10 Plants to Bring a Touch Of Halloween to Your Autumn Displays

From spooky ghost plants to brain-like cacti, there are lots of plants that fit the macabre theme of Halloween. We’ve rounded up ten of the best plants to inspire your Halloween and autumnal displays.

Black Viola

Viola are a popular choice for winter hanging baskets. The most common colour choices are yellow and purple, but did you know they also come in black?

The black viola has velvety flowers which can be used to create a bold and dramatic display throughout the whole of autumn and winter.

Chinese lantern

During the summer the Chinese Lantern plant has white flowers. However, it comes to life in the autumn when the small white flowers turn into large orange flowers that feel and look like paper lanterns.

Inside the lantern shaped flower is a berry, and if you leave the flowers out long enough, the paper-like skeleton of the lantern flowers look particularly ghostly.

Dead Man’s Fingers 

Officially known as Decaisnea but commonly known as Dead Man’s Fingers. This hardy shrub produces drooping flowers that look like fingers.

However, despite their name , the fruit of the plant is known for its sweet taste. With some people comparing it to cucumber or melon.

Venus Flytrap

Little Shop of Horrors has made carnivorous plants a Halloween staple. They’re also a great talking point, as people of all ages will be fascinated to see them eat housefly’s and gnats.  

This fast-moving plant has tiny hairs on its inner surface that can detect insects, which the plant then digests with enzymes and specialist glands. Truly petrifying.

Brain Flower

Cockscomb plants have bold and bright flowers that can add a burst of colour to any garden. But this pretty flower is also known as the Brain Flower because it really does resemble a human brain.

You can choose from red, orange, or yellow flowers to create a spooky display with these flowers. They are known for being easy to grow from seed, so you could even grow your own ready for next year’s Halloween.

Marigolds

Marigolds are not a particularly scary-looking plant, but their bold orange flowers will add a bit of autumn charm to your Halloween display.

You could even use marigold flowers to create a pumpkin inspired Halloween crown to complement your costume.

Brain Cactus

The name says it all. This gruesome looking cactus twists around itself as it grows, creating a shape that looks just like a human brain.

This plant is part of the Mammillaria elongate family of cactus. Cactus in this family typically grow straight, but damage to the plant when it’s young is what causes the brain cactus to grow into its unusual shape.  

 

Red Secret

Alocasia Red Secret is a rare houseplant with dark metallic leaves and translucent stems.
They are native to tropical forests, where they adapted to reflect light between their own leaves.

Their leaves come in deep red and green colours, however in some lights the leaves can look black. Despite their spooky look, this houseplant has good air purifying qualities so are a perfect addition to any household.

Purple Oxalis

Purple oxalis have moody-coloured leaves that resemble a shamrock. Its purple leaves have undertones of black, providing a great way to bulk-out Halloween floral displays.

Surprisingly, the leaves of this plant are edible in small amounts, so you could even sprinkle a few onto a cake for your Halloween party.  This plant is an easy-to-look-after perennial that grows well in bright sunlight.

Corpse Flower

This isn’t a plant you could actually incorporate into your Halloween display. But it might just be the ultimate Halloween flower.

Officially known as the Titian Arum, this plant is known for smelling of rotting flesh when its flowering. They only flower every 4-10 years, with flowers lasting just one or two days. This impressive plant can even grow to over 10ft tall.

Sadly, the Corpse Flower is endangered. But you can catch a glimpse of this awe-inducing plant at specialist botanical gardens, including Kew Gardens and The Eden Project.

 

Seasonal displays from phs Greenleaf

From office plants to bespoke living walls, phs Greenleaf can work with your business to ensure you’re premises always have a welcoming and inviting seasonalfloral display.

phs Greenleaf are experts in the design and installation of plants and planting displays. Our expert team of horticulturalists will even undertake ongoing maintenance visits to ensure your plants always look their best.

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