Carnivorous plants were some of the quickest sellers in our foliage houses last year. With most everyone’s mental association to carnivorous plants being the ubiquitous Venus flytrap, it’s worth drawing attention to lesser-known varieties that are just as beautifully outlandish as any plant you’ve come across before.
Pitcher plants “hunt” in a much different way than flytraps, opting to constantly produce a concoction similar to stomach acids until their bowl-shaped structure is about halfway filled. This mixture attracts insects who think they’re smelling ordinary nectar. Once the insect lands to pollinate, downward facing barbs and hairs create a surface impossible to grasp.
Getting that landing is the hardest part of the Pitchers job, but its meal is all but guaranteed beyond this point.
After an insect falls into the pitcher, the top leaf will close to allow for a quicker digestive process. Finally, the prey becomes part of the juices that attracted it in the first place.
Crazy stuff!
Some other tidbits:
- Pitcher Plants originally survived at the tops of trees in vast, humid jungles. It was relatively recently that they adapted to different lighting conditions. Scientists are still not exactly sure how much of and what role the diet of these species played in their different evolutionary traits.
- Thought to be the largest variety of Pitcher Plant, the Nepenthes Rajah perplexed scientist when – after weeks of observation – it was found to have not consumed a single individual. Further study revealed that larger animals like the native shrew were actually using it to dispose of bodily waste. To the plant, this arrangement allows access to rich nitrogen, and to the animals I suppose a cleaner forest floor!
How to Care for Your Own Pitcher Plant
Besides being a great all-natural bug catcher, Pitcher Plants are a conversation starter and tolerant to indoor settings. They require minimal maintenance besides the occasional refill with either rainwater or distilled water. The chemicals used to purify tap water would be harmful to the pitcher plant. It stays dormant in the winter, but over a lifetime can give 8-10 full growing seasons in the right conditions. Those conditions being most important damp, well drained soil (potting mix and frequent watering recommended).
