Halloween got you spooked? Yes, the scariest day of the year is
next week, so what better time to consider the many plants that
love Halloween?
Halloween got you spooked? Yes, the scariest day of the year is next week, so what better time to consider the many plants that love Halloween? Specifically, these are plants that love dark, scary-looking places. OK, so maybe they don’t love dark and scary places, but at least they won’t die without benefit of sunlight.
And we’re not just talking about ferns here. Of course, practically any type of fern will love dark, shady moist areas. Sword, leatherleaf, tree ferns and more will grow and thrive in dark spots. But don’t forget about many evergreen shrubs that do not flower. “Flower” is one of the keys here. If a plant does not flower, it usually does not require as much sunlight as specimens that bloom.
Evergreens to consider may include boxwood, euonymous, holly, jasmine, privet, juniper, etc.
There are literally hundreds of non-blooming evergreen shrubs that will do fine without benefit of much or any sunlight. Check out neighbor’s yards, parks and schools to see what’s growing with neglect in shady areas.
There are also many flowering plants that will bloom and grow well without benefit of much sunlight. We’re talking about common flowering plants like fuchsia, camellia, azalea, agapanthus and star jasmine. These plants not only tolerate shade, they prefer it. In fact, one of my tasks this fall is digging up and transplanting two hydrangeas to shadier parts of the garden. It seems they get too much sun where they are. While they haven’t died, they also aren’t performing very well. I plan to do a transfer, of sorts. Changing their place will be two roses that aren’t doing the best they could because they’re getting too much shade. I’m waiting until the plants are completely dormant, and plan to do the transplanting in November or December.
Other flowering shrubs and flowers to consider include abutilon, daphne, astilbe, begonia, bergenia, calceolaria, campanula, clivia, coleus, scilla, senecio, streptocarpus and zantedeschia. I know, I know, a few of these sound like diseases, but they really will grow in dark areas. Of course, they’ll do better in a spot that is not completely dark. An area with partial sunlight or indirect light is obviously better than no sun at all.
Houseplants that do well in the dark include one with the scary name of mother-in-law’s tongue. Sansevieria is a houseplant that grows in a rigid, upright manner with thick, patterned leaves. It’s practically impossible to kill, and is right up there with cactus and ivy. Pothos, related to the philodendron, and mauna loa are other houseplant choices.
Pothos is a trailing plant, often with variegated green and yellow or green and white leaves. Mauna loa is an upright plant with graceful, sword-like leaves that arch upward. It even blooms a white flower, which is why it is also known as the peace flower.
So get into the spirit of Halloween. Try a plant that’s not afraid of the dark.
