Carnivorous Plants

We always have a huge array of plants at Brookside, otherwise we couldn’t really class ourselves as a garden centre. Many of our plants are flowering, offering beautiful blooms – some with irresistible scents – throughout the season, encouraging pollinators, creating a soothing ambience that only nature is capable of. There are also non-flowering plants – some shrubs, conifers, grasses – that balance the garden, adding their own character, blending with the rest of the space without the need for ceremony. Inside the store, you’ll find a great selection of houseplants, many just as stunning as their alfresco cousins, and with the benefits of indoor plants well documented (we have a blog post dedicated to the benefits of houseplants; you can read it here…) they’re becoming increasingly popular. Nestled amongst them, you’ll find carnivorous plants, a bizarre looking bunch that may not be conventional in their beauty, but that have found their own place in our hearts.

Most of us will be familiar with Venus Flytraps, but there are many other plants that trap and feed on flies and other small insects, unlucky enough to find themselves in the vicinity; the number of varieties reaches several hundred. Feeding on the nutrients provided by their prey, the majority of these exotic-looking plants originate from humid places, and they can now be found on all continents except Antarctica.

Although they’re known for feeding on insects, some of these predatory plants go one better and feed on fish, reptiles and even small mammals, while others focus on bacteria. They employ a variety of tactics to entice their prey: for some it’ll be more obvious, with bright flowers and strong scents, but others are more furtive, using camouflage to fool their victims.

The reliance on insects and small animals is to provide a top-up in nutrients, rather than replace whatever the plant may acquire from their location – often bogs with very little nutritional value –  and they’re split into 5 groups, depending on their methods of entrapment. Those 5 groups are: adhesive, pitfall, snap, snare and suction.

Adhesive Traps:
These plants produce a sticky liquid in droplets that mimic dew, and insects that are fooled are essentially glued to the plant, eventually suffocating in the liquid.

Pitfall Traps:
Tubes of various sizes are what define these plants. Nectar on the rim of the tubes draws insects in, but once there, they lose grip on the slippery surface, tumbling into the tubes that contain digestive fluids.

Snap Traps:
With leaves disguised as flowers, these plants close their leaves around their unsuspecting victims once tiny hairs are triggered – think Venus Flytrap. Once closed and the plant is sure it has prey in its grip, a digestive liquid oozes into the trap.

Snare Traps:
These plants use chemicals to attract subterranean organisms into slits in their roots. Once inside, the organisms are forced into a stomach-like area by tiny hairs.

Suction Traps:
Often found underwater, these particular plants sense prey close by, and already fooled by the appearance of the plant, victims may search for shelter. The plant opens a trapdoor, and the ensuing suction pulls the prey inside before the door closes, sealing the meal inside.

Many carnivorous plants are now grown in the UK by specialists, and if you’re drawn to them, bear in mind they need more dedicated care than many other plants, so thorough research is necessary before committing. Autumn is the beginning of their dormant period, when their food sources will naturally become more limited, so if you already own carnivorous plants, don’t be alarmed by the changes over the coming months. Whilst some will just slow down and stop producing traps, others will appear to die completely, only to return to their previous state in the spring.

Despite the murderous nature of carnivorous plants, some of them produce real flowers and those flowers can often be found on long stalks, away from the deadly parts of the plant to keep pollinators safe; it’s almost heartwarming! There are other collaborations amongst these plants: the cobra plant is unable to produce digestive enzymes like other carnivorous plants, and instead, relies on bacteria to break down its prey; the tubes of Low’s pitcher plant are sturdy enough to hold the weight of a tree shrew, and whilst devouring the delights provided by the plant’s nectar, the shrew defecates into the tube, providing its host with a nutrient-rich meal; one could argue the nutrients are  provided by its own flowers, so why not cut out the middle-man, but who are we to judge!

The UK may not be as exotic as many habitats of carnivorous plants, but a number of them are native to the UK, and like their exotic relations, most live in wetlands, where the soil is inferior and nutrients are scarce. There are around 13 species in the UK, and they’re split into 3 groups: bladderworts, butterworts and sundews. Darwin studied sundews, and in 1875, after much experimentation, he shocked the scientific world with his findings. Until his research, science doubted the existence of carnivorous plants, but Darwin proved science wrong.

There is one plant, however, that still creates a lot of debate around its qualification as carnivorous. As opposing leaves join the stem of the plant, they fuse together to form deep vessels that collect rainwater; insects, encouraged by the promise of a drink, fall into the water and drown. Although the plant hasn’t yet developed the ability to digest its prey, studies in 2011 found if fed a diet of bugs, it produced 30 per cent more seed, and they were heavier than seeds produced by plants where prey had been removed. More studies are needed to corroborate the findings, and whilst the leaf water pools could simply be a defence against hungry bugs, many botanists feel the plant is midway between being a non and a fully carnivorous plant; that plant is teasel.

Dried teasel stems may often be used in floral displays, but with their prickly flowers remaining robust when dried, they were once used to raise the weave or ‘nap’ on fabrics. The plants were grown commercially in the 18th century, and whilst the scale is far smaller today, they are still used by specialist billiard and snooker table makers, a few traditional cashmere and wool mills and, more interestingly, in the manufacture of the Pope’s vestments.

Whether the teasel will ever evolve to join the list of carnivorous plants, who knows, but as plants go, it’s certainly led a very interesting life either way.

Carnivorous plants may not be to everyone’s taste (apologies!), but they are yet another example of nature’s versatility and brilliance. Their evolutionary path is maybe a story for another day, but there’s no denying that danger doesn’t have to be loud; in fact, the words, ‘deadly silent’ have never been more apt than when referring to these plants. Let’s just hope that nature has decided evolution has done enough, and carnivorous plants have no need to grow any bigger…