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. There are several interesting exotic species to consider, such as the ever popular Venus Flytrap or the Cobra plant. Both these plants consume insects and can be of benefit to any garden in that way and in addition, they are a great conversational piece. While the benefit is strictly related to the size and type of carnivorous plants that you own, these plants can provide a small level of relief while providing entertainment to adults and children alike.

There are five different types of carnivorous plants. The most common type, is the Venus Flytrap found in cultivated varieties of the Dionaea muscipula family. Snap traps rely on a mouth that close in around its pray, where the plant will eat whatever it catches.

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. These traps rely on prey falling into the plant and them being unable to escape.

Plants within the Venus Flytrap family have a large variety of different colored species found in various sizes.

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. The type of secretion created by this particular plant can cause skin irritation to humans and therefore should be treated with caution.

Bladder traps plants are a fascinating subset of carnivorous plants. Numerous, tiny glands inside the bladder absorb most of the internal water and expel it on the outside, and as a result, a partial vacuum is produced inside the bladder and the pressure on the outside becomes greater than the inside. Once an insect or aquatic species has been trapped within, escape is difficult. Unlike many carnivorous plant species, these are more commonly found underwater than above ground.

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.

If you do not wish to have a true carnivorous plant in your garden, but would like something with similar characteristics, there are several related species you may want to consider. Some of these type of plants come from the Martyniaceae family, such as the Brocchinia Roridula. These plants lack one of the three required aspects, which is to attract, kill and digest prey, to be classified as a true carnivorous plant.

Carnivorous plants should be placed where young children and babies cannot reach them. Even though they are considered relatively harmless to humans, the type of digestive enzymes they produce to break down their captured prey, should be avoided.