Plants are a large part of the mystical world. If you’re a fan of haunting tales this time of year, odds are that you’re aware of the roles played by plants in common lore. While many of our modern medicines come from plants, many poisons also originate with our leafy friends (and foes). Because of the unique chemicals found locked inside plants and the effects they have on us, plants have been notorious sources of poisons, medical aids, and cures for as long as humans have been around. Wicked plants is a book all about the dangers, risks, and mischief that plants get up to. Check it out if you’re interested in the dangerous side of the botanical world!

What’s in a name? Some plants have pretty frightening names with dark origins. We’ve compiled a list of strange and spooky plants that share one thing in common--their ghoulish names.

Strange and Spooky Halloween Plants

Monstera

The monster plant is really not as scary as its name implies. While its leaves do have a slight toxicity level like its cousins in the Araceae family, monstera is a pretty safe plant to have around. Its size is the scary part… indoors, the plant can grow up to 15 feet tall, and its leaves can span one-and-a-half to two feet wide!

Spider Plant

Remember the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where Ron Weasely looks upward only to see hundreds of giant spiders descending from above in the enchanted forest? Well, Aragog’s offspring tend to remind us of the spider plant. If allowed to sprawl, the spider plantlets that spring up out of the original plant bounce and bob like real spiders!

Devil’s Backbone

Like a nightmare before Christmas, devil’s backbone (a.k.a. Euphorbia tithymaloides) is a more frightful cousin to the cheery poinsettia. It’s named for its crooked, zigzagging stem that twists and turns unlike any other.

Candelabra Cactus

After watching Disney’s The Haunted Mansion no one questions that a candelabra or two enhances an eerie atmosphere like no other mood lighting. However, unlike gothic candelabras used in your Halloween decor, candelabra cactus shines no light on a room. Instead, the spines that run up and down its towering stems can give off a more hostile feeling and create spooky, stretching shadows across walls and floors.

Devil’s Ivy

A popular houseplant because of its easy care, devil’s ivy (a.k.a. Epipremnum or commonly known as pothos) is harder to kill than to keep alive. While most plants turn white or simply die in the absence of sunlight, devil’s ivy deceptively remains green in the dark as if it is photosynthesizing and thriving. Perhaps J. K. Rowling thought of devil’s ivy when creating the enchanted plant, devil’s snare. Devil’s snare hates sunlight a touch more than real-life devil’s ivy, though.

Corpse Flower

While this plant is too big to sit on your coffee table, the corpse plant is a part of the Araceae family alongside philodendron, monstera, and anthurium just to name a few. Darkly, this strange plant produces a rare flower every so often that exudes an odor like a corpse. Curious to learn more, check out The Corpse Flower: Behind the Stink | National Geographic! 

Devil’s Trumpet

As part of the nightshade family, devil’s trumpet is closely related to the tomato plant. However, unlike tomatoes, it is extremely poisonous. It’s many common names wave red flags--Jimsonweed, moonflower, and hell’s bells. Although it can have beautiful blooms, it has both poisonous and psychoactive properties if consumed.

Bladderwort

Carnivorous plants are at the leader board when it comes to strange plants, so we thought we’d throw an unusual one on the list. Bladderwort is a water plant that has no roots and small bladders dispersed throughout the plant that catch prey underwater! These bladder traps are considered to be one of the most sophisticated structures in the botanical world.

Halloween is the perfect time of year to appreciate all the weird and wonderful that the plant world has to offer!