Carnivorous Plants

Fascinating gardens are a true art form and if you are wanting one that will catch the attention of others, you may consider adding a few of the best carnivorous plants available. From the common Venus Flytrap to the Cobra plant, these exotics serve several purposes. In areas that have high populations of bugs, they can lowers the amount of flies or other insects that bother you. The size of the plant you select will determine the amount of insects consumed, however, the entertainment they provide for both adults and children alike, is well worth the investment.

Basically there are five different types of carnivorous plants for you to consider. Of course the most popular and more widely known are the plants from the Venus Flytrap plant family. The carnivorous Venus flytrap plant can snap its clamshell leaves around an insect in less than a second.

When a fly or insect walks on the surface, this activates a hair trigger and causes closure, as the traps closes it fills with an enzyme solution, and then it will dissolve the proteins from the insect. Digestion takes five to 12 days, after which the trap reopens, then the insect’s exoskeleton blows away in the wind or is washed away by rain.

These plants range from colorful to bland, and do not have moving parts like their snap trap counterparts.

Flypaper traps are among some of the coolest carnivorous plants. They are covered with dense, gland-tipped hairs and several tiny midge flies are stuck to the sticky hairs, which causes the insect to be enzymatically digested and absorbed by the plant. These carnivorous plants should be treated with caution in the home, as the secretions can cause agitation to the skin.

The only carnivorous plant with a true "trapdoor" is the remarkable bladderwort. These plants function through the osmosis of water to create a suction within the body of the plant. This causes the walls to squeeze inward and explains their slightly concave appearance. Bladderworts are more commonly found underwater than above ground, which is another distinct characteristic from other carnivorous plants.

Another favorite carnivorous plant are the lobster-pot traps, and they come with a chamber that is easy to enter, and whose exit is either difficult to find or obstructed by inward-pointing bristles.

In the case of the corkscrew plant, the insides of the plant have downward pointing obstructions and a y-shaped leaf structure that prevents the escape of its prey.

For those interested in borderline species, there are several varieties of plants that do not meet all of the requirements of carnivorous plants, but have sharing characteristics. These plants include the Brocchinia Roridula and members of the Martyniaceae species. They are not considered to be in the same classification as true carnivorous plants because they do not, attract, kill and digest prey.

Carnivorous plants should be placed where young children and babies cannot reach them. While most of them are relatively harmless to humans, digestion of these plants should be avoided, due to the digestive enzymes that the plant utilizes to break down prey.