How-To
Garden Stories
Plants in Costume
Meet the Plants That Inspired our Halloween Costume Contest.
Some plants don’t need Halloween to dress up—they wear their costumes all year long. From clever disguises to dramatic flair, these Garden show-offs inspired us to host a “Plant Costume Contest.” Watch the video to find out the winner.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
“A Bird”
This flower resembles a bird’s head and makes a sturdy, inviting perch for birds to land, sip nectar, and transfer pollen.
Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)
“A 1920’s Flapper”
The female members of this plant grow these flashy feather boa-like flowers, which contain the flower pistils but do not produce pollen like their male counterparts.
Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia)
“A Piece of Meat”
The coloration and veining on the leaves of this carnivorous plant resemble dead meat to fool insects and other small animals into the trap.
Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis)
“Cousin Itt” from The Addams Family
The “hairs” on this cactus provide shade and help the plant conserve water in the desert.
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
“A Modern Art Masterpiece”
The coloration on the croton are the very same pigments we see in autumn leaves: green chlorophyll, yellow xanthophyll, orange carotene, and red anthocyanin.
Living Stone (Lithops)
“A Stone”
Native to countries in the southern part of Africa, living stones are succulents that blend in with the rocky soil, so thirsty animals don’t see them.