Halloween is only a few days away, we are sure you have your costumes ready, your homes decorated and plenty of candy ready to hand out to the eager trick or treaters, as Halloween falls on a Monday this year perhaps you have plans to go out this weekend in celebration! To get you into the holiday spirit we thought we would introduce you to 5 of the scariest plants that have been discovered on our ever intriguing planet earth. Did you know that there are plants that eat meat, or that smell like rotten flesh or that look like eyeballs? This post is not for the faint of heart, but if you want to find out about the scariest plants then this is the post for you, so keep reading!
Which are the scariest plants?
Doll’s Eye
Doll’s eye or its scientific name Actaea Pachypoda, is a plant native to northeast America, as you can see it’s name comes from it berries, which very clearly resemble eyeballs. This fruit is however, highly poisonous! So if you do see this plant admire it’s creepy look but be sure not to touch or eat the berries.
Corpse Flower
Corpse flower, with the scientific name Amorphophallus Titanum is a member of the group of flowers called carrion flowers, or corpse flowers, because they smell like rotting flesh. this is so that they can attract pollinators such as beetles and flies. This plant can be up to 10 feet tall, at times it is referred to as the worlds tallest flower, while it is tall it is not one flower but comprises of thousands of smaller flowers.
Venus FlytrapThe Venus Flytrap or Dionaea Muscipula, is no doubt the most famous of creepy, freaky plants. It is known as the predator of the plant world as it is a carnivore, and it appears to have a mouth, which is two leaves with trigger hairs that sense when there is prey between the leaves, it then closes its leaves on the prey and it’s toothlike cilia keep the prey from escaping. The venus flytrap can also sense the difference between a live being and a leaf or a rain drop for example, so it knows when to attack!
Death Camas
Death Camas or Toxicoscordion Venenosum is one of the most toxic plants in the world. It looks, however, completely harmless. All parts of this plant are toxic though, the stem, leaves, flowers, and the bulbs all contain a poisonous toxin called alkaloid zygadenine. Consuming the plant in an amount the equals as little as 2% of an animal or humans body weight can be fatal, if not fatal the victim will endure vomiting, drooling, decreased blood pressure, diarrhea, and possible a seizure or coma.
Dragon’s Blood TreeDragon’s Blood Tree, scientific name: Dracaena Cinnabari, is a fascinating tree and definitely sounds like one of the scariest plants! Not only is it interesting to look at but it was given its folk name from the crimson red sap that very closely resembles blood. This sap, unlike the previously mentioned plants, is actually good for the human body. It has been used for its anti-inflammatory properties, gastrointestinal benefits and even as a dye.
We hope these scary yet fascinating plants have gotten you into the Halloween mood! The plant world is amazing, you never know what you’ll find if you just stop and look, and maybe there will be berry eyeballs looking back at you.
Photo Source:
https://goo.gl/M0yQ9M
https://goo.gl/PIwUhB
https://goo.gl/RV4SmO
https://goo.gl/KCK5ok