Happy October! It’s the time of year when candy corn hits grocery store shelves everywhere, when Tucson nights finally grow cooler, and when cobwebs can be taken as a good thing. At Casas Adobes Flower Shops, we love everything floral and green. So, it’s only natural that we celebrate Halloween by honoring some of the scariest plants in the world.
Warning! These Plants Aren’t Suitable for Bouquets: Top 3 Plants to Chill Your Bones
1. Stinking Corpse Lily
Stinking Corpse Lily
This monster bloom looks like something from an alien planet, but it’s actually native to the island of Sumatra. Its gargantuan flower holds the title of the largest single flower on Earth, and it can stretch up to nearly three-and-a-half feet in diameter. Not only is this parasitic plant’s flower scarily big, it’s also disgustingly stinky. As the plant’s name suggests, it smells strongly of rotting flesh, particularly of the fishy variety.
2. Titan Arum
Sumatran corpse flower – Titan Arum
Another Sumatran native, the titan arum grows so large that its name actually means giant in Greek! When we say large, we mean it. This plant’s group of flowers can reach heights of up to 20 feet and can stretch as far as 16 feet across, meaning it wouldn’t fit in most average rooms! The flower’s bloom is gigantic, but also quite rare, as it can bloom as infrequently as only once per decade.
Apart from its terrifying size, the titan arum also emits a horrifying stench. People often describe its aroma as a combination of sweaty socks, Limburger cheese, Chloraseptic, and rotting fish with just a hint of sweetness. This is a plant that’s awesome to behold, but not one you’d want in your house.
3. Hydnora Africana
Hydnora-Africana
This subterranean plant grows completely underground, feeding on the roots of neighboring plants, until it’s ready to reproduce. When the plant’s ready for pollination, its monster-mouth like flowers burst up from beneath the soil. They emit a rancid aroma that attracts flies and beetles. When an innocent insect lands on its flesh, the flower snaps shut, trapping the bug only releasing when it’s sufficiently covered with pollen.
Pleasantly Perfumed Plants for Your October Floral Arrangements
You don’t have to order a plant from halfway around the world just to inundate your home with the smell of rotting flesh to properly celebrate Halloween. This October, you can get into the spirit of the season with a variety of more common blooms that are every bit as special this time of year.
Orange Mums
Sunflower
Snapdragon Seed Pods -Photo by Kuriositas
Black Rose
Chrysanthemums
These brightly-colored blooms pop up in the multitudes on a single plant. They’re available in almost every color of the rainbow, including those that feel most like autumn: yellows, golds, oranges, and reds. Potted versions look beautiful and cheerful on your doorstep or gathered around the hearth. These pom-pom flowers will help you welcome friends and family to your home this October.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are the perfect bloom to bridge the gap between summer and winter. These classic autumn flowers feature large blooms and all the burnt colors of autumn. They’re pretty in cut floral arrangements, poking out of carved pumpkins, or arranged on your front porch with scarecrows and bales of hay.
Snapdragon Seed Pods
These creepy seed distributors bear an odd resemblance to human skulls — except they’re teeny-tiny. These seed pods begin their lives as lovely, bouncy, beautiful snapdragon flowers. When the blooms dry out and die, these sinister seed pods are left behind. Although they look like something you could easily purchase at a Halloween supply store, they can be found everywhere snapdragons grow. They look festive on their own or can be used to embellish an arrangement of October-worthy flowers.
Black Roses
A bouquet of these midnight blooms would make the perfect addition to a Frankenstein’s bride costume or add a macabre vibe to your Halloween decor. For less of a scare-fest, we suggest mixing black roses with orange-colored blooms to achieve a more kitschy Halloween look. You can tie off the arrangements with ghostly ribbons or add a couple of snapdragon seed pods for added effect.
Frightful and Delightful Flowers for October
Whether you’re looking for bouquets of black flowers or a bouquet of autumn colors, our expert florists at Casas Adobe Flower Shops can help you! We have a variety of artful October floral designs and Halloween bouquets to get you into the fall spirit, such as our Fall Festival and Rustic Sunset bouquets.
Whether you want to decorate your front steps, pick out a festive centerpiece, or decorate for a Halloween party, we’ll help you select the best fall arrangements to decorate your space for October!
