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If you were born or growing up in the 80's, then the words "carnivorous plant" might conjure images of this...
Photo cred: studio-be.org
Or maybe you think about some alien looking species that only exists in some deep, dark rainforest on the other side of the world like these...
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
What most people don't realize (and I only learned very recently) is that a large number of carnivorous plants are native to the United States. Such as, the Venus flytrap Dionaea spp., found in the Carolinas and Northern Florida.
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
or the North American pitcher plant, Sarracenia spp., indigenous to the East Coast, Texas, California, and Great Lakes areas.
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Photo cred: Trevor Adler
or the Cobra Lily, Darlingtonia californica, which can be found along the California-Oregon border
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
What even fewer people realize is that these are all highly threatened species which scientists still know very little about. Let me take a second to break down the physical structure and functions of carnivorous plants (the overly curious biology student in me). Carnivorous plants have evolved to obtain most of their nutrients by trapping and consuming other organisms: insects mostly and sometimes even small mammals. They have modified leaves and cells (insert lots of boring biology jargon) that have specialized to capture prey using five different mechanisms:
pitfall traps/pitchers - drown prey in a pool of digestive enzymes/bacteria
flypaper traps - have sticky mucus that traps and digests prey
snap traps - evolved leaves that quickly close when trigger hairs are contacted
bladder traps - create a vacuum which sucks prey into a bladder where it's digested
lobster-pot traps - use illusion and stiff hairs to trap prey and force it into a pool of digestive fluid
Carnivorous plants are found in nutrient poor, wetland environments, which might be an explanation for their carnivory. This is also the biggest reason they are threatened and why some species are near extinction and only exists in cultivation. Wetlands are (and have been) exploited and over developed for commercial and residential purposes and in the process habitats of many uniquely evolved species have been destroyed, including these carnivorous plants. It is easy to surmise that many species have gone extinct before we had the chance to discover them, which is a very sad thought.
My close friend and adventure buddy, Trevor Adler, first introduced me to pitcher plants that he had been growing in his backyard in San Diego, CA. Now, I'm no horticulture amateur but carnivorous plants have never been a part of my general education and when I found out that many were native plants to the U.S. I was....offended! After weeks of learning from Trevor and seeing first hand the interesting variety and functions of these plants I had to make some moves! We had the opportunity to visit the Bay Area (I'm a native Northern Californian and I had some personal business to attend) and so we sprung on the chance to pay a visit to California Carnivores (located near Santa Rosa, CA) which is a carnivorous plant nursery which claims the largest variety of carnivorous plants in the United States.
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Before this visit, I had been....moderately curious/vaguely interested about carnivorous plants. It's easy to be excited about something when your friend is so enthusiastic about it but I've always been a very traditional green thumb and any plant that requires ridiculous maintenance (ie. distilled water or artificial lighting) is..."snooty". What I did not expect, was walking into this nursery which turned out to resemble another planet...further, I did not expect to be so entranced by it.
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
We spent (I kid you not) 4 hours perusing the nursery (there are several rooms to explore) repeatedly visiting tables to inspect/reinspect species we had previously missed.
I was incredibly impressed with the nurseries operation. Not only do they sell rare and beautiful plants at very reasonable prices but they also promote conservation of these beautifully endangered plants through social media and by propagating (reproducing) their plants instead of collecting them from the field.
I walked into the main room and immediately said "WOW!"
There were plants everywhere! Plants growing near/around/on other plants! It was its own mini-ecosystem :) We were greeted by a friendly young man, Axel, who gave us a quick intro to the nursery and informed us what was for sale/show, encouraged us to ask questions and take pictures....and that's exactly what we did!!
Axel (right) David (left) - these two young men are going to change the world :)
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
While Trevor and Axle went through the nursery talking about particular species and plant care techniques, I explored and took pictures. It was overwhelming, to say the least, for someone with limited knowledge of these specialized plants. What first drew my attention was the beautiful juxtaposition of these deadly plants and their extremely delicate blooms!
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Then I spotted the living walls!! I'm a sucker for these!
And this is when it all clicked for me! These seemingly foreign and high maintenance plants were not that in the least! Many species such as the Sarracenia pitchers and the soft, rosette Pinguicula spp. I could easily grow in my own house and some I could even keep outdoors! They were intermixed with bromeliads, orchids and normal houseplants you can pick up at the grocery store...these arrangements were unusual in a way but they also seemed to fit seamlessly. I realized then how important these elusive carnivorous plants were to the environment on a grand scale, that they are a very special and essential piece to a much bigger puzzle. I decided then that it was important to share this idea with all of you too :)
My wandering through the nursery opened my eyes to a hidden world that has in fact been right under my nose all along.
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Photo cred: Trevor Adler
Carnivorous plants have gone unnoticed for a few reasons, one of them being that they have a stigma for being foreign, high maintenance, and maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as other plants. The fact that they are also highly endangered means that collectors and specialized nurseries like, California Carnivores, are the only resources for purchase and awareness. The good news for all of you plant lovers and blossoming scientists is that they are relatively easy to take care of, affordable, and very pretty plants! Not only that but caring for these unique plants and supporting conservation of these species is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the amazing world that is all around us.
It was such a pleasure getting to spend the day in such a beautiful nursery and get one on one time with their knowledgeable, enthusiastic and helpful staff. I'm so excited to see this niche market blossom and spread awareness of these wonderfully evolved plants and make them more accessible to the public. I highly encourage you all to check out their website or find your own way of supporting the wetland habitats that these plants need to proliferate.
More on our NorCal trip coming soon!! Stay tuned! :)
