10 Neat Things about plants that go bump in the night
Halloween may be about ghosts and goblins, but in the garden, the night has its own kind of magic. After sunset, plants reveal secret habits; some open their flowers, some make sounds, and others give off eerie perfumes that fill the air. These are the plants that go bump in the night.
1. Silent spreaders
Mint and creeping Charlie travel under the soil, sending out runners that emerge somewhere unexpected. After rain, you might swear they’ve crept across the garden overnight—and they often have.
2. The moonlit datura
Also known as devil’s trumpet, Datura stramonium unfurls its pale, trumpet-shaped blooms at dusk, releasing a heady perfume. It’s beautiful but highly toxic, and its narcotic history gives it an air of danger. Moths are drawn to it like spirits to a flame.
3. Moonflower magic
A close cousin of the morning glory, Ipomoea alba opens wide, luminous flowers that glow under the moon. They close with the first touch of dawn, as if retreating from daylight.
4. Evening primrose
Sit quietly at dusk and you can watch the yellow blooms of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) burst open in seconds. Some gardeners swear they hear a faint pop as the petals unfurl.
5. Heated horrors
The voodoo lily (Amorphophallus konjac) and the famous corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) generate heat to carry their smell of decay through the air. The heat fools carrion beetles into thinking they’ve found a feast.
6. The moving maranta
Prayer plants fold their leaves upright when night falls, then spread them again at dawn. This rhythmic movement, called nyctinasty, follows their internal clock—a kind of botanical heartbeat.
7. Night pollinators’ playground
Hawkmoths and bats rule the dark garden. They’re guided to pale or white blooms, which reflect moonlight, and to heavy scents meant to travel on the still air of night.
8. Corn that creaks
On warm summer nights, you can hear a cornfield whisper. The sound is real: stalks expand so quickly in humid darkness that they rub and crackle against one another. Farmers call it “corn growing.”
9. Snapdragons’ eerie remains
When snapdragon flowers dry, their seed pods resemble tiny skulls. In autumn winds, they rattle together, a perfect Halloween soundtrack courtesy of nature.
10. Trees that sigh and crack
Even trees make noise at night. Changes in humidity and temperature cause their wood to expand and contract. A loud crack in the dark is often just a branch adjusting to the cool air.
For more Halloween fun, check out 10 Neat Things about Plants that Kill – One and 10 Neat Things about Plants that Kill – Two.
