Predatory plants are considered unique representatives of the flora, which feed on insects. Despite their aggressive behavior towards midges, mosquitoes and flies, they are considered not only very useful, but also quite decorative.
It is interesting to watch such original flowers, in addition, predatory houseplants have unusual beauty and amazing aroma.
Predatory plants at home
Predatory plants are called upon to perform the functions of orderlies and cleanse the space of too many different insects. These plants have a special mechanism that helps them attract and capture their prey.
The carnivorous flower on which the wasp sat
In addition to useful functions, predatory flowers can decorate any interior, as they look very beautiful.
The main advantages of growing predatory plants include the fact that they do not need any special care, on the contrary, these flowers are quite unpretentious, it is quite easy to keep them in room conditions. Also, these outlandish representatives of the flora will be able to please their master with amazing flowers, which is also important when choosing a houseplant.
Predator flowers differ from ordinary indoor plants in that they can catch and digest insects. This ability of carnivorous flowers appeared as a result of evolution, when they grew in poor soil and could not get the necessary minerals from the earth through the roots. It is for this reason that the flowers were forced to mutate and began to receive food not from the earth, but through the air.
Insectivorous flower with jugs
Predatory house plants should not be fed with mineral fertilizers, you need to water only with distilled water. What is very important - for people such flowers are absolutely safe, since they are predatory plants, not poisonous.
Popular insectivorous plants for the home
Out of the whole variety of predatory plants, only a few species are suitable for growing at home.
Pemphigus
Pemphigus is a predator plant that uses bubble traps resembling small sacs on stems. Most species of pemphigus have small traps; they can catch very small prey in them, such as protozoa.
In the size of the trap, there are 0.2 mm - 1.2 cm, larger traps fall into larger traps, such as a water flea or a tadpole. Bubbles are under negative pressure in relation to the environment. The trap opens, sucks the insect and its surrounding water, closes the valve. This all happens in thousandths of a second.
Pemphigus with small bubbles
The predator flower is ideal for keeping at home, if there is an aquarium or pallidarium. It is very easy to contain it as a houseplant, since it does not require special attention and care, and also grows well in the sun.
Zhiryanka
The flower Zhiryanka refers to carnivorous plants that use sticky glandular petals in order to lure and subsequently digest various insects. Nutrient components derived from insects enrich the soil, which lacks minerals.
This carnivorous flower is very beautiful, when it blooms, then its buds resemble a violet. The leaves of a roundwort are very juicy, there are both bright green and pink in color, they are collected in a small basal rosette. The surface of the leaves is covered with a sticky substance, which, exuding the smell of fat, attracts the victim.
Pink rose petal
When an insect falls on a leaf of a puff, it immediately becomes glued. All attempts by the insect to free itself bring the leaf of the flower into active action - it very slowly begins to curl inward and wraps the insect.
After the plant catches its victim, it begins to secrete the necessary enzymes for digestion. Due to the presence of nitrogen in the bodies of insects, the release of the necessary fluid for digestion, which is somewhat similar to fat, is stimulated in the flower.
When the digestion process is over, the petal turns back and is ready for a new meal.
Interesting! It is believed that the puffin is the simplest predatory plant, it is easy to keep it in room conditions. This flower will feel great even on the northern windows, in the winter months, when there is very little sun, does not need additional lighting.
Sarracenia purpurea
Sarracenia is the name of a perennial, rhizome, herbaceous plant. Belongs to the largest predatory plants. The leaves below are scaly.
Short-leaved hunting leaves are quite large, collected in a socket. They are located above the flower itself and are somewhat reminiscent of an urn with a very wide opening at the top or a tube-shaped jug.
Flowers of this variety of sarracenia have purple or green-purple hues. Sarracenia purpurea blooms in spring and exudes a surprisingly pleasant violet aroma.
The plant attracts potential victims with a very strong aroma of nectar, which is formed in the nectariferous gland. Nectar production occurs in very large quantities.
Sarracenia purpurea, pitchers
When the insect is on a hunting leaf, it begins to slide deep into the urn along the sweet path of nectar. Inside the urns are covered with special hairs that allow insects to move only down.
When the victim falls into the storage trap, it will not be able to get out, the plant gradually dissolves it in the digestive juices.
Sarracenia home care provides for timely watering, it is important to ensure that the earth in the pot does not dry out. In the summer, you can put a flower pot on a pallet with expanded clay, which will need to be periodically moistened.
Important! It is impossible to use any fertilizers for this plant, otherwise it will die. Eating insects will be more than enough for him.
Sarracenia Dracula
Sarracenia Dracula is a very beautiful and unusual hybrid of Sarracenia purpurea. It has very unusual leaves that are located in an upright position and reach 30 centimeters in height. The green covers of the traps are also located vertically, have long red veins.
The more sunlight the trap leaves receive, the more red they become. The caps do not change their original color, they remain the same green color with dark red veins.
Sarracenia Dracula
This variety of sarracenia can be planted in the garden on a flower bed, as well as grown on the windowsill in the apartment. The main thing is to provide the plant with enough light.
Sarracenia Fiona
Sarracenia Fiona is an insectivorous plant that loves a lot of light and warmth, so it is best to place it on the windowsill of the south or west window. Description of the flower - traps grow up to 8-10 centimeters in height and up to 10-12 centimeters in diameter.
The number of traps on one flower is in the range of 10-15 pieces. The color of the pitcher-traps of this variety of sarracenia is pink-green or red-green.
Note! It is not worth spraying sarracenia, as ugly spots will remain on the leaves.
Darlington California
A predator plant, which may also be called a lily-cobra, has a long stem, the leaves are similar to the hood of a cobra and come in both yellow and orange-red hues. At the top of the flower is a large jug (up to 0.6 m in diameter), its color is light green.
Sarracenia Fiona
This flower is a great flycatcher. A distinctive feature of the flower is the Darlington Californian exudes a very unpleasant rotten aroma, which arises as a result of the process of digestion of food.
The plant does not use its trapping leaves as a trap - it uses another trap, which is similar to a crab claw, inside which there are many thin hairs growing inward. The insect follows these hairs into the very depths of the flower’s digestive organ.
Darlington California
When it falls into this trap, it cannot get out, the plant begins the process of digestion using its own digestive juices.
Predatory Flower Care Tips
Keeping insectivorous plants at home is very simple, if you strictly follow all the rules of care.
Content temperature
For predatory plants, the most optimal temperature for the entire vegetation period is + 28-30 ° C. In the winter season, predators have a rest period, they need to provide a cooler content, lowering the temperature to + 10-16 degrees.
Soil moisture, watering
Soil for predatory plants must be selected very scarce, moss or vermiculite is suitable. Predatory plants are watered as necessary, as soon as the topsoil dries.
Worth considering! Watering is carried out only with distilled water, otherwise the flower may die. You can place the pot with the plant on a pallet with wet expanded clay or moss. Plants are watered every 2-3 days, it is better to pour water directly into the pan, to a height of about 0.5 cm.
Lighting, choosing a place for a flower
Carnivorous flowers need to be provided with a large amount of daylight, only it is worth considering that they do not tolerate direct sunlight very well (since strong sunlight can cause burns on the leaves).
Since the hunting organ is for the predator plants at the same time the stomach, burns on the leaves must not be allowed, otherwise the plant will die.
During a short daylight day or cloudy weather, it is worth using additional lighting using phytolamps. It is preferable to place pots with a plant on the sunny windowsill, the western or eastern part of the apartment is suitable.
If the window faces south, then the plant must be shaded from direct sunlight. In winter to finish it up.
How to feed a predatory flower
In order for the predatory exotic pet not to die, it will have to be fed periodically, but it is very important to adhere to certain rules:
- For feeding, use only live insects. The best food will be midges, spiders, flies and wasps. It is the moving insects that serve as a signal for action and contribute to the launch of the digestive process.
- It is very important not to overfeed the plant. Some 3-4 insects are enough for the entire growing season. Sarracenia is a voracious plant, but it is not necessary to give it more than ten insects during the period of active growth.
- It is necessary to feed one of the flower traps, all at once is impossible, because due to the prolonged process of digestion, an unpleasant odor may appear. In addition, the plant may die from overeating.
Additional Information. Immediately after acquiring a carnivorous flower, you should not feed it immediately, you can do this only after it releases 3-4 new leaves already at home.
Where to get insects
If the plants grow in the garden, then there will be no problems with nutrition, but if the flowers are in the room and no insects are found there, you will have to look for them their own food.
As food, you can use Drosophila flies, which breed well on rotten vegetables and fruits, or grow their own flies from maggots (they can be purchased at fishing stores). You can also purchase in a specialized store of cockroaches, mealy worms, crickets, stick insects, ants and praying mantises.
Insects for carnivorous flowers
In the summertime, predators can be taken out onto a balcony or terrace, the smell of nectar itself will attract food.
How to prepare for the winter
In winter, most predators are at rest, they should not be fed. There are such types of predatory plants that are not averse to refresh themselves in the winter season. In this case, an ant farm is useful, so the plant will always have live food. You can also grow mosquitoes from bloodworms (sold at a fishing store). Fresh bloodworms can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time (3-4 months).
Until recently, no one even thought about growing predatory plants at home. Now it has become very popular. Predatory flowers are grown in homes, apartments and offices. If there is such a flower in the house, it will always be nice to watch it and enjoy its exotic beauty, as well as enjoy the wonderful aroma.
