5 Creepy Plants That Will Freak You Out

Since October is finally here and Halloween is upon us, we thought now would be the perfect time to give everyone the heebie jeebies! We all love plants and beautiful flowers; they offer us oxygen, smell gorgeous and brighten up an area. However, there are some plants lurking around in nature that are not quite as appealing as the ones we at Funky Yukka have on offer to our clientele. Check out our list of scary plants and fungi that will make you not want to step outside for a month!

Bleeding Tooth Fungus

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The reason for its macabre name becomes horrifyingly obvious as soon as you cast your eyes on this freaky fungus. The mushroom secretes a bright red, sap-like substance which looks eerily like blood. Also known at the devil's tooth, the red-juice tooth and the somewhat less threatening, strawberries and cream, the 'blood' of this mushroom possesses antibacterial and anticoagulant benefits. Just don't eat it, as it's listed as inedible.

Doll's Eye

Source: mothernaturenetwork.com

Imagine stumbling across this seriously weird plant all alone in the woods! There's absolutely nothing enticing about the doll's eyes creepy looking berries and for good reason, they are highly toxic if ingested and have an immediate effect on the cardio muscle system, sedating it which can lead to cardiac arrest and certain death. Symptoms also include stomach cramps, burning of mouth and throat, headache, diarrhoea, dizziness and hallucinations. Definitely one to avoid!

Venus Fly Trap

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This plant looks like it belongs in The Little Shop of Horrors! With it's distinctive appearance and gruesome yet fascinating behaviour, the Venus flytrap is actually a fairly popular houseplant. Not only does it look interesting, but as per its name, it will attract unwanted pests and devour them on contact by snapping it's 'jaws' shut. It's smart too, able to tell the difference between small prey and raindrops touching it.

Corpse Flower

Source: youtube.com

The name of this plant should be enough to put you off but the smell will definitely send you running for the hills. This large plant is part of the carrion flower family which once bloomed, emit the highly unpleasant scent of rotting flesh in order to attract pollinators like flies and beetles. Perhaps not the ideal plant to display in your garden!

Octopus Stink-horn

Source: earthrangers.com

Is this a plant or a creature? It certainly looks like something from an alien movie - with it's spindly tentacles and the fact that it literally 'hatches' from eggs. Some people have claimed that the octopus stink-horn is safe to consume when in it's egg stage. However we certainly do not recommend this, one of the reasons being that it's texture and taste is said to be very unpleasant. Similar to the corpse flower, this fungi has smelly flesh in order to attract insects.

Have you seen any of these creepy plants?