It’s Halloween! While trick-or-treating and Halloween parties may look a little different this year, here are some more ‘spooky and scary’ plants to help you get in the Halloween spirit.
Dragon arum (Dracunculus vulgaris) is a scary sounding plant that is native to southeastern Europe. Looking at the leaves of these plants, you can see why it got its name. Each leaf has 9-15 finger-like lobes that are said to resemble the claws of a dragon. Others say the name is in reference to fang-like spadix (flower) the plants will produce. These flowers can be 20 inches tall and 8 inches wide and smell horrible, similar to rotten meat.
If you want to try your hand at growing these plants, they grow best in well-drained soils in full sun. They may not be reliably hardy in many parts of Illinois, so find a warm microclimate or dig the bulbs in the fall and overwinter them indoors.
With a name like Devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa), you know there’s something scary about these plants. They get their name because their stems, branches, and leaf stalks are covered in stout, sharp spines. They also have the largest leaves in North America!
Devil’s walking stick does best in well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. They typically grow as a suckering shrub that will reach 10-25 feet tall but may occasionally grow as a tree, reaching 35 feet tall. They produce large panicles (up to 2 feet long) of flowers in the summer that are very attractive to bees. Additionally, the resulting black fruit is very attractive to birds.
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) is an incredibly poisonous plant, with all parts of the plant being toxic. Symptoms of poisoning include rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and death due to respiratory failure.
The berries of these plants are purplish-black and sweet, making them a tempting food source. However, as few as two berries can kill a child; ten berries are often enough to kill an adult. Handling plants can also cause problems, as the toxins can be absorbed through the skin and cause severe dermatitis. There is a long history of using these plants to dispatch one’s foes. It was also believed to be used by witches to help them fly.
Unlike these other plants, the only scary thing about Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is its name. In fact, its name has nothing to do with witches. The witch in witchhazel comes from the Anglo-Saxon word wyche, which means pliant or bendable. This is likely because their branches were commonly used as dowsing rods by Native Americans and European settlers.
Common Witchhazel is native to eastern North America, including Illinois. It grows as a shrub or small tree that typically grows 15-20 feet tall. Their arching branches will produce bright yellow, fragrant flowers with strap-like petals starting in late October. These trees are easily grown in a wide range of soils in full sun to part shade.
Good Growing tip of the week: Want to learn more about these spooky and scary plants? Check out the good growing blog at go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing.
