Happy Halloween! With the holiday just around the corner, have you decided how you'll celebrate? Maybe you're heading into the Shibuya crowds, sticking close to home for some trick-or-treating, or staying in for the Splatoon festival?!
As for me, I'll be surrounded by succulents as always ((Huh? What's Splatoon?)). From afar, I'd like to boost your Halloween mood with a collection of succulents that are perfect for this spooky season.
Ghostly Succulents
Let’s start with succulents whose names or looks have a delightfully ghostly vibe—spirits, specters, and beyond.
Apparition Echeveria 'Apparition' Not a word you hear often, but "apparition" means ghost or phantom—probably inspired by its pale, ethereal look.
White Ghost Euphorbia lactea 'White Ghost' A famous succulent that suits chic interiors perfectly.
White Ghost Echeveria 'White Ghost' And here’s an Echeveria with the same name. Its frilly white leaves look just like a wisp of a ghost!
Obusa Ghost Haworthia obtusa 'Ghost' Its glowing center gives off a supernatural, ghostly aura.
Lilacina Echeveria lilacina This well-known species is also nicknamed the "Ghost Echeveria." In the wild, its matte white leaves appear to almost glow, giving off those ethereal ghost vibes.
Thriller Pearl Echeveria 'Thriller Pearl' A direct descendant of Lilacina, named "Thriller" for its ghostlike presence.
Ghost Busters Echeveria 'Ghost Busters' Of course, a nod to *busting* those ghosts, just like in the movies!
Monsters
While werewolves and vampires are surprisingly rare as plant names, there are plenty of succulents inspired by "monsters" in general.
Flying Dragon Euphorbia stellata There are actually quite a few dragon-themed succulents.
White Dragon Haworthia truncata 'White Dragon' The patterns in its windows look just like a dragon, don’t you think?
Gold Dragon Echeveria 'Gold Dragon' An Echeveria dragon! It seems blue and red dragons exist too.
Dragon Tooth Agave seemanniana ssp.pygmaea A much-loved Agave.
Cubic Agave potatorum 'Cubic' “Monstrose” actually means "monster-like," perfect for the Halloween theme!
Madiba Echeveria 'Madiba' Among Echeverias, this variety especially has a dark, monstrous vibe.
Dotou Faucaria 'Dotou' Its monster-movie looks could be straight from a horror film (& though in reality, it’s tiny and adorable!)
「石化」とは、生長プログラムがバグって独特のカタチに生長する現象の1種で、生長点が本来出てくるべき場所でないところに発...
Blood and Scarlet
Nothing adds some creepy atmosphere quite like a splash of “blood.”
Blood Swallow Echeveria 'Blood Swallow' The red dots on its leaves are called “blood spots.” But these only appear under certain seasonal or environmental conditions, so they’re a lucky sighting.
Blood Maria Echeveria 'Blood Maria' Another “blood spot” variety.
Dragon's Blood Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' Anything that turns a bloody red in fall is often named after blood.
Blood Romeo Echeveria 'Blood Romeo' Its vivid red and glossy, glasslike leaves make for a dramatic, bloody effect.
Bloody Moon Echeveria 'Bloody Moon'
Draco Dracaena draco This one’s a real-life horror—if you scratch its bark, actual red sap (like blood!) comes out.
Fallen to the Dark Side
Even the cutest succulents can take a dark turn, looking as if they've made a pact with the devil!
Black Madiba Echeveria 'Super Bowl' Once a princely beauty, now so dark it’s more like a demon king—definitely not a foe any hero could defeat.
Matenryu Gymnocalycium mazanense Its long, menacing spines truly live up to the “devil” in its name.
Daredevil Echeveria 'Daredevil' While the name hints at demons, it really just means “someone reckless”—though the look is still cute.
Unguiculata Echeveria unguiculata Evil-looking claws—nicknamed “Devil’s Claw” for a reason!
Pumpkin & Jack-o'-Lantern
Surprisingly few succulents are actually named after Halloween pumpkins or jack-o'-lanterns. If we had to choose, this one might just fit the bill:
Lotus Lamp Echeveria 'Lotus Lamp'
Halloween
Are there succulents with “Halloween” in their name? Yep, here are two!
Aeonium 'Halloween Variegated'
Wrap-up
For this article, I picked succulents that I had both photos and some original notes on. Are there others out there that feel even more Halloween-y? Maybe—but without pictures, it’s hard to know. It turns out my little collection of original photos is more complete than expected!
There are even a few new cultivars here that I just met (and ordered from abroad!) the other day. I’ll keep steadily adding to my Halloween succulent lineup in the future, one discovery at a time.
