Here are my picks for the best Halloween themed plants.

Ghost Plants

I never did identify this plant. You can see the post here: Ghost Plant. These were gowing alongside other ghost plants / Indian Pipes – Monotropa uniflora

I’m tempted to call them Zombie Pods. Why? I was struck how they looked so much like the UnDead version of the seedpods of Grass of Parnassus – Parnassia glauca.

Well whatever they are – stick them in your Indian Pipe and smoke them.

Got Milkweed?

What’s Halloween without fangs?

Toothpaste Slime Mold – Lycogala epidendrum

Here’s one for the kids. This is a special Halloween toothpaste. Have them brush their teeth with this after every piece of candy they eat. I guarantee it will curb their candy cravings.

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For all those that have wondered what happened to me – I’ve joined the ranks of the UnDead with a moderate case of Zombie flu I picked while down on Long Island. I’m home now but it’s going to take some time before I quit craving brains.

I went down to dig up the entrance garden. Everything must go, in a couple of weeks there’s going to be a huge hole where the house now is. I managed to get most plants transplanted to other areas but the stone I haven’t touched yet. I wasn’t eating enough brains and my strength waned to the point I needed to come home and recharge my batteries.

I’ll have to go back in a week or so and continue ripping things up – carefully.

This slime mold is not a fungus although in later stages of growth it may have the appearance of a puffball. I’m going out on a limb here and identifying this one as Wolf’s Milk Slime, aka Toothpaste Slime. Either name makes for a queezy stomach if you actually think about putting it in your mouth.

The first photo should have been enough to keep you from wondering if this is edible. I don’t know where either common name comes from. I haven’t ever seen Wolf’s Milk but I doubt it looks anything like this. And as far as toothpaste goes, if anything ever came out of a tube and looked like this I’d have all my teeth pulled before brushing them.

Kiss my pretty pink butt if you think I’m kidding.

Things are looking better now. Once the slime starts it’s spore growth phase it begins to resemble a puffball.

OK, this I’d be willing to touch.

It seems this is out a bit early, most references state it’s season is in June. The only early reference I saw connected it to finding it while Morel hunting – exactly when I found it.

So to get those icky images out of your head I made up a nice Marsh Marigold wallpaper to look at before you leave. Go ahead and put it on your desktop if you like.

click image to open a larger size in a new window

Their season is coming to an end here in the north country. The flower petals are starting to turn white with age and a few have already dropped. I’ll miss them since they’re one of my favorite spring flowers.