See the 'spooky' flowers that only bloom for a few days in Canada
If you catch a ghost flower in the woods on a walk, horticultural expert Ben Cullen says you should take it as a sign of good luck.
Behold the ghost flower: an eerie plant that usually blooms between June and September and only lasts about two days. They look like something from a Halloween movie.
"They are a very unique flower visually because they have no chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green sugar you see in any plant that photosynthesizes sugars from the sun," Cullen explains.
"This is a parasitic plant. It's white. It does not require chlorophyll. It gets nutrients from the soil by feeding on the roots and decaying other soil matter."
These plants thrive in mature forests, usually popping up when a dry period ends with rainfall. Once that moisture hits, be on the lookout.
"After it gets pollinated, the stem straightens out so there is a seed pod at the very top of the stem," Nadia Cavallin, herbarium curator at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ont., explains.
"And it's filled with lots of tiny little seeds that will disperse. And this will help the plant grow again next year."
These beautiful flowers aren't around for long (Brian Banks)
So, if you find them once, you may be able to find them again in the same spot!
They're often seen throughout temperate North America. So you will find them in Ontario, the Great Lakes states, and parts of Manitoba.
But if you see them, leave them be.
"It would be a crime to pick this from the forest," Cullen says.
"We should all have the opportunity to see [one], or as many as possible! I advise against picking it under any circumstances."
Instead, take a photo and send it to us at The Weather Network! We would love to see it.
Quotes have been edited for grammar and clarity. Header image: Sharalyn Stubbs
