{"id":48827,"date":"2026-10-19T12:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T16:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=48827"},"modified":"2026-10-25T20:27:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T00:27:57","slug":"thirteen-spooky-maryland-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2026\/10\/19\/thirteen-spooky-maryland-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Thirteen Spooky Maryland Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Drosera<\/a>

Drosera rotundifolia by Mark Freeth<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s October, and while retail displays would have us believe Halloween starts in August (Augtober?), spooky season is now undeniably upon us. What better time to appreciate and celebrate some of the plants in our state that really understood the assignment with this month\u2019s theme! Whether it\u2019s in their creepy common names, their dark and sordid history, or their murderous intentions, these 13 have earned a spot on our list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Native plants<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Ghost Flower<\/strong> (aka Ghost Pipe, <\/span>Monotropa uniflora<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

A commonly spotted plant on woodland hikes all over Maryland, this hauntingly pale and <\/span>unique flower<\/span><\/a> is blessed with a lack of chlorophyll, explaining the absence of green. Also called corpse plant, it shrivels and blackens as it ages, but not until it has completed its parasitic cycle of draining the life out of surrounding fungal networks.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Indian<\/a>

Indian Pipe. Photo by Julie Bradbury<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Witch-hazel<\/strong> (<\/span>Hamamelis virginiana<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

The name itself likely originated in meanings far from the lady on a broom, with some <\/span>sources<\/span><\/a> listing the root word as related to the Anglo-Saxon word for \u201cbendable\u201d (wych). Witch-hazel is a beloved Maryland <\/span>shade-growing<\/span><\/a> native tree and frequent contributor to beautiful <\/span>fall foliage<\/span><\/a> in many parts of the state. DNR\u2019s tree nursery often distributes this tree, with the help of <\/span>seed sourcing<\/span><\/a> by volunteers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Devil\u2019s Walkingstick<\/strong> (<\/span>Aralia spinosa<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

One only needs to take a quick look at this tree to see how it earned its common name. Large, sharp thorns surround the trunk, sometimes at lengths over half an inch. Despite its dark name and prickly exterior, this tree is a force for good: native, deer-resistant, and easy to grow, providing flowers for native pollinators and <\/span>fruit for mammals<\/span><\/a> and birds. A <\/span>champion<\/span><\/a> in the National Big Tree Program (the largest known in the state) of this species inhabits Baltimore County.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Devils<\/a>

Devils Walkingstick by Megan Barger<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Doll\u2019s-Eyes<\/strong> (<\/span>Actaea pachypoda<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Present on almost every list of creepy plants, this weirdo (we mean that as a compliment!) produces a shiny white fruit with a black center. Birds happily eat the fruit, spreading this plant through seeds in their droppings, while <\/span>rabbits avoid them<\/span><\/a>. The other common name, baneberry, gives a clear warning about the toxicity of this fruit to humans. This plant is not the only toxic species to have \u201cbane\u201d in the common name, as exemplified by dogbane (family Apocynaceae) and wolfsbane (Aconitum genus).
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>

White Baneberry<\/a> by Thomas Quine<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pine Barrens Death-camas<\/strong> (<\/span>Stenanthium leimanthoides<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>rare<\/span><\/a> and beautiful, bone-colored plant that promises death in its common name – what could be more sinister? This habitat specialist is confined in Maryland to a highly threatened zone of spring-fed seepage slopes. It is <\/span>globally imperiled<\/span><\/a> due to habitat loss, existing only in a few of our neighboring states. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, but the threat of its extinction is perhaps the scariest thing of all!<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheepkill<\/strong> (<\/span>Kalmia angustifolia<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of death, keep an eye on your sheep around the pink-flowering, evergreen shrub sometimes called sheepkill, lambkill, or more commonly (and less threateningly) sheep laurel. As its name suggests, this plant is highly toxic to livestock but provides habitat and forage value for <\/span>wildlife<\/span><\/a> including grouse and other birds. It is also the <\/span>larval host plant<\/span><\/a> to various species of native moths and butterflies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Snaky Flora<\/span><\/h3>\n

While we don\u2019t believe snakes are creepy here at the Wildlife and Heritage Service, we must reluctantly acknowledge that fear of snakes – ophidiophobia or herpetophobia – is one of the top human fears, with some estimates showing that <\/span>one third of humans<\/span><\/a> experience it. Our favorite (of many) Maryland native plants that honor the state\u2019s great serpents include:<\/span><\/p>\n