The Sundew

    A sundew traps insects by using its hairy and sticky leaves. When an insect lands on the leaves they will get stuck and the leaf will curl up to the main stem of the plant. The insect will then be digested. The sundew comes from all around the planet, 3 types are native to the U.K alone with 160 worldwide. It is mostly found in boggy areas with damp but poor soil. During early spring the plant will flower and produce seeds.                             

The Venus Flytrap

 The Venus Flytrap is the most famous of all carnivorous plants. It draws an insect to its leaves using sweet smelling nectar then once the insect steps on one of 6 small trigger hairs inside the trap, the trap snaps half-shut. The insect is still alive and able to move inside the trap at this point. When it touches the trigger hairs about 10 more times the trap will shut, killing and digesting the insect. The trap will then re-open about 1 week after digesting the insect. The plant must be dormant during winter to store up energy for the following year, during which the plant will die back to the underground rhizome and not emerge for about 3 months. Once it starts to grow again it will grow a flower stalk and many new traps, it may also divide into 2 separate plants. The flower stalk will last for about 2 months, once pollinated it will begin to deposit tiny seeds, the baby plants take 3-5 years to reach maturity.

Pitcher plants

     The Pitcher Plant lures insects by producing a sweet nectar, the insects fall down into the pitcher and get stuck in digestive fluids at the bottom, the plant then absorbs the nutrients. Pitcher plants grow funnel shaped traps which also act as leaves, it flowers in early spring after spending the winter dormant to survive the cold. Tthis plant is native to America. It is found growing in boggy ground which is often flooded, the soil is poor and acidic.