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Halloween Plants – 21 Scary Plants to Set A Spooky Mood

It’s time for Halloween, which means that we get to enjoy all of the Halloween plants this season has to offer. The list includes black plants, creepy flowers, and even smelly and carnivorous plants!

The plants associated with Halloween don’t have pretty flowers or foliage. Instead, these evil plants are dark and dreary. They have spikes, fangs, and come in all the somber colors of the season.

The color of these plants and their common names all play a big part in deciding which are the spookiest plants for Halloween. After all, who could resist the idea of owning a Bat Head lily or Dracula orchid this time of the year?

Keep reading to learn more about scary plants, black plants, and the weird and wonderful plants that will make this Halloween the spookiest one yet.

Foggy background with a group of creepy plants and words reading Spooky Halloween Plants.

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Creepy looking plants associated with Halloween

Some of these Halloween plants have scary flowers and features. The list includes a cactus that looks like a brain and even a fungus that appears to have blood dripping from it. Let’s learn about some of these bizarre plants that would be perfect in any horror movie!

Venus Flytrap

No list of scary Halloween plants would be complete without a Venus flytrap – Dionaea muscipula. This spooky plant was even the inspiration for the musical Little Shop of Horrors. In this horror-comedy, a florist raised Audrey II, which was a plant that fed on human blood and flesh.

The Venus flytrap is also a carnivorous plant that catches insects and spiders. It has a trapping structure triggered by tiny hairs on the ends of the plant’s leaves.

Venus fly trap plants in a gray pot.

With its sharp fangs and open mouths, the look of this plant is enough to scare you silly! The Venus flytrap plant is listed as a vulnerable species by the National Wildlife Federation.

Want to include one in your Halloween plant decor? You can purchase it on Etsy.

Bat Head Lily

What could be more perfect for Halloween than this creepy plant that looks like a bat? I first discovered the Bat Head lily, also called the “Black Bat lily” – Tacca chantrieri – on a trip to Biltmore Estate.

The color of this lily is actually closer to a deep brown, but there is no mistaking its bat-like face. This creepy plant has “wings” on the side that look like bat wings and very long whiskers that make it look like a creature from an alien planet.

Bat head lily flower with long whiskers.

It’s easy to add a Bat Head lily to your Halloween party decor because they are happy growing in containers. You can purchase a black bat lily here.

Dracula Orchid (also known as monkey face orchid)

The name of the orchid fits in perfectly with Halloween. The Dracula vampira orchid, also known as a “Monkey Face” orchid has spooky flowers that resemble an evil monkey’s face. 

Black Dracula orchid with a face like look and long whiskers.

The scary flowers of this orchid come in many colors, including white, red, brown, and black. You can buy a white Dracula orchid here.

Bleeding tooth fungus

What could be more scary-looking than Hydnellum peckii? It is commonly known as “Bleeding Tooth fungus” and “Devil’s Tooth fungus”. 

Adult versions of this fungus are rather nondescript looking. However, when the fungus is young and actively growing, it appears to bleed from its pores! 

Hydnellum peckii - also known as bleeding tooth fungus with red spores growing on its surface.

Even though this fungus looks terrifying, its bark is worse than its bite. Bleeding Tooth fungus is currently undergoing trials for possible medical benefits! 

This fungus is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Korea and Iran.

Carnivorous cobra lily

This is another scary Halloween plant with a taste for bugs. Darlingtonia californica – also known as “California cobra lily” – is a carnivorous plant with a forked leaf that looks like a serpent’s tongue.

Tubular flowers of the carnivorous cobra lily plant.

When bugs fly into this plant to get to the sweet nectar, they will be trapped inside. Purchase this carnivorous cobra lily on Etsy.

Corpse Flower

The corpse flower – Amorphophallus titanum, not only looks scary, but it also smells foul. While the plant is blooming, the flower has a strong odor similar to rotting meat, leading to its spooky plant name “Corpse Flower.”

Not to worry, in cultivation, this plant only flowers once every 7-10 years so you won’t have the smell around very often.

Flower of the giant Amorphophallus Titanum, a foul smelling plant known as "corpse flower" in full bloom.

Dung beetles, flies and other insects are attracted to this smell and they are the primary pollinators of the flowers. It is a rare tropical plant that is native to the rainforests of Indonesia.

Corpse Flower is one of the world’s largest flowers. Its bloom can grow to more than eight feet in height and four feet across.

Black Magic elephant ear

The botanical name for this plant is Colocasia esculenta. This large and leafy plant is commonly known as “Black Magic Elephant Ears.” What a perfect name for a Halloween plant!

Black magic elephant ears plants growing in a garden.

These plants are grown for their dramatic foliage that looks like the ears of an elephant. They will grow in pots, so if you have one on a patio, you could bring it indoors for Halloween.

Imagine going trick or treating and coming up to a house with these creepy plants in the yard.

You can buy starter Black Magic elephant ear plants on Etsy.

Ghost Plant

Monotropa uniflora is also known as “Ghost Plant”, “Indian Pipe”, and “Corpse Plant” because of its ghostly look. It is a perennial plant that is native to temperate areas of Asia, North America, and South America.

Small cluster of white ghost plants growing through straw.

This creepy plant has no chlorophyll and does not depend on photosynthesis to grow. That means that these ghost plants can grow in very dark areas.

You can buy seeds to grow Ghost Plants here.

Deadly Nightshade

Atropa belladonna has long been associated with death. It is rumored that the Roman empress Livia Drusilla used the juice of the plant to murder her husband, Emperor Augustus.

The common name of this poisonous perennial plant is “Deadly Nightshade”. 

Black berries of the Deadly Nightshade plant - one of the world's most poisonous plants.

This plant is considered one of the most toxic plants in the Eastern Hemisphere. For this reason, I don’t recommend growing it. However, I wanted to be sure to include it in this list of evil plants for Halloween.

Devil’s Claw Plant

Harpagophytum procumbens commonly known as “Devil’s Claw Plant”, makes it on this list of spooky Halloween plant for its name alone! The curved leaves of the plant are very sticky and covered with fine hairs. They do, indeed, look like a claw!

Purple Devil's Claw plant on a green background.

The roots and tubers of the devil’s claw plant are used to make medicine for all sorts of ailments, including gout, arthritis, and muscle pain.

It grows across the Sonoran desert in areas including Southern California, Texas, and Mexico.

Brain mushroom

Gyromitra esculenta, also known as “Brain Mushroom”, is a rare type of fungus that grows throughout Europe and North America.

Its resemblance to the human brain is uncanny, so it makes the perfect creepy plant for Halloween.

Two brain mushrooms growing in the ground.

Note that Brain Mushroom can be quite poisonous – it has even been banned from public sale in Spain.

Dragon Lily

The evil flower names for this plant include Dracunculus vulgaris, “Dragon Lily” and “vampire lily”. These spooky plants are grown for their huge flowers and unusual foliage.

Like the corpse plant shown above, the creepy flowers of Dragon Lily produce a strong, offensive odor that smells like rotting meat. This odor attracts flies that will eventually pollinate the scary-looking flowers.

Creepy flower of a purple Dragon Lily plant.

Although Dragon Lily has an impressive exotic appearance it is actually very easy to grow. You can buy a Dragon Lily bulb here.

Brain cactus

The Mammillaria elongata ‘Cristata’ is native to central Mexico. It is commonly called a “Brain Cactus” because of its uncanny resemblance to a human brain.

Brain cactus in a skeleton planter along with a skeleton hand.

The shape of the brain cactus occurs because of damage the plant sustains while growing. Cells of the plant multiply at a faster rate than normal at the place of the damage.

This faster growth causes the twisted nature of the cactus that makes it resemble a human brain.

Brain Cactus is easy to find and grow. It makes the perfect addition to any Halloween decor.

Black mondo grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, also known as “Black Mondo Grass”, is a member of the Poaceae family. This perennial isn’t actually a true grass, in spite of its name. 

The plant’s jet black color is makes it a perfect choice to use when decorating for Halloween.

Large patch of black mondo grass in a garden.

Black mondo grass is normally grown as a ground cover in semi-shady locations. If you’d like to add some to your yard, you can buy bare-rooted Black Mondo Grass here.

Bleeding heart

It’s no surprise that a plant with the name “Bleeding Heart” is included in this list of Halloween plants.

The flowers of Dicentra spectabilis are shaped like hearts. Extending from the end of the bloom is a teardrop-shaped petal which gives the illusion of a bleeding heart, granting the plant its spooky Halloween name.

Flowers of red Bleeding Heart plant.

The red flowers of this plant would look excellent as an addition to any Halloween decor. Buy seeds to grow your own Bleeding Heart plant here.

Old Man Cactus

This variety of cactus has the botanical name cephalocereus senilis. It is commonly called “Old Man Cactus“, due to the fluffy tufts of hair that sit over the spikes on its tall cactus body.

 Jack o Lantern, sign and two old man cactus plants in a terra cotta pot with black spider web.

You only need to add a pair of googly eyes to an old man cactus to have the perfect Halloween decoration. Get your own Old Man Cactus on Etsy.

Spider lily

Lycoris radiata has dozens of long, curling stamens which look like spider’s legs, giving this lily its common name “Spider Lily”. What could be more Halloween-inspired than spiders?

Red spider lily on a black bokeh background.

Additionally, in Japanese Buddhist tradition, red spider lilies are thought of as a flower for this life and the next. During the fall equinox, loved ones place spider lilies on their ancestor’s graves as a tribute to them.

Though these flowers aren’t typically given as gifts due to their association with the dead, if you want to buy one for yourself, you can get a red Spider Lily here.

Chinese Lanterns

The pods of Physalis Alkekengi also known as “Chinese Lantern plants” start out green but by the end of their growing season in early fall, their color turns to orange.

The bright orange color of their flowers makes them the perfect choice for fall decorations. This plant is Mother Nature’s way of giving a floral pumpkin!

Orange pumpkin-like pods of the Chinese Lantern plant.

Like many other plants on this list, Chinese lantern plants are considered poisonous. Even though they are often seen during this time of the year, don’t decorate with them if you have young children or pets in the house who might be tempted to eat them.

Doll’s Eye Plant

The berries of Actaea pachypoda, commonly known as “Doll’s Eye Plant”, are stark white with a single black dot on a bright red stem. The entire plant is toxic to humans and can even cause hallucinations.

Just the look of these doll’s eyes reminds me of the Children of the Corn movies. So spooky!

White and red berries of the spooky Doll's Eye plant for Halloween.

Even a small amount of contact with the skin can cause blisters. For this toxicity reason, you shouldn’t use this plant to decorate for a Halloween party, but it still belongs on this list of spooky Halloween plants.

Devil’s Hand Tree

The botanical name of the plant, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, means “five-fingered hand-flower tree”, which is fitting because the creepy flowers of the Devil’s Hand tree are claw-shaped. 

They look as though they would like to reach out and grab you!

Red flower of the Devil's Hand tree.

If you’d like to add some creepy Halloween plants to your yard this year, you can purchase Devil’s Hand tree seeds on Etsy.

Devil’s Tongue cactus

This spiny cactus is called Devil’s Tongue cactus (Ferocactus latispinus). The plant is covered with red spines that stick out like tongues.

Close up of spines on a Devil's tongue cactus.

This spooky houseplant makes a perfect addition to any Halloween-themed decor. To get one of your own, purchase Devil’s Tongue cactus on Etsy

Not only are these 21 Halloween plants scary looking, but they have spooky names and back up the names with eerie-looking flowers, leaves, and berries. These creepy plants all announce that Halloween is here!

Now it’s your turn. Do you have a favorite Halloween plant that I have missed? List it in the comments below.

Share these Halloween plants on Twitter

Did you enjoy learning about these scary plants for Halloween? Be sure to share this blog post with a friend. Here is a tweet to get you started:

👻😈👹☠Halloween is the time for all things spooky. Is your garden ready? Head to The Gardening Cook for a list of scary Halloween plants that will have the whole neighborhood trembling. 🎃👹☠👿💀👻 Share on X

Pin these Halloween plants for later

Would you like a reminder of these scary Halloween plants? Just pin this image to one of your Halloween boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Bat head lily and words List of Scary Halloween Plants.

Would you like a reminder of these plants for your next plant shopping trip? Print out the shopping list below.

Admin note: this post for the creepiest plants for Halloween first appeared on the blog in August 2020. I have updated the post to add all new photos, and a video for you to enjoy.

Yield: 1 Halloween plants shopping list

Shopping List for Spooky Halloween Plants

Vampire lily, bleeding tooth fungus, Venus fly trap and bat head lily in a collage.

These plants are spooky, scary and perfect to set the mood for Halloween. Print out this shopping list to take with you when you go plant shopping.

Active Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Difficulty easy
Estimated Cost $1

Materials

  • Printer paper

Tools

  • Computer
  • Printer

Instructions

  1. Load your computer paper into your printer.
  2. Choose portrait layout and if possible "fit to page" in your settings.
  3. Print this list of spooky plants for Halloween.
  4. Take it to the store on your next plant shopping trip for the scariest Halloween plants ever.

Notes

Pictures of spooky plants on the side of a Halloween plants shopping list.

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