October has official crept in on its creepy-crawly feet and now it's time for fall festivities. Press play on a few scary movies, eat all the candy corn you can stand, and sink your teeth into a caramel apple. At French Florist in Los Angeles, well be getting our fall on with fresh florals for October and celebrating the scary season with some of the most frightening flowers on Earth. Read on, if you dare!
Don't Scream! Theyre Only Terrifying Flowers
Hydnora Africana
Hydnora-Africana
This flower's almost enough to make a person believe in monsters. If it looks familiar, youve probably seen it (or something very similar) featured in film. The hydnora africana is though to have inspired the plant character from Little Shop of Horrors. It also closely resembles the monsters from 'tremors and those featured in Netflix's 'stranger Things series.
Cinema aside, this flower's scary all on its own. It spends most of its life living completely under ground, where it feeds on nutrients from the roots of neighboring plants. When it's ready to reproduce, the monster-mouth flower blooms above ground and emits a feces-like stench to attract pollinators. Dung beetles and flies find the smell most attractive. When they land on its red flesh, the jaw-like flower snap shut, holding the insects captive until theyre sufficiently covered in pollen.
Stinking Corpse Lily
Stinking Corpse Lily
This alien-looking bloom is native to the island of Sumatra. It's another parasitic flower that feeds off nutrients captured from its host vines. A truly strange flower, the stinking corpse lily grows no stems, leaves, or roots, resembling more of a fungus than a regular plant.
This monstrous flower's the largest single blooming flower on Earth. It's petals can stretch up to nearly three-and-a-half feet across. When it blooms, it also emits a strong, unpleasant odor. The smell of rotting flesh attracts beetles and flies that can then pollinate other blooming monsters.
Titan Arum
Titan Arum Sumatran Corpse Flower
Another Sumatran native, the titan arum gets its name from the Greek word for giant because it's also another monstrously massive plant. When in bloom, this plant's flower clusters grow tall, helping the titan arum reach heights of up to 20 feet. It can also grow to up to 16 feet wide.
If the size isn't enough to put you off, then the smell certainly will be. Like the stinking corpse lily, titan arum also packs a strong olfactory punch. Its stench has been compared to a bouquet of Limburger cheese, feces, sweaty socks, rotting fish, and Chloraseptic with a touch of something sweet mixed in.
Put These in Your Halloween Floral Arrangements Instead
Your Halloween flowers don't have to pack a putrefying punch to scare your guests. We recommend decorating with these more common, pleasantly perfumed fall flowers, instead.
Black Roses
Orange Chrysanthemums
Snapgdragon Seed Pod -Photo by Kuriositas
Black Roses
People dye their hair all the time for Halloween. Why not dye the flowers, too? These black beauties don't grow naturally, but that's no reason not to use them for extra-frightening Halloween decor. Theyll create a perfectly macabre atmosphere at a Halloween party or make an impressive statement at a Halloween wedding. Put together an all-black bouquet or mix them up in a yellow, orange, and black arrangement. Tie them off with a festive ribbon and add a few sparkly bats or spiders to capture the full effect.
Chrysanthemums
These classic autumn flowers feature abundant blooms on a single plant. Theyre available in almost every color you can imagine, including all the October classics like gold, yellow, orange, and burgundy. Chrysanthemums are perfect for creating a warm, welcoming entryway or front doorway, as they traditionally represent cheerfulness. Plus, these hardy blooms fare well outdoors, as long as theyre protected from the frost.
Snapdragon Seed Pods
It's no scary story, honest. These spooky spectacles are all natural! They begin as beautifully vibrant snapdragon flowers. When the blooms dry up and die and they leave behind these seed pods that bear an astonishing resemblance to itty-bitty human skulls. Glue them to a Halloween wreath or pop a few into a festive floral arrangement to give all your Halloween house guests the chills.
Bootiful Bouquets and Other Frightening Florals for October
At French Florist, we have a wide variety of festive and unique floral arrangements perfect for this season, like our Jungle Sunset.
Jungle Sunset
Whether youre going for a cheerful autumn look or a spooky spectacle, our expert florists have your floral needs covered. Well help you select the best arrangements for all of your seasonal needs. Stop by our floral shop or order online today!
