10 Best Carnivorous Plants for a Window Sill Placement
When you hear the word carnivorous, what do you picture? My guess is, you imagine some scary-looking animals like lions. Well, you may not be wrong from your perspective because most people generally can’t believe that plants can also eat meat. There are some species of plants that can kill, trap, eat Small animals and insects. This species of plants are called carnivorous plants.
If you want to learn more about this idea, read in our other article about: How Did All Carnivorous Plants Evolve Their Taste For Meat?
Things To Know About the Window Sill Carnivorous Plants
Unlike most plants, carnivorous plants survive in areas with nitrogen deficit in the soil. Because of this, they need to capture insects and small animals in other to fulfill their nitrogen requirement. Carnivorous plants use their amazing hair-like structures and beautifully colored parts to attract their unsuspecting prey. When the attracted creature, fly over to the bright hues and settles down on the plant. It will then get devoured by the plant.
Because of their ability to trap and devour insects, we call them carnivorous. Unlike most predatory animals, carnivorous plants don’t eat their prey. When they catch their prey, they produce some digestive juices, which helps them to dissolve their prey. And then, they derive their nutrients in the process. Isn’t that awesome?
To learn more about carnivorous plants, here’s an article we have written; we recommend you start with: Fantastic Carnivorous Plants and Where to Find Them.
A scientist named Charles Darwin wrote the first book about carnivorous plants in 1875. The book name is “Insectivorous Plants.” Carnivorous plants have five underlying mechanisms which they use to trap their prey. These mechanisms are snap traps, pitfall traps, bladder traps, flypaper traps, lobster pot traps.
Here is the list of 10 Best Carnivorous plants for a window sill placement
Brocchinia Reduct
The first on the list is Brocchinia Reducta, and this carnivorous plant is native to South America. Brocchinia is capable of adapting to any environmental condition. Like most carnivorous plants, it uniquely captures its prey. To obtain its prey, it overlaps the leaves, to create a storing cup for water storage.
After that, it coats the leaves with waxy and loose scales which reflect ultraviolet light. After some time, the water will start to release sweet odor alone with Ultraviolet light, begins to insects. Once the insect is inside the plant, it will eventually slip into the water and finally drown. With the help of bacteria’s and enzymes, the carnivorous plant can now digest it.
Aldrovanda Vesiculosa
This plant is popular with a name of waterwheel. It is also the only species of Genus Aldrovanda. However, Aldrovanda exists in Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe. That’s because it is one of the most distributed carnivorous plants. Being a carnivorous plant, it feeds on insects and small creatures. To capture it preys, it set a trap using two lobes, which it folds up underwater.
It has sensitive hairs which are inside, and these hairs are trigger when any prey makes contact with them. Once its trigger, within milliseconds it closes, leaving no room for escape and digestion begins immediately.
Sarracenia
In Sarracenia genus, they have ten species of carnivorous plants. Moreover, they are known as Trumpet pitchers or North American pitcher plants. They are native to North America. Sarracenia uses nectar, color, and smell to attract its prey. Once it traps the victim in the pitcher, it becomes difficult for it to escape. That’s because sarracenia has a slippery surface and hairs that are in the tube.
In the pitcher, it has fluid and enzymes which help it to drown the insect before it begins digestion. Some of its species have hoods, and you can find them above the pitchers, and they also help to keep Rainwater away.
Heliamphora
It is commonly called sun pitcher plants, and in Heliamphora genus, it has 23 species. And they are native to South America. Like most carnivorous plants, it uses a pitfall trap to lure and kill its prey. But when it comes to digestion, it needs symbiotic bacteria to take place. It has leaves that have a shape in the form of tubes, and this tube contains water that they use to drown their prey.
In this genus, most of them feed on ants. But for one species, Heliamphora tatei, it can trap flying insects and when it’s time for digestion it produces its enzymes.
Pinguicula
Also, we know them as Butterworts. We can find them in America, Asia, and Europe. They are a genus of carnivorous plants with over 80 species with a unique trapping mechanism. Moreover, the leaves have two glands. The first one, i.e. peduncular gland, releases a mucilaginous substance along with some digestive enzymes. After that, it forms some droplets on the surface of the leaf.
The droplets are used to lure insects into landing on it when they do. The glands release more paste to cover the insect. The digestion process then triggers the other testicle, which is known as the sessile glands. They produce some enzymes that help to break down the insects.
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Utricularia
It’s commonly known as Bladderworts. Its genus consists of over two hundred species of plants which are carnivorous. You can find them in every continent, excluding Antarctica. When it comes to feeding, it uses a bladder-like trap to catch its prey.
It has beautiful flowers that can work like a decorative piece. Considering its size and nature, it looks like a perfect carnivorous plant for the window sill placement.
Byblis
Byblis is Native to Australia, and it’s also called Rainbow plants. Its genus carnivorous plants. They have a passive trapping system; there even eight species of byblis. Because they are small, their leaves have a covering of some sticky fluid. The plant uses it to attract insects. Thus, when insects land on it, they get stuck and remain there until they starve to death.
When it comes to digestion, it produces some oily substance from the sessile glands. It makes it easier for digestion.
Nepenthes
You can also call them Tropical Pitcher or Monkey Cups plants. It has about 150 different species. You can locate them in India, China, South East Asia, Seychelles, Madagascar, Australia. You may be wondering why it’s name is Monkey Cups, well that’s because monkeys like to drink water from the plant. It set a trap for its prey by forming a pitcher at the tendrils which are on the leaves.
It has slippery fluid which it uses to drown any prey that goes into it. After that, it absorbs all the nutrients in the victim. Unlike most carnivorous plants, Nepenthes mainly consume insects and sometimes small birds and even rats.
Darlingtonia Californica
Some of the additional names of this plant are California pitcher plant, cobra plant, or cobra lily. This plant exists in Northern California. Like a most carnivorous plant, it uses the pitcher to trap its prey. Unlike most plants, it pumps water from its root instead of storing it. Because of its killing method, Darlingtonia californica is one of the best and efficient carnivorous plants.
Venus Flytrap
Also known as Dionaea muscipula. And even the most known carnivorous plants. It is native to Eastern coasts of United States. It prefers to eat small prey. Its trap triggers when there is stimulation on the hairs.
What We Learned While Writing Window Sill Placement Of Carnivorous Plants
Unlike other plants, carnivorous plants can be found in any range of climate and also capable of luring and killing its prey. They are also the most popular plants among children. Carnivorous plants tend to give your window sills an element of surprise and curiosity.
