Creepy in the garden? Yup! The following plants go by ghoulish handles, but they'll bring eye candy to your landscape, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service at N.C. State University in Raleigh.
Bloodtwig dogwood
Forget about the name! You'll easily fall in love with a plant that drips with color throughout the year. Creamy white flowers are produced in late spring, followed by purple fruit and red fall foliage.
The color keeps going through winter as stems fade from yellow to red. This medium to large shrub prefers sun to part shade and well-drained soil. For extra impact, use it in mass plantings.
Devil's walking stick
A deciduous tree that tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and sun exposure sounds just about right for the Carolina Woman crew. Stiff, thorny branches reach an average height of 15 to 20 feet in the landscape.
In fall, its leaves produce yellow to red-orange color. In summer, the tree is highlighted by clustered, creamy white flowers that are followed by purple to black fruits.
The plant attracts the birds and bees – butterflies, too.
Eyeball plant
The eyes have it! This plant's globular, golden-yellow flowers are centered with a red "eye." A low, spreading growth occurs when eyeball is planted in full sun to light shade.
Blooms are produced in the spring along the ends of extended stems that are surrounded by olive-colored leaves.
This annual is thought to have been used in folk medicine as a toothache remedy, but it's used today as a groundcover or in containers. Still, it could also come in handy if your dentist can't see you!
Ghost fern
Ghost derives its name from the silvery fronds of foliage that are produced through the entire growing season. The clumping fronds will reach an average height and width of 2 to 3 feet with little maintenance and care. What's not to like? As a woodland plant, ghost fern prefers moist soil and part to full shade.
Spider flower
Spidey returns! This low-maintenance annual performs best in sun to partial shade and moist soil. Purple and white blooms are produced summer to frost with 1-inch-long petals and extended stamens that curve to give the plant its spiderlike resemblance.
Plants reach a height of 3 to 4 feet with a 2-foot width, making them suited for the back of the garden. They're also super as cut flowers.