re commonly used in jewelry and ornamentation.
  • Chili: Chillies are peppers that are used to add heat and spice to dishes. They come in red, green and yellow varieties.
  • Roses: Roses are a flower with strong connotations of romance. It has a thorny stem and fragrant flowers, and red roses are commonly given as gifts on Valentine’s day.
  • Garnet: Garnets are minerals that come in many different colours, but is best known for the dark, blood-red variety.
  • Tomatoes: Tomatoes are large red berries with a tangy, sweet taste. They’re enjoyed in many different types of dishes, both raw and cooked, and there are many debates as to whether they’re a fruit or a vegetable (they’re a fruit).
  • Cranberries: These are evergreen shrubs with dark pink flowers and small, rouund berries that range from dark pink to deep red. Cranberries are used in juices, jams and sauces.
  • Strawberries: These are a small citrus fruit high in vitamin C. It’s commonly used in desserts, smoothies and juices due to its sweet and sometimes sour taste.
  • Sunsets: As the sun goes down, the light we see becomes a vibrant orange-red. This period of time is known by photographers as “the golden hour” due to the interesting lighting opportunities it provides.
  • Cherry: This is a small fruit high in antioxidants and ranges from bright red to a dark burgundy.
  • Autumn Leaves: During autumn, leaves that are normally green will change to various shades of red, yellow, orange, pink and sometimes blue or black.
  • Poppies: Poppies are the source of opium, which is used as a medicinal narcotic. Red poppies are also a symbol of remembrance for soldiers who have died in war.
  • Fire: Fire is a process of oxidation, resulting in a release of heat and light. Fire is generally red, yellow and orange, but can also be blue or green depending on the fuel that is feeding the fire.
  • Capsicum: This is a fruit that comes in green, yellow and red varieties. Also known as a pepper (although it isn’t spicy).
  • Ladybug: Also known as ladybirds and lady beetles. These are a small, winged beetle with a red shell that’s dotted with black spots.
  • Goji berries: Also known as a wolfberry. A small red berry that is usually used in its preserved form in Asian cuisine.
  • Red Ant: These have a light reddish-brown colour and are also known as fire ants.
  • Lobster: These are large crustaceans with a long tail and two large claws (similar to a crab).
  • Maple Leaves: These are used as an emblem by Canadians, and vary in colour from yellow to orange to red.
  • Raspberries: These are small, soft, sweet fruits. They’re commonly used in desserts and cosmetics.
  • Mushrooms: Also known as toadstools. These are fungi that are fleshy with rounded tops that come in many different shapes, colours and textures. The most commonly recognised red mushroom is a toxic one known as “Fly agaric”.
  • Spider Mite: Spider mites are tiny insects that feed on plants. They have a round shape, spin silken webs and are a dark blood red.
  • Nectarine: Nectarines can be known as a “shaved peach” due to its similarity to a peach but without the fuzz. Nectarines have varying gradient of red, white and yellow on the outside, and are yellow or white on the inside, depending on the type.
  • Koi: These are a Japanese carp that are popularly kept for decorative purposes. They have bright, colourful patterns and are considered to be good luck.
  • Hair: Red hair is quite rare in comparison to other colours and includes shade variations of strawberry blonde to deep burgundy.
  • Blood: This is a bodily fluid that carries nutrients and oxygen to cells. It’s mostly water, is bright red when oxygenated and dark red when de-oxygenated.
  • Parrot: Parrots are extremely intelligent birds, and some species are able to imitate human voices. They come in many different colours and patterns and are popular as companion pets.
  • Holly: Holly is an evergreen plant that is commonly recognised and used as a Christmas decoration. It has spiky green leaves and clusters of small red berries.
  • Radish: This is an edible root, mostly eaten raw and in salads. They have a sharp flavour and can come in red, purple and white varieties.
  • Rambutan: This is a small fruit native to Indonesia. It has a fluffy red shell and is green when unripe.
  • Lychee: Lychees are a small, sweet fruit native to China. It has white flesh and a thin, bumpy, red shell.
  • Pomegranate Seeds: Pomegranates are a fruit with a thick, hard shell that is packed with small, flesh-covered seeds. They have a sharp, tangy flavour and are widely used in juices, desserts, baking, smoothies, wine and as garnish.
  • Rhubarb: This is a perennial with a red stalk and green leaves. The red stalks are best known for their uses in sweet desserts, like pies and crumbles.
  • Kidney Beans: These are named after their resemblance to our kidneys. They’re also extremely nutritious and very high in protein.
  • Adzuki Beans: These are also known as “English red mung beans.” These are a small bean that are usually an earthy red colour.
  • Red Pear: These pears are primarily red rather than green, and can have tinges of green or yellow.
  • Red Panda: Red pandas are mammals that are native to China. They look similar to a raccoon, but with reddish-brown fur and a more fox-like face.
  • Red Swiss Chard: This is a leafy vegetable with large, dark green leaves and long red stalks. It has highly nutritious leaves and it common in salads.
  • Peach: Peaches are a juicy, sweet fruit with a characteristic velvety fuzz on the outside.
  • Orchid: These are colourful and fragrant flowers with many hybrids and cultivars. They come in many colours and patterns, and are popular with florists and as decorative plants.
  • Dahlia: Dahlias are related to sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemums and zinnias, and are the national flower of Mexico.
  • Siamese Fighting Fish: These fish are popular in aquariums due to their long, beautiful fins. They are highly territorial, with the males particularly prone to aggressive attacks if housed with other fish.
  • Red Lionfish: These are venomous fish with long fins and spines. It has white, brown and orangey-red stripes all over its body.
  • Octopus: Octopi are molluscs with a soft-body and eight limbs. They’re extremely intelligent and can come in red and red-orange varieties.
  • Seahorse: These are small fish which a head and neck similar in shape to a horse and a curled tail. They have ridges along their bodies and are found in tropical saltwater climates.
  • Watermelon: These are a mildly sweet fruit with a thick, green rind and pale pink-red flesh. Commonly used in salads and juices and is considered a summer fruit.
  • Guarana: Guarana is a plant that’s high in caffeine and is used in energy drinks. It has small red berries with black and white seeds, and broad green leaves.
  • Sea Slug: Sea slugs are invertebrates which look similar to normal slugs. They come in many colours and patterns and shapes.
  • Red Sea Urchin: Sea urchins are round animals covered in long, sharp spines. They mostly eat algae and move very slowly.
  • Pink Grapefruit: This is a citrus fruit known for its sweet and sour taste. Looks like an oversized orange with a pinkish red interior.
  • Red Topaz: This is a crystalline mineral commonly used in jewelry.
  • Flamingo: Flamingos are a wading bird with long legs. They have generally pink bodies that vary from pale to a dark reddish hue.
  • Blood Orange: This is a type of orange with dark red flesh.
  • Mars: Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, and is also known as the Red Planet due to its red colour.
  • Great Red Spot: This is a large storm on Jupiter, which we perceive as a large red area on Jupiter’s surface (thus its name).
  • Scarlet Macaw: Scarlet Macaws are large birds with yellow, blue and red feathers.
  • Northern Red Snapper: These are large fish with pinkish-red scales and white bellies.
  • Prawn: Prawns are small crustaceans with a thin, transparent exoskeleton. They have an orange-red and white striped body.
  • Strawberry Poison Frog: This is a small, poisonous frog with black spots over its bright red body. Generally found in humid environments.
  • Crayfish: These are also known as crawfish, crawdads, yabbies, mudbugs and mountain lobsters. They have a bright, tomato red body with bumps and ridges along it.
  • Red Giants: These are giant stars that have used up the hydrogen in their cores. They look to us like red spots with a yellow core.
  • Red Dwarves: These are considered to be small, cool stars, and are also the most common sort of star in the Milky Way.
  • Red Supergiants: These are the largest stars in the universe, but not the brightest.
  • Red Diamond: These are even more rare and expensive than pink and blue diamonds. They have the same properties as clear diamonds do, and range from a brownish red to light red.
  • Red Beryl: Red beryl is extremely rare and was previously marketed as “red emerald”. It is a clear, pinkish-red gemstone.
  • Zircon: This is a mineral that comes in rellow, brown, red, blue, green and colourless varieties.
  • Cadmium: This is a metallic element which is used as a base for red paints. Known as a “true” red (rather than one that leans towards another colour).
  • Red Amaranth: This plant is topped with dark brownish-red flowers.
  • Grapes: A grape is a small, sweet round fruit that comes in green and red varieties.
  • Kangaroo Paw: This is a flowering herb with curled flowers that are covered in fluffy, velvety hairs.
  • Redback Spider: These are black spiders with a bright red hourglass shape on their abdomens. Known for being extremely poisonous.
  • Red Crabs: There are a few different types of red crab, including King Red and Christmas Island crab.
  • Vermillion: This is a mineral that’s used as a pigment in paint. A bright orangey-red.
  • Banksia: This is a shrub with conelike fruit and fluffy seeds.
  • Ochre: This is a pigment used in paints and dyes that results in an earthy red colour.
  • Starfish: Starfish are not actually fish, and are also known as sea stars. They have five arms which are able to grow back and are most commonly pink, orange or red.
  • Coral: These are marine invertebrates that live in colonies. Although coral comes in many sizes, shapes and colours, bleached coral (in other words, colourless coral) is becoming more common due to a lack of care for the environment.
  • Cosmos: Cosmos are flowers that belong to the sunflower family. They have a single layer of petals that curve upwards and have slightly ragged ends.
  • Canna: Although this is also known as a canna lily, it isn’t a true lily. It is a tall plant with brightly coloured, long petals that curl outwards. There are yellow, orange and red varieties.
  • Salvia: Salvia is a plant in the mint family and is otherwise known as sage. Although the most commonly known form of the plant is a bluish-purple, salvia with vibrant red flowers also exists.
  • Azaelea: Azaleas are shrubs that grow better in shade. They’re popular as decorative plants in southern Asia and parts of Europe.
  • Perennial Geranium: These flowers have long leaves and five petals with visible veining. Their colours are bold and can range from red, pink, purple, blue and white.
  • Hibiscus: These flowers grow in warm, tropical regions and are also known as rose mallow. They have a single long stamen and mildly frilled petals.
  • Red Sunflower: Red sunflowers have the same dark seeds that yellow sunflowers have, but with dark red petals.
  • Red Opal: Opals are a form of silica, and are commonly used in decoration and jewelry.
  • Cinnabar: This is a mineral and is the base for the pigment vermilion, which is a bright tomato red.
  • Northern Cardinal: This is known colloquially as the redbird. A small bird which is red all over save for a small black “mask” around its eyes and beak.
  • Gloxinia: This is a tropical, flowering herb. It has squat, round petals that are pointed at the tip and overlap each other slightly.
  • Rose Fish: This is a type of rockfish with large eyes and a mottled red pattern. Also known as red perch, golden redfish, red bream, Norway haddock, and ocean perch.
  • Deepwater Redfish: This is a medium-sized fish with red fins and spine, and a white belly.
  • Cochineal: Cochineals are small insects that feed on prickly pears. When ground up (which is considered by many to be an unethical practice), they provide the base for a shade of red paint.
  • Saffron: Saffron is a spice used as a dye and as a colourant in some types of culinary dishes.
  • Red Humboldt Squid: This is a large red squid which is known for its predatory behaviour.
  • Snapdragon: These are also known as dragon flowers. They have long, leafy stems topped with brightly coloured flowers.
  • Mite: Mites are tiny arachnids that are commonly known for their infestations on animals and stored foods.
  • Spinel: Spinels are a crystalline mineral commonly mistaken for rubies.
  • Scarlet Ibis: This is a medium-sized wader bird which is entirely red except for their beak and a few black-tipped feathers on each wing.
  • Lily Beetle: These are also known as scarlet lily beetles, red lily beetles and lily leaf beetles. They’re entirely red with the exceptions of their legs, faces and antennae.
  • Tourmaline: This is a semi-precious stone that is commonly a pale green mixed with a reddish-pink.
  • Red Soft Coral: This is also known as precious coral. It has a peachy-red colour and a fluffy-looking texture.
  • Tulips: Tulips have round, upward-facing blooms. They have a long history of cultivation and come in many colours.
  • Petunia: Petunias have thin, soft, frilled blooms.
  • Red Lilies: These are large, showy flowers that are popular with florists. Their petals curve outwards and can have a speckled pattern near their base.
  • Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemums have so many small, pointed petals layered over one another that they look almost fluffy. They are native to Asian and are of symbolic significance in Chinese culture.
  • Shrimp: These are small crustaceans with a long, curled tail. Their colouring can range from orange to red, alternated with white.
  • Marigold: These are commonly a bright, golden orange, but can come in orange-red varieties too.
  • Goldfish: These are small freshwater fish commonly kept as pets and kept in ponds and aquariums. They range in colour from gold, yellow, orange, red and white.
  • Beetroot: This is a plant with a red-purple, staining juice that’s used as a colouring for food, dye, natural paints and henna.
  • Poinsettia: These are also known as Christmas Flowers due to their red and dark green colouring. They’re commonly used in Christmas decor, including wreaths and bouquets. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not flowers – the red “petals” are actually coloured leaves.
  • Red Freesia: These are fragrant flowers with a trumpet-shaped head. Some species are popular as ornamental plants, and can come in various colours.
  • Aster: Asters have long, narrow petals, and look similar to a daisy. Their name means “star” and is in reference to the shape of their flower heads.
  • Celosia: This plant is both edible and ornamental. It has a pointed, cone-like flower head with a fluffy texture.
  • Gazania: These plants have large flowers with yellow petals that are striped with a dark red-orange.
  • Red-spotted Newts: These are also known as Eastern Newts. They live in small lakes and ponds, and have a red body with small black rings along their back.
  • Lotus: These are similar to water lilies, but rather than floating directly on top of the water’s surface, they grow slightly above the surface. Lotuses have symbolic significance in Chinese culture.
  • Spiny Red Crab: These crabs have long legs and fairly long spines all over their body.
  • Frogfish: Frogfish are a type of anglerfish. They’re small, stocky, and covered in bumps and appendages to help with camoflage.
  • Squirrel: These are rodents with long, bushy tails. Known in popular culture for being cute and eating acorns. Their fur is a reddish brown, with a white patch on their front.
  • Figs: These are a sweet, pear-shaped fruit which is enjoyed fresh or dried. When fresh, they have a red interior.
  • Illawarra Flame Tree: This is a large tree native to Australia. It has vibrant, bell-shaped flowers that cover the entire tree.
  • Flame of the Woods: These bushes are dotted with clusters of small red flowers. Their blooms have four narrow, pointed petals, and can come in yellow, red, and peach varieties, although the red is the most common.
  • Coral Grouper: These are large red fish with a spotted blue pattern.
  • Plum: These fruits can be enjoyed fresh or dried (dried plums are known as prunes).
  • Anthurium: Also known as the flamingo flower or laceleaf. Has upward-facing, dark red blooms that are glossy and ridged.
  • Dragon’s Blood: This is a hard, red resin used in incense, dye, medicine and varnish.
  • Red Poison Dart Frogs: These are small frogs with black legs, eyes and a black spotty pattern.
  • Red Coachwhip: These are a snake with a light red and brown pattern.
  • Anglerfish: These are a predator with a brownish-red body. They have a lure attached to their head to entice prey.
  • Peony: Peonies are perennials with large, round blooms with many layers of thin petals. They have fragrant flowers and are a popular choice for bridal bouquets.
  • Camellia: Camellias are native to Asia and are known as “tea flowers” in Chinese. They have round, overlapping petals and the oil that can be extracted from them is used extensively in cosmetics and cooking.
  • Begonia: These flowers are found in moist and tropical climates, and are popular as indoor ornamental houseplants.
  • Corn Snake: These are a type of rat snake that use constriction. They have a tomato-red and white pattern.
  • Columbine: Columbines are also called Granny’s Bonnets. They grow in meadows, woodlands, and have pointed, spurred petals.
  • Red Velvet Ant: Rather than an ant, this is actually a wasp with an extremely painful sting. They have a fluffy body with a bright red and black pattern.
  • Rowan Berries: Rowans are also called mountain-ashes, and their berries are small, round, and light-red in colour.
  • Eastern Red-Spotted Newt: This is a newt found in North America with a small, orange-red body.
  • Sunrose: This is also known as helianthemum, rock rose, rushrose and frostweed. These are shrubs with solitary, five-petalled flowers in colours of pink, red, orange or yellow.
  • Lenten Rose: Also known as hellebore, Christmas rose and winter rose. Despite its name, it isn’t actually a rose or even closely related to the rose family. They have dark, purplish-red petals and can be poisonous.
  • Scarlet Monkeyflower: This is a large plant with red or orange-red flowers and mildly prickly leaves.
  • Crape Myrtle: Also know as crepe myrtle. These are a flowering tree with brightly coloured blooms that are popular as ornamental trees.
  • Callistemon: This is also known as a bottle brush. It has bright red, brush-like flowers that radiate out in a cylindrical pattern.
  • Zinnia: Zinnias are a type of boldly coloured daisy with many overlapping layers of narrow petals.
  • Cockscomb: This flower is native to India and looks like the comb on a rooster’s head. It has a fluffy, frilled texture.
  • Calla Lily: These are large blooms with one wide petal curled around in a cone-like cup shape, housing a single, bright yellow stamen.
  • Coconut Octopus: This is a medium-sized octopus found in tropical waters. It has thick tentacles with a white pattern.
  • Alstroemeria: Also known as the lily of the incas, or peruvian lily. It has two layers of petals, with the inner layer being patterns and the outer layer showing a bold gradient of colour.
  • Minium: This is another name for red lead. It’s a vibrant orange-red pigment commonly used in painting in the Middle Ages.
  • Red Annual Sage: These are a bushy flower with blooms that are similar in appearance to lavender. The petals are bright red and the flowers grow above, wide, flat leaves.
  • Nasturtium: This is also known as indian cress or monks cress. It has long, trailing stems and almost circular leaves. The flowers are five-petalled and are orange-red in colour.
  • Pineapple Sage: Also known as tangerine sage. This is a shrub with small, narrow flowers and a scent that is similar to pineapple.
  • Primula: These are highly valued as ornamental plants, with a history of cultivation and hybridisation. It has large, rounded petals with a dent similar to that of a cherry blossom.
  • Asoka: Asokas are flowers with four small, diamond shaped petals.
  • Prickly Pear Fruit: These are pinkish-red bulbs that grow atop the paddles of prickly pears. They contain the seeds of the cactus and have bumps, rather than prickles.
  • Star Cluster: This plant grows clusters of small flowers with star-shaped petals. They can be white, pink or red, and sometimes the red variety have a white centre.
  • Bleeding Heart Vine: This flowering plant is also known as bagflower and glorybower. It grows in warm tropical climates, and have small flowers with pointed petals.
  • Flowering Quince: This is a light red flower native to Korea, China, Burma, Japan and Bhutan. In the west, they’re grown as decorative plants for their flowers, rather than for their fruit.
  • Carnation: Carnations have thin, frilled petals with ragged edges. They vary widely in colour.
  • Red Lory: This is a species of parrot with bright red plumage. It has a yellow beak with a few blue feathers in its wings.
  • Daylily: These are flowers that generally last for no longer than a day (thus their name). They have long petals that curl outwards and are slightly frilled at the edges.
  • Verbena: This plant grows in densely-packed clusters, with small, five-petalled flowers.
  • Lycoris: These are also known as hurricane lilies and cluster amaryllis. They have long stalks and leaves, and narrow curved petals that resemble the spokes of an upside-down umbrella.
  • Amaryllis: These are a type of flowering bulb. It has mildly curled petals and a soft texture.
  • Red-Veined Darter: This is a dragonfly with a red body and translucent wings found in marshes, ponds, lakes and rivers.
  • Sweet Pea: This is a climbing plant which can grow to two metres tall. The petals can range in colour from lilac, blue, white, pink and red.  
  • Red Cardinal Flower: This is a tall plant with flowers that grow vertically up it. It has long, drooping petals.
  • Firecracker Plant: This is also known as russelia. It has long, thin leaves, and narrow, tubular flowers.
  • Fiji Fire: This is a sturdy, dense bush with leaves that are a deep burgundy and dark green.
  • Gerbera Daisy: Gerberas are a type of daisy. They have long, narrow, velvety petals and come in a wide variety of colours.
  • Red Pygmy Water Lily: These are blooms that float on the surface of a pong. It has pale red flowers, with thin, pointed petals.
  • Anemone Flower: Anemone flowers have large, round petals that overlap.
  • Red Trumpet Creeper: This plant has clusters of small red flowers that are shaped like that flared end of a trumpet.
  • Glass-Eyed Squirrel Fish: This is a small to medium sized fish with a red and white patterned body.
  • Axolotl Calisto: This is also known as the Mexican walking fish, and is an amphibian. They’ve very popular as a companion pet since many people think they’re cute.
  • Fulvous Forest Skimmer: This is a dragonfly with red wings and a red body, but transparent wing tips.
  • Tschudi’s False Coral Snake: This snake has a red and black pattern with a black head.
  • Question Mark Butterfly: These butterflies range from orange to red, with a brown or black pattern on their wingtips.
  • Cherry Shrimp: This is a shrimp with a mottled red pattern.
  • Red Velour Mite: These are less than 1mm in length with a bright red body.
  • Mediterranean Red Sea Star: These are sea stars with long, thin limbs.
  • Blood-Red Glider: This is a species of butterfly with red wings that are edged with black.
  • Tomato Frog: These frogs are very round and squat, with a tomato-red hide and black stripes running down its sides.
  • Coneflower: Coneflowers have a very unique appearance as their petals curve downwards, rather than up. The centre of the flower has a distinctive cone-like shape, hence the flower’s name.
  • Vampire Squid: This is a small squid found in deep sea conditions. It has ear-like flaps on either side of its head and short, webbed tentacles.
  • Coffinfish: This is a species of sea toad that’s found in salty waters. It has a squat body with bumps and small spines all over.
  • Japanese Spider Crab: These are a type of crab with extremely long legs and a mottled tomato-red and cream pattern.
  • Rougheye Rockfish: This is a type of rockfish with spines down its back. It’s entirely orange-red with black edging on its fins.
  • Giant Barrel Sponge: This grows in Caribbean coral reefs and is the largest type of sponge.
  • Crescent-tail Hogfish: These are a small white fish patterned with broad red stripes.
  • Western Scorpion Fish: These are a bright red fish with a spiny, bumpy body.
  • Purus Red Howler: This is a type of howler monkey with long, dark red fur.
  • Can Can Scarlet: This is a type of hybrid carnation with vibrant, frilled petals.
  • Dark Red Yarrow: In the past, yarrow was used medicinally to staunch the flow of blood from open wounds. This flower is also known as old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-seal, goraldo, nosebleed plant and thousand-leaf.
  • Blanket Flower:These flowers have a very round head with pronged petals. The petals are bright red near the centre and yellow near the edge, giving the flower a painted effect.
  • Red-Headed Cardinal Beetle: This is an entirely red beetle with the exception of antenna and legs, which are black.
  • Crimson Star: These are flowers with two layers of petals. The inner layer consists of five white, rounded petals, while the outer layer resembles a pointed red cap sitting atop the inner layer.
  • Mwanza Flat-Headed Rock Agama: This is also called the Spider-Man Agama due to its half-red, half-blue colouration.

We hope that this list of naturally red things was useful for you! We did our best to be as varied and thorough as possible, but if we missed anything that you think should be included, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment.

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