Happy October! It’s time to dip your apples in caramel and dish up the candy corns. At Carithers Flowers in Atlanta and Marietta, we celebrate every holiday and season with flowers, of course! So, it’s only natural that, in October, we turn to the most frightful flowers on Earth to get into the Halloween spirit. Warning: the following flowers are not intended for use in bouquets.
Top 3 Spooktacular Flowers from Around the World
Hydnora Africana
If you think this flower looks more like a terrifying creature from a scary movie than a flower, you’re right! It’s actually thought that the plant character from “Little Shop of Horrors” was modeled after this shriek-inducing beauty, the Hydnora Africana. Native to southern Africa, this plant lives completely beneath the soil, selfishly feeding off nutrients from the roots of neighboring plants. When it’s ready to reproduce, the plant’s monster-mouth flowers push through the dirt and emerge, emitting a rancid aroma. The flower’s unique smell appeals to dung beetles and flies. When these unsuspecting insects travel too close, the flower snaps shut, trapping them inside. The plant makes sure its captives are covered in pollen before releasing them.
Titan Arum
Titan means giant in Greek, and this freakish plant’s flowers can grow to be 16 feet wide and as tall as 20 feet! Sometimes blooming as infrequently as only once in every ten years, this flower makes an impact when it does show its face. Not only does it grow to an impressive size, but it also packs a powerfully pungent, putrid smell. It’s described as a combination of Limburger cheese, sweaty socks, feces, dead fish, and Chloraseptic with a hint of something sweet.
Stinking Corpse Lily
Another Sumatran native, the monstrous flower is the largest single flower on Earth. Its petals have been known to stretch to almost three-and-a-half feet across. This parasitic pretty lives most of its life inside host vines, where it feeds off the host plant’s nutrients. As its name suggests, this massive bloom also delivers a massive stench. Said to smell like rotten fish, the stinking corpse lily attracts creepy pollinators like beetles and flies.
Bootifull Blooms for Your Halloween Floral Arrangements
It doesn’t take snapping petals or snarling scents to get into the Halloween spirit in October; you can do it with pleasantly perfumed, pretty floral arrangements that have ghostly vibes, instead!
Black Roses
They might look like they only grow in graveyards, but the truth is black roses don’t grow naturally anywhere. Creative florists create them, using special dyes. Their macabre shade creates the perfect effect for Halloween and festive floral decorations throughout October. For a truly frightening look, go for a completely black arrangement. To brighten it up, you can add orange and yellow blooms to create a jack-o-lantern effect. To complete the look, tie them off with colorful ribbons or string them with fake cobwebs.
Snapdragon Seed Pods
These beauties are absolutely perfect for Halloween. In fact, it’s hard to believe that they’re a completely natural seed pod. These skull-like seed pods begin their lives as vibrant snapdragons. Once the flowers have died and the remaining seed pods open, they’re left looking like something you’d find in the Halloween aisle of a department store. Display them on their own or add them to an arrangement of black roses to create spine-tingling floral decorations.
Chrysanthemums
Potted or in cut arrangements, chrysanthemums are a great choice for October. They feature all the colors of the autumn rainbow and symbolize cheerfulness. Placed on your front porch or used as a centerpiece, they’re welcoming and happy!
Sunflowers
Sunflowers create a similar October vibe as chrysanthemums. In fact, the two types of blooms look beautiful together! Sunflowers can stand alone or be grouped in a variety of colors. You can even create a friendly scarecrow to sit with them near your front door to welcome guests to your home.
Get Creepy, or Creative, with Carithers Flowers This October
Ready to decorate your entryway, hearth, or haunted party? Our expert florists at Carithers Flowers can help you select the best haunted plants and bouquets to match your October decorating theme. Or, if you just want to freshen up your space with seasonal flowers, we have plenty of those too, like our Sunflowers & Hydrangea and Briallance bouquets.
We’ll help you choose from a variety of arrangements and scary embellishments to create the October floral designs of your dreams. Or should we say nightmares?
Visit us in person or online now for all your flower needs!