Part 1: 5 Unusual Facts about Carnivorous Plants that are Not About Luring Prey
“…at the present moment, I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world.”
They don’t have brains. They don’t have nerves. And yet, carnivorous plants seem to know things — responding to sound, light, touch, and timing with precision. Their awareness blurs the line between instinct and intelligence, as though consciousness exists beyond our comprehension.
1. They can hear.
Sundews respond to the buzzing frequency of insects, priming their sticky tentacles before a victim even lands. It’s as if they can listen for dinner.
Example: Drosera spatulata, Drosera capensis (Both in stock at We Bite)
The Venus Flytrap ‘Akai Ryu’
2. They can count.
A Venus flytrap won’t close until two hairs are touched within about twenty seconds — and it “remembers” up to five to determine whether digestion is worth the energy.
Venus Flytraps belong to a monotypic genus, which means that there is only one species. All Venus Flytrap cultivars (“cultivated variety” such as ‘Akai Ryu’ or ‘Dente’) are able to do this neat trick.
3. They glow.
Many emit ultraviolet fluorescence invisible to humans but irresistible to insects. What we see as still green leaves become spectral lanterns in the eyes of their prey.
Example: Sarracenia leucophylla, Nepenthes rajah, Nepenthes albomarginata, Drosera capensis (the latter two are stocked at We Bite)
Mexican Butterwort
4. Carnivory evolved eleven times.
Different plant lineages reinvented carnivory on their own, proof that nature can’t resist designing the monster again and again. The oldest known is a species of Roridula that existed between 35 to 47 million years ago!
Example groups: Nepenthes (tropical Asia), Sarracenia (North America), Drosera (global), Cephalotus (Australia), Pinguicula (worldwide)
Nepenthes Jamban
5. Pitcher plants host micro-kingdoms.
Inside a single trap, you might find mosquito larvae, bacteria, and protozoa coexisting in a liquid world of slow digestion. A plant — and an ecosystem — in one vessel.
Example: Nepenthes ampullaria (various hybrids of this plant now stocked at We Bite).
One pitcher plant that is local to the Southeast region that exhibits this ability is the Sarracenia purpurea.
Carnivorous plants calculate. Their bodies interpret information as elegantly as any creature with neurons. In Part 2, we’ll wander deeper into the strange alliances they’ve formed — from bats to bacteria — in the unholy partnerships of the bog.
Do your own research.
We Bite carries examples of the plants discussed in this post but if you’re not local to New Orleans, you can still shop our plants via Palmstreet or Etsy.