Creepy Plants for the Spooky Season

In urban legend, there’s always this one house that’s rumored to be haunted – every forsaken neighborhood that time forgot has one. The weeds are overgrown, shadows flit from darkened windows, and a pervasive feeling of dread permeates the rotting walls. 

To casual revelers, Halloween is a time to partake in spooky festivities while pretending to be something (or somebody) they’re not. To the mystically inclined, it’s a time where the veil between the spirit world and the mortal realm draws thin, allowing a glimpse to the other side. And if you’re a gardener, you’ll want to seek a cadre of eerie plants that can act as natural decorations – for October and beyond. 

No matter what your stance on Halloween is, it’s always fun to immerse yourself in the gothic creepiness of the season. This All Hallow’s Eve, pick your poison: liquor or poisonous plants chock full of toxins. 

1. Sturt’s Desert Pea

Sturt’s Desert Pea is a striking bloom that survives in the harsh Australian outback. From a distance, its tangle of red and black flowers almost resembles faces. It’s considered a difficult plant to grow, even more so from seed, though gardeners have found success with grafted rootstock. Plants of the genus can be grown successfully in the UK and areas of the US where conditions mirror the dry, arid climates of Australia (zones 9 – 10). 

2. 'Black Narcissus' Dahlia   

A staple in floral arrangements, dahlias are beautiful flowers. Black dahlias are often seen as tragically doomed, giving off a noir vibe. True black dahlias do not exist; however, dahlias with high concentrations of anthocyanins, which give rise to the darker burgundy hues, can achieve similar effects. The Black Narcissus and Blackjack varieties are known for their spiked, darkly hued flowers. 

3. Monnierara Millennium Magic 'Witchcraft'

Considered one of the best ‘black’ orchids available, this specialty cultivar is perfect for gardeners who gravitate towards the Victorian gothic rather than gaudy contemporary fashions. It’s a prized orchid that exhibits a near black color, flaring to burgundy at the edges. But its beauty comes with a cost: it’s not easy to obtain, and it’s more maintenance compared to grocery store orchids. Still, it’s well worth the effort to dedicated collectors and houseplant connoisseurs. 

4. Tropical Pitcher Plants   

Nepenthes pitcher plants are fascinating carnivores known to digest small rodents whole. In the wild, where their pitchers can grow to monstrous proportions, they lure in unsuspecting prey with their sweet-smelling nectar under its hood. These that take the bait inadvertently plummet to their deaths – a grisly process in which digestive enzymes decompose the corpse. In greenhouses though, the pitchers are smaller and unlikely to prey on vertebrates, but they can benefit from fertilizer. 

5. Doll’s Eye     

White Baneberry, or Doll’s Eye, is an unsettling plant that can kill you – luckily, it’s one of those plants that are conspicuously poisonous. The berries, a deathly china white, and the stem, a lurid red, seem like the kind of plant a twisted dollmaker who makes Geppetto’s work seem like child’s play might like. While the berries are fatal to humans, birds routinely prey on the berries without any ill effects. It’s not a plant you should actively grow, but one you may encounter on a hike through woodland areas. 

6. Globularia 'Blue Eyes'

Globularia 'Blue Eyes' are whimsical plants whose steel blue ‘eyes’ juxtapose nicely against its leathery foliage. They’re like little eyes that follow you around. They can be grown as houseplants or in a Mediterranean setting, where they thrive in dry, gritty sites and aren’t bothered by a lack of water. It grows in zones 9a – 11, though you can also grow in rolling planters that you can wheel indoors.  

7. Thunderstruck™ Rumblin' Red™ Crapemyrtle

 

While not the most unnerving of plants, this crepe myrtle is a dazzling powerhouse that is sure to stun onlookers. True to its name, the showy red petals burst from near-black, ruffled foliage, lending an electrifying atmosphere to the landscape. Low maintenance once established, crepe myrtles are watered deeply but infrequently. Compost worked into the soil can help crepe myrtles thrive. 

8. Golden Rat’s Tail     

If you hate spiders, the Golden Rat’s Tail succulent can either make you really uncomfortable or relieved that there’s not an actual tarantula inside your house. Starting from a single stem, it soon sprouts into multi-branched cylinders. When it reaches lengths of two feet, the golden spines start to droop downwards, making it ideal for hanging baskets. It typically blooms from late winter to early spring – sufficient sun exposure is critical for getting it to bloom. 

9. Voodoo Lily     

White lilies are symbols of purity, used to mark the graves of martyrs who died too young, yet the voodoo lily is none so innocuous. With an alien, provocative appearance, a nearly six-foot height, and a smell reminiscent of rotting garbage, it’s only suited for certain temperaments. These plants bloom rarely, only once in a few years, and have become a cult classic in botanic gardens. If you don’t want your neighbors questioning whether you’re a serial killer, skip this plant. 

10. Black Pansies     

Though Halloween pansies are considered a more basic choice, these black beauties won’t strangle you in your sleep. Their petals a velvety black that runs like India ink, Halloween pansies are allotted a dot of yellow color in the center. Unlike wisteria or morning glories, which seek to devour, these flowers are demure and folksy, perfect for fall containers and goth gardens – perhaps their only fault is their tendency to wilt. 

11. Black Bat Flower     

Bat flowers, a rare species of orchids that are difficult to cultivate from seed, appear like something from a Lovecraft novel. They’re flanked by long, whiskered strands that dangle from glistening black petals, flaring out like the hood of a cobra. Like most tropical houseplants, it flourishes during the wet season in conditions similar to those of pitcher plants.