| Membership | Price (+HST) |
|---|---|
| Single | $85/year |
| Single Plus | $120/year |
| Family | $130/year |
| Family Plus | $175/year |
| Contributing | $300/year |
| Supporting | $600/year |
| Sustaining | $1,000/year |
| Benefactor's Circle | $2,500/year |
| Director's Circle | $5,000/year |
| President's Circle | $10,000/year |
Beyond Pumpkins: Peculiar Plants for Halloween
October 29, 2024
Beyond Pumpkins: Peculiar Plants for Halloween
By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens
Carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns is a popular Halloween tradition whose origins began back in the mists of time in Ireland, Scotland and other areas with Celtic influences. The practice of carving ghoulish faces on vegetables relates to ancient tales of folklore in these countries and Jack-o-lanterns were placed in windows or near doors to ward off evil spirits during Samhain. Because pumpkins do not occur naturally in Ireland or Scotland, jack-o-lanterns were traditionally carved from turnips, rutabagas, or beets. However, with the arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants in North America, along with the native presence of pumpkins, these colorful winter squash revitalized the tradition in the form we know today.
In North America, pumpkins were initially associated with the harvest season and later became popular as children’s prizes during Thanksgiving. As the number of immigrants from Scotland and Ireland grew, so did the folklore surrounding jack-o-lanterns, transforming pumpkin carving from a general winter pastime into a tradition uniquely tied to Halloween. The traditional Celtic beliefs of Samhain were woven into the popular customs of All Hallows’ Eve, contributing to the spooky festivities we enjoy each October.
Beyond pumpkins, many other plants have connections to Halloween, often thanks to their funky or spooky-sounding names. Let’s explore a few of these plants that make the Halloween plant list to “boo-st” your “spook-tacular” plant knowledge!
Carrion Plant (Stapelia)
Carrion plant is native to desert regions from South Africa to Tanzania with large star shaped flowers that are red and yellow, wrinkled and fringed with hairs which sounds rather like the skin complexion of a witch. Like Voodoo Lily, Carrion Plant is another botanical trickster, defying conventional behavior and disrupting natural order. The flowers emit the smell of rotting flesh to attract the carrion flies which pollinate them. This gourmet fragrance includes such delightfully sounding compounds as putrescine (a component of bad breath and other things you really don’t want to know about) and cadaverine (a component of putrefying flesh and other things that you want to know even less about). The general scent has jovially been referred to as being an appetite suppressant. Carrion Plant can be found at RBG Centre in the Cacti and Succulents Collection and blooms at varying times throughout the year.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)
Perfectly suited for any Halloween plant list Witch Hazel ticks all the boxes. Three species are native to North America which begin to flower at the end of October perfectly in time for spooky fest and bloom through the ‘dead’ of winter. In folklore it was said that witches used this plant to ward off evil and communicate with spirits. Despite these associations, witch hazel is far more useful than scary. For centuries, it has been used to cleanse and heal irritated skin. It can also be used to treat hemorrhoids, but that’s a different story for another day! Various examples of Witch Hazels can be found in the Arboretum and along the Anishinaabe waadiziwin trail in RBG’s nature sanctuaries.
Ghost Pipe (Monotropa)
Ghost pipe, also known as ghost plant or corpse plant, is a perfect addition to any spine-chilling plant list. It can be found growing in moist, shaded, humus-rich areas in RBG’s nature sanctuaries. Often mistaken for fungi due to its white color (as it doesn’t contain chlorophyll), it has a spectral appearance. Interestingly, it belongs to the same family (Ericaceae) as blueberries, cranberries, and rhododendrons—what a curious plant! Since this is a native flower, a word to the wise: just like with any phantom, it’s better to admire it from a distance rather than touch it to avoid a serious ghostly encounter.
Voodoo Lily (Amorphophallus)
Native to subtropical Vietnam, China and Japan, Voodoo Lily is grown as a curiosity for its interesting foliage. When the plant blooms however, things become more sinister. The flowers emit an odour like that of a dead body. Why? The plant is trying to attract carrion flies that are its natural pollinators and so cleverly lures them with the fake promise of a free meal on what they think is dead flesh allowing the flowers to be pollinated. How’s that for Halloween horror! Flowering every two to three years Voodoo Lily can be seen at RBG Centre when periodically in bloom.
Monstera
Native to tropical forests of southern Mexico south to Panama. The genus name Monstera is derived from the Latin word for monstrous or abnormal referring to the unusual leaves with natural holes. If you imagine hard these could be monstrous eyes. Being in the Araceae family, the leaves also have a slight toxicity giving the plant an even more charismatic link to Halloween. Have no fear though as this is commonly grown safely as a houseplant and can be seen at RBG Centre.
Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum)
Devil’s Ivy is commonly grown as a houseplant due to its easy care, also known as simply as Pothos. They are adaptable to many conditions and so just like the Living Dead they are hard to kill. While most house plants rely on good levels of sunlight Devil’s Ivy remains happy and thrives in the dark much like a vampire and so is a Draculicious choice for homeowners. Various varieties of Devil’s Ivy can be seen around RBG Centre.
Toad Lily (Tricyrtis)
Toad lily has a native range from the Himalayas, China, Japan, Philippines and Taiwan. They are cultivated for several ornamental qualities including flowers and leaves that are spotted like toads. The flowers, also like toads, have wart like bumps at the base of the nectaries. Toads are often associated with witchcraft as familiars or ingredients in witches’ brews. This pairing probably arose from the belief that toads are toxic and so used to make all manner of devilish poisons. Sounds like a good excuse to fire up the cauldron for some good old fashioned “double, double, toil and trouble”, which is not your normal double double! Toad Lily can be seen in several garden areas such as Rock Garden in summer at RBG.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Garlic is a bulbous flowering plant in the onion family, native to Central Asia, South Asia, and northeastern Iran. It has been cultivated for thousands of years for its medicinal properties, which include antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. In a fun Halloween context, garlic is highly valued for its reputed ability to ward off certain blood-feeding creatures, notably vampires. If you want to avoid being the featured vintage red on the menu at a dark banquet, a trip to the grocery store on Halloween is recommended to avoid the attention of pesky, wayfaring Nosferatu.
Well, there you have it! During the Halloween season, you’re now armed with the list of plants above, ensuring you’ll be the most botanically windswept and intriguing raconteur as the witches’ brew flows. Have a fang-tastic Howl-oween!
More from the RBG Blog
Check out RBG’s blog for announcements, articles, and more from Canada’s largest botanical garden.
Want to be sure you hear first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter to hear about upcoming events, weekend activities, articles, and more!
