Think you're ready for Halloween? Like me, you probably have pumpkins on your porch, stuffed animals by the lantern, and lots of candy, but do you have scary plants in your garden?
Probably not. And that's really bad. We tend to think of spring with lots of poppies, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and pansies planted. Summer is also well planned with hanging baskets filled with flowering perennials, fruits, vegetables and annuals. So why is it that when we think of Halloween, a day that attracts more visitors to our homes than any other day on the calendar, we think of mums, coyotes, and whatever perennials might be nearby?
There are plenty of black and gothic seasonal plants to please those little ghosts and goblins as well as us. And you don't have to redo the entire garden. just place some of these bright decorations in a bed or container. And this will be a holiday for everyone.
ON TICK STICKS (Solanum integrifolium)
This seasonally perfect, low-maintenance plant isn't actually a pumpkin. It is an ornamental eggplant that grows in summer and is harvested in fall when the fruit growing along the stem turns orange. They are best grown from seed indoors in late winter or early spring and transplanted into the garden if tomatoes and eggplant grow in your area. Place cut stems in a vase filled with water to store for two to four weeks, or cut individual “pumpkins” to fill in containers for beautiful fall decorations. To make the decoration last longer, remove the leaves and hang upside down in a cool, dry place with good air circulation until the fruit rots and darkens.
THE HEALING POWER OF SPEAKING (Tacca Chanrieri)
This subtropical plant, which belongs to the sweet potato family, looks like an orchid. Grown as an ornamental plant in cold regions, its flowers resemble bats. And like vampires, they don't like direct sunlight.
GHOST PLANT (Monotropa uniflora)
Also known as Indian pipe, this plant native to North America and Asia grows in shady forests and can grow in complete darkness. These plants do not produce chlorophyll which makes other plants green, so their stems are white. Set it aside because when you select it, it will be black.
ACTAEA PACHYPODA (Actaea pachypoda)
Also known as white stem, the red stem of this vine produces white berries with dark purple “pupils” in the center, making it seem as if it is watching your every move. But it gets scarier. if you touch this poisonous North American native, your skin may blister. Try it, you might die. Proceed with caution. (Better perhaps skip this one.)
WEAR ALL BLACK
While not a black plant, many dark purple plants fit the bill. Think black mondo grass; Black Knight, Primo Black Pearl, Big Black Coral Bell or Obsidian; James Compton's Chocoholic or Snakeroot; Black Lace Elderberry; Onyx and Pearl, Blackbeard's Tongue or Northbeard's Mask; and alto Black Delight.
OR JUST DO IT
Do you think simpler is better? Add orange and black pansies to your beds and planters. They will bloom until frost and bloom again the following spring before the heat of summer kills them.
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Jessica Damiano writes a regular gardening column for the award-winning AP and Weekly Dirt Bulletin. Sign up here to get gardening tips and advice delivered to your inbox every week.
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