Sarracenia spp. Pitcher plant
The Sarracenia pitcher plant does not use a hinge mechanism like the venus fly trap
The sarracenia pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant found in the north east of America.
There are many species and hybrids of pitcher plants, though all employ the same ... Read review
The sarracenia pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant found in the north east of America.
There are many species and hybrids of pitcher plants, though all employ the same tactics to attain additional nutrient and compensate for the lack of nutrient in the soil.
The leaves have evolved to form a trumpet like structure surrounded by a cobra like hood. Around the tip ... .../>
Unlike the venus fly trap the pitcher plant is an effective predator of insects, and will help dispose of unwanted summer visitors.
In the hotter months of the year wasps develop a taste for sugar, becoming a particular nuisance in the home. The nectar secretions upon the rim of the pitcher are particularly effective in attracting them to be digested by the plant.
The Sarracenia pitcher plant does not use a hinge mechanism like the venus fly trap
The sarracenia pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant found in the north east of America.
There are many species and hybrids of pitcher plants, though all employ the same tactics to attain additional nutrient and compensate for the lack of nutrient in the soil.
The leaves have evolved to form a trumpet like structure surrounded by a cobra like hood. Around the tip of the trumpet nectar secretions attract insects where they fall down inside the pitcher. Hairs, which point downward also line the inner of the structure so that struggling insects cannot climb out and escape. The base of the trumpet contains a mixture of water and digestive enzymes, these digest the trapped insects releasing nutrient, which is utilized by the plant.
the colour and size of pitcher plant foliage varies from species to species.
http://carnivorousplant.info/id6.htm (this site outlines the major species and their differences)
Sarracenia pitcher plants require a peat acidic medium in which they grow. The plant has evolved to tolerate low levels of nutrient in the soil and two much will kill it. Thus refrain from using fertilizer.
The plants natural habitat is continually water logged. Thus the plant requires a minimum of a cm of water in which to stand.
I have mine standing in a porcelain bowl within a plastic pot. The bowl holds about one pint of water. In this way I can avoid watering the plant daily.
Most carnivorous plants cannot tolerate tap water. The chlorine and fluoride added usually being fatal to the plant. I have however watered my pitcher plant with tap water with not ill effects. I don’t advise trying this.
Unlike the venus fly trap the pitcher plant is an effective predator of insects, and will help dispose of unwanted summer visitors.
In the hotter months of the year wasps develop a taste for sugar, becoming a particular nuisance in the home. The nectar secretions upon the rim of the pitcher are particularly effective in attracting them to be digested by the plant.
The pitcher plant does bloom, producing a strange, but very beautiful flower head. The colours of the petals are usually yellow, pink or red.
http://epm-britt.ucdavis.edu/Savages/SarSeed.htm (this site gives flower images and details of growing pitcher plants from seed).
http://www.carnivorous-plants.co.uk/sarracenia/homepage.asp ( the sarracenia home page)
Advantages: cheap to feed! Disadvantages: temperamental
...are thinking of buying a Venus Fly Trap beware! You have to be prepared to lavish attention on it. If you don't give it exactly what it needs it will die. It won't adapt, or make do in the way some plants do. Treat it like any other ordinary houseplant and you will certainly murder it! Venus Fly Traps are a whole species of carnivorous plants. They come in many varieties. These plants are adapted to live where they can't get nutrients in the normal ... ...grow them? Well, it varies. Venus Fly Traps grow naturally in humid, wet, sunny and warm conditions and this is ideally what they need. (The bathroom springs to mind here and I did actually keep one alive for 18 months on the bathroom window sill.) The best way I found to create this mini environment is to plant your young VFT in a terrarium or bottle. (Cut the bottom off the bottle and you have the perfect solution. Or do you? Your plant demands ...
janharper 29.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Venus Fly Trap/Pitcher Plant
Advantages: catches unwanted flies Disadvantages: only drinks rain water
I have a baby venus fly trap at home and i didnt realise how difficult they are to look after. Firstly the plant can only have rain water so outside my window i have a bottle and a bucket waiting to collect any rain. This time of year it is easy but if we have a dry summer it could be difficult. (although this is england so having a dry summer is doubtful) Secondly it is very hard to find flies for them to eat. They obviously prefer live food but ... ...of the time i have to kill them i have to use twisers to move the fly in the trap so it closes. Again this time of year getting alot of flies is also hard. They can eat things like crickets but i gave it a ladybird that was dead and i think it has killed the trap . You also only need to feed them about once a week in winter.
Also with the fly trap the trap dies after it has been fed about 3-4 times. It turns black and when this happens you have ...
marmy1 30.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Venus Fly Trap/Pitcher Plant
Advantages: you're not inhaling harmful chemicals, no cleaning up of dead flies, kids will be fascinated Disadvantages: They need to be watered occasionally
...to your home are the Venus Fly Trap and the Pitcher Plant. In these days of chemical consciousness, these two plants provide a very useful, no-global-warming, non-polluting answer to one of lifes annoyances - flies and other flying bugs. They just sit there looking pretty, the fly lands on them and the Pitcher Plant just traps it with a sticky substance in its centre, and the Venus Fly Tap snaps shut so that the fly can't escape. Both then devour ... ...polluting the air by having to spray those nasty chemicals, these are offering two benefits for the price of one. Well, three actually, as there's no need to sweep up or vacuum all those fallen fly corpses. No clean up! All natural and you don't have to do anything but water occasionally. Can't be bad, eh?
Of course, there are other benefits too. Children are fascinated by the way they work, so you can provide an ongoing biology/science lesson in ...
poet831 23.04.2001 (13.04.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Venus Fly Trap/Pitcher Plant
