Plants on the Attack!

A hungry fly tiptoes across a sweet-smelling leaf, looking for a meal. Then, SNAP! The leaf closes, trapping the fly inside! This insect has been caught by a carnivorous plant—one that attracts and kills animals for food. There are more than 600 species of killer plants around the world.

Like all plants, carnivorous plants make their own food through photosynthesis. Powered by the sun’s energy, they combine water and carbon dioxide gas to make sugar. Plants typically suck up nutrients in soil through their roots.

Carnivorous plants grow in places like wetlands and bogs, where the soil is low in nutrients. To survive, these plants have developed the ability to feed on small animals. “It’s a way to get nutrients the soil can’t provide,” says Liane Cochran-Stafira. She’s a scientist who studies carnivorous plants.

Check out five deadly ways these plants capture their prey!

A hungry fly walks across a sweet-smelling leaf. It’s looking for a meal. Then SNAP! The leaf closes. The fly is trapped! A carnivorous plant has caught the insect. This kind of plant attracts and kills animals for food. More than 600 carnivorous plant species exist around the world.

Carnivorous plants make their own food just like other plants. They use a process called photosynthesis. It’s powered by the sun’s energy. This process combines water and carbon dioxide gas to make sugar. Plants usually suck up nutrients in soil through their roots.

Carnivorous plants grow in places like wetlands and bogs. There, the soil is low in nutrients. These plants have gained the ability to feed on small animals to survive. “It’s a way to get nutrients the soil can’t provide,” says Liane Cochran-Stafira. She’s a scientist who studies carnivorous plants.

Check out five deadly ways these plants capture their prey!

The parrot pitcher plant, found in the Southeastern U.S., lures insects in, then confuses them. Each of the plant’s tube-shaped leaves has nectar around the opening. An insect crawls inside one, hoping to find more sweet liquid. But as it travels deeper, the tube becomes narrower.

To further confuse insects, pale spots on the leaf let in sunlight. The insect can’t tell where the exit is! “Once they’re in, it’s very hard for them to get out,” says Leonora Bittleston. She’s a biologist who’s studied the plants. 

Eventually, the insect runs out of energy and dies. The plant releases chemicals to break down the insect’s body and absorb, or soak up, the nutrients inside it.

The parrot pitcher plant is found in the Southeastern U.S. It lures insects in. Then it confuses them. The plant has tube-shaped leaves. Each has nectar around the opening. An insect crawls inside a leaf. It’s hoping to find more sweet liquid. But the tube gets smaller as the bug travels deeper. 

Pale spots on the leaf let in sunlight. This further confuses insects. They can’t tell where the exit is! “Once they’re in, it’s very hard for them to get out,” says Leonora Bittleston. She’s a biologist who’s studied the plants.

Eventually, the insect runs out of energy and dies. The plant releases chemicals. They break down the insect’s body. The plant absorbs, or soaks up, the nutrients inside it.

A leaf might look like a safe place to land. But landing on this leaf would be a big mistake! The Venus flytrap, which grows in North and South Carolina, uses a snap trap to capture its meals.

The plant’s clam-shaped leaves have tiny hairs inside. If an insect touches them, the leaf clamps shut. It takes about 10 days for the plant to digest the insect’s body. Then the trap reopens.

Sometimes a falling leaf tricks the Venus flytrap into snapping shut. But it isn’t fooled for long. If the “food” doesn’t move, the trap opens back up, ready to catch its next snack!

A leaf might look like a safe place to land. But landing on this leaf would be a big mistake! It belongs to a Venus flytrap. They grow in North and South Carolina. They use snap traps to capture meals.

The plant’s clam-shaped leaves have tiny hairs inside. A leaf clamps shut if an insect touches them. The plant digests the insect’s body in about 10 days. Then the trap reopens.

Sometimes a falling leaf tricks the Venus flytrap into snapping shut. But it isn’t fooled for long. The trap opens back up if the “food” doesn’t move. Now it’s ready to catch its next snack!

Adhesive means “sticky,” and that’s exactly what adhesive traps are! One plant that uses this trap, called a sundew, lives on every continent except Antarctica. The plant’s leaves are lined with long, flexible tentacles. A drop of nectar mixed with a super-sticky substance tops each tentacle. When an insect lands for a drink, it becomes glued in place. The plant wraps its tentacles around its victim. The insect dies within 15 minutes.

Over the next few weeks, the sundew’s leaf releases chemicals that break down the insect’s body. The plant soaks up the nutrients and is ready to trap again!

Adhesive means “sticky.” And that’s what adhesive traps are! One plant that uses this trap is called a sundew. It lives on every continent except Antarctica. The plant’s leaves are lined with long, bendy tentacles. A drop of nectar tops each tentacle. It’s mixed with a super-sticky substance. An insect lands for a drink. It becomes glued in place. The plant wraps its tentacles around its victim. The insect dies within 15 minutes.

The sundew’s leaf releases chemicals that break down the insect’s body. This happens over the next few weeks. The plant soaks up the nutrients. It’s ready to trap again!

The bladderwort plant uses a trap the size of a fingernail. But it’s one of the quickest killers of all carnivorous plants! Its suction traps suck up prey like a vacuum. It happens so fast, you can’t even see it with a camera!

The bladderwort grows in fresh water around the world. It uses hollow, water-filled pouches called bladders to trap tiny prey like insect larvae.

First, the plant pumps all the water out of a bladder. Like squeezing the bulb of an eyedropper, this creates suction. When something touches the plant’s hairs, a flap opens. When water rushes in to fill the trap, the prey gets sucked in too.

The bladderwort plant uses a trap the size of a fingernail. Of all carnivorous plants, it’s one of the quickest killers! Its suction traps suck up prey like a vacuum. This happens so fast, you can’t even see it with a camera.

The bladderwort grows in fresh water around the world. It has hollow, water-filled pouches called bladders. They trap tiny prey like insect larvae.

First, the plant pumps all the water out of a bladder. It’s like squeezing the bulb of an eyedropper. This creates suction. When something touches the plant’s hairs, a flap opens. Water rushes into the trap. The prey gets sucked in too.

Pitfall traps are the most common way for carnivorous plants to capture prey. These traps are used by many species of pitcher plants, which grow all over the world. The leaves of this purple pitcher plant look like colorful petals. They’re coated in sweet nectar to attract insects. But they’re also extremely slippery. A hungry insect creeping onto the rim will slip and fall into a pool of liquid. That liquid is filled with chemicals that break down the insect’s body.

Once caught, escape isn’t an option. The plant’s inner walls are covered in stiff, downward-pointing hairs. This makes it nearly impossible for an insect to climb out. And it’s not just insects that have to worry. Some pitcher plants are wider than a basketball. They can catch and digest small animals such as mice!

Pitfall traps are the most common way carnivorous plants capture prey. Many species of pitcher plants use these traps. These plants grow all over the world. The leaves of this purple pitcher plant look like colorful petals. They’re coated in sweet nectar to attract insects. But they’re also very slippery. A hungry insect creeping onto the rim will slip into a pool of liquid. That liquid is filled with chemicals. They break down the insect’s body.

Escape isn’t an option. Stiff hairs cover the plant’s inner walls. They point downward.  This makes it nearly impossible for an insect to climb out. And it’s not just insects that have to worry. Some pitcher plants are wider than a basketball. They can catch small animals like mice!