Strange and Spooky Houseplants

In honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday, let’s take a look at some spooky and unusual houseplants!

Sago Palm

This particular palm isn’t actually a palm at all, it’s a Cycad. Sagos are slow growers, producing only one leaf a day. Evenually the glossy, deep green fronds will form a lovely rosette. With their scaly trunks and reproductive organ that looks like a pine cone, they resemble pine trees more than palms. They are easy to grow, Simply provide bright indirect light and water only when the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch. This plant is toxic to animals (especially dogs) and children so keep in an area out of their reach.

Venus Fly Trap

This unusual plant delights children in the way it feeds itself. It is what’s known as a carnivorous plant. It actually eats insects! The plant consists of a rosette of heart shaped, hinged leaves. Each leaf is edged with ‚”teeth” and secretes a sweet smelling nectar. When an insect lands on one of them, it snaps shut, trapping it. Special juices then go to work to dissolve it and absorb the nutrients. It also accepts small bits of very lean raw meat (never hamburger). To grow indoors a terrarium or very humid room is required.. Provide very bright light and if not in a terrarium, keep the soil moist at all time s(place the pot on a tray of pebbles with about an inch of water) during the growing season. If it is kept in a terrarium food will need to be provided for it. Two or three dead flies or insects a month is normal-just be sure they weren’t killed by insecticides. Fly Traps do go dormant for several months, and when this happens (Nov-March) most of the foliage will die off. Move the container to a cool (45 to 50 degrees) area and let rest. Since these plants are very sensitive to chemicals, water only with distilled or rain water.

Purple Passion

This plant is prized for it’s leaves, which are covered in purple fuzz. The more light the plant get, the more vivid the color. It also produces bright orange flowers, but they should be removed as soon as the buds are formed. If allowed to bloom they’ll fill the air with the smell of rotten meat! Keep soil moist but not wet during the growing season and mist the leaves now and then.

Living Stones

This plant got its name because it doesn’t look like a plant at all. It looks like a collection of rocks in dirt. Yet it is very much alive. The ‚”stones” are actually a pair of very thick leaves fused together with a small slit at the top. They are extremely slow growers and only get to around 2 inches in height but come in an array of colors and patterns. Water sparingly during the growing season and keep dry in the winter. In autumn bright colored daisy like flowers appear.

Pregnant Onion

This plant isn’t pretty, but it’s quite interesting. It gets its name from the bulb it grows from. This bulb sits on top of the soil and looks like a white onion. Don’t be fooled however-all parts of this plant are poisonous. The pregnant part comes from its habit of producing babies from that bulb. It also produces long green strap like leaves and profuse amounts of small white flowers with green stripes. It needs bright light and average humidity. Let the soil dry out between waterings, and keep the plant out of high traffic areas, as the leaves are very fragile.

Sensitive Plant

This plant is a favorite of children due to its curious reaction to being touched. Stroke the leaves (actually a collection of very fine leaflets) and they will immediately fold up and ‚”wilt” in seconds. (The plant will recover a short time later). This plant is easy to grow from seed and grows quickly, producing fuzzy pink flowers. Give it bright light and keep the soil moist. They will eventually start to look poor and begin dying off, but a new plant can easily be grown from seed.

Pitcher Plants

Like the Venus Flytrap, these plants are carnivorous. They use leaves shaped like fleshy pitchers to attract their prey. Once an insect lands on a pitcher, the stiff tiny hairs cause them to lose traction and fall inside it, where they drown and are dissolved. Pitcher plants required full sun and high humidity, so a terrarium or greenhouse will be needed. Like Venus Flytraps, they will go dormant in the winter and should be kept at a temperature of around 45 degrees.