If you want to add a ghoulish touch to your yard decorations this Halloween, look no further than these creepy plants and fungi. While pumpkins, ghosts, and fake headstones are staples of a fun and spooky Halloween-themed yard, there’s no replacing the horror and creepiness that these insidious-looking plants will instill into the hearts of your visitors.
The Bleeding Tooth Fungus (Hydnellum Peckii)
This unforgettable fungus has been made popular by its nickname “The Bleeding Tooth Fungus.” Not for the faint of heart, this mushroom is colored white and pink with large, deep porous holes scattered across the hood. If these holes aren’t enough to trigger your trypophobia, the dark red liquid that o
ozes out from the holes will send shivers down your spine.
The mushroom isn’t toxic, but its taste is described as very bitter pepper. After taking a look at this thing, I don’t imagine a lot of people will be lining up to taste it anyway. Surprisingly enough, the pigments in the red ooze are actually used as a dye in certain products. A creepy but practical attraction for a haunting landscape.
The Bat Flower (Tacca Chantieri)
Commonly known as the bat flower, this creepy flower is a type of orchid. It can be grown indoors or outdoors. It gets its name from the large black petals which are spread out to mimic a bat in flight. Complete with dark purple accents and long hanging filaments, this flower looks like a bat perched on a flower bush ready to attack if you spot it from the corner of your eye. This is the stuff of nightmares.
Ghost Plant (Monotropa Uniflora)
The ghost plant, also known as Indian pipe, is a pale, white flowering plant that looks more like a fungus but is actually in the blueberry family. The reason this plant is pale white is that it has no chlorophyll. Interestingly enough, because this plant has no chlorophyll, it doesn’t rely on sunlight for photosynthesis. This means it can actually glow in the dark! There’s nothing that will morbidly fascinate people more than a wilted, pale white flower that glows in the dark. A perfect spooky addition to any Halloween landscape.
Doll’s Eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
These grotesque and unnerving plants can make anyone inch away in disgust, but if you happen to have a fear of dolls, these plants will be enough to give you nightmares. Sporting a white bulb with a black stigma poking out through the front of the berry and attached to red stems, this color combination was created with the sole purpose of creeping out anyone who looks upon it. You should consider keeping these plants guarded by a gate because both the berries and the stem are highly toxic to human beings. You do not want a child to get ahold of the berries and accidentally ingest them.
Always exercise caution when bringing new plants into your local ecosystem. Take the proper precautions to protect visitors and local wildlife from any toxic plants you decide to plant. Stay spooky and safe this Halloween!