Compared to haunted houses and restless spirits, moving houseplants are an arguably underreported Halloween phenomenon, but a plant expert has drawn attention to the way that some plants eerily move as night falls.

Not just a seasonal, Halloween occurrence but tied in fact to changes in light levels, the moving houseplants identified by Beards and Daisies include the Prayer Plant, named not just for its 'angelic appearance' but because it 'has an unsettling habit of raising its leaves skyward at night.'

Those movements enable the plant to conserve energy and water until dawn breaks, according to Beards and Daisies.

Also highlighted is the Oxalis triangularis or Purple Shamrock, a 'dramatic plant' whose leaves fold down like a bat's wings at dusk.

'By day, the deep purple leaves fan out, but as the sun sets, they close up, as if retreating into a dark cave.'

The Calathea Stromanthe Triostar performs a slow-motion dance as night falls, while the Calathea Orbifolia, with its wide, round leaves, shifts its leaves slightly at night to adapt to changing humidity levels - 'almost as if it's breathing.'

The Leopard Plant, or Calathea leopardina, named for its dotted leaves, changes the orientation of those leaves at night 'like something prowling in the shadows.'

The Rose-painted Calathea or Calathea roseopicta medallion folds its leaves at night to reveal purple undersides.

The Peacock Plant or Calathea makoyana is named for its feather-like patterns, and at night its leaves fold upward - 'like a bird tucking its feathers before sleep,' fancy Beards and Daisies.

Also singled out for spookiness were the Calathea sanderiana or Pink Pinstripe Plant; the Calathea rufibarba or Velvet Calathea; and the Calathea lancifolia, also known as the Rattlesnake Plant.

More information about Beards and Daisies is available at https://www.beardsanddaisies.co.uk/