pitcher plant

The pitcher plant are a series of plants whose main action of capturing prey is by attracting prey by lures or by attractive colors to a deep slippery cavity of which they have no hopes of escaping. The Inside the deep cavity is a small body of water which drowns the insect. The insect is eventually dissolved by bacterial action or by enzymes that the plant itself produces. Whatever method the pitcher plant uses to dissolve its prey it obtains essential elements and minerals from the insects that it cannot get from the poor organic soil that the plant grows in. The two main species of pitcher plant are the Nepenthaceae and the Sarraceniaceae. The Nepenthaceae are often seen growing from climbing vine attached to a host tree or plant. The other major group, Sarraceniaceae differ from the cousins because they instead grown from a central rhizome with often the whole leaf of the plant being the trap. There are several species of this genus with the most famous being the trumpet pitchers, the cobra plant, and the Sarracenia purpurea, or the purple pitcher plant. These pitcher plants often have strange flowers as well, especially the purple pitcher plant. They often have long leathery long red petals shaped like a large upside down umbrella. The pollen waits on the anthers near a standing platform that allows an insect to crawl inside the umbrella laden with pollen. When an unsuspecting fly crawls around inside the flower it picks up pollen that is deposited on the stigma. The other most interesting pitcher plant is the cobra lily plant that has a long hooded upper portion with false windows that trick the prey into thinking there is a way out when the false window only leads the prey further into the trap. If you decide to grow some pitcher plants Sarracenia Purpurea are usually the easiest to get ordered from a local greenhouse.Be sure to plant the plant bulb in good drainage soil such as sphagnum moss mixed with sand and charcoal and keep moist. In the summer place plant outdoors or indoors where it can at least receive six straight hours of sunlight. During the winter months clip and dead leaves and leave any developing pitchers alone or cover them with thick mulch. You may have to repot the plant several times during the growing season as it will quickly outgrow its container if well fed especially by curious neighborhood kids.

Venus Fly Trap

The mysterious Venus fly trap lives in boggy areas of North and South Carolina. These boggy areas often have poor nutrients and this why the plant has to resort to capturing insects for needed nutrients. The trap works by triggering small short sensitive hairs on the inside of the two lobes of the “trap”. If these are triggered the trap will shut in less than a second and trap any unsuspecting prey inside. The trap constricts tightly around the insect closing out bacteria while it slowly secretes digestive enzymes inside, much like the ones found in your stomach to digest the insect. The trap usually opens in anywhere from five to twelve days and the tough indigestible exoskeleton refuse easily blows away in the wind. The trap will recognize if in its trap is also a rock or an insect and will reopen in about twelve hours. If you wish to grow one for yourself you will probably need some sand and sphagnum moss in order to plant the bulb. Do not add fertilizer or lime at all and this is probably a tip that is not at most sites , use distilled water for watering because the chlorine and fluoride in most city water will kill them. In order to provide high humidity for your plan put them in a glass container with a small opening. Often old aquarium fish bowls work excellent for this. During the summer the aquarium can often get too hot and if the plant starts to wilt or turn brown then the aquarium will need to be removed from exposure. If it is especially cold in the winter in your area you may need to keep them covered though they often go into a dormant period during the winter and less hours of sunlight. Hanging out in the summer outside a plant will capture all the insects it needs. A few small insects a month is all it will ever need so don’t try to force feed it by giving it hamburger or several insects in one trap.