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Killer Plants

   Written by on May 22, 2015 at 11:29 am

It must be getting close to the end of the school year. As I listen near an open window in the late afternoon, I hear horns blaring, tires squealing, and radios so loud the glass in the window vibrates. Ah, youth. Just be careful, guys; have fun, but be careful.

logo - walk in gardenAs young graduates jump into summer, so do the predictable summer insects begin to descend on us. The ants have already made an appearance. Those big fat bumble bee things have been hovering at the back door, insolently staring you right in the eye when you go outside. I’ve seen a few wasps and an occasional mosquito already. Dreading the bites, the itches and the stings, I have a suggestion. Instead of the usual petunias and geraniums of southern gardens, let’s fill our gardens with some carnivorous, mean-tempered, insect gobbling plants.

Let’s start with the good ol’ Venus fly trap. They come in pink and red, you know, so you can match your garden color preference. Contrary to popular belief and in spite of their appearance, these are not tropical plants. They are native to North America and grow best in poor soil. How easy is that? They derive the bulk of their nutrients from the insects they capture and digest. Only problem is that each plant is quickly sated; five or six good flying insects and it keels over like it’s been eating at Burger King.

The term pitcher plant encompasses several types of carnivorous plants. What they have in common is the oddly-shaped leaves that look somewhat like a pitcher. They’re all colorful and all have a waxy substance on the inside walls of the pitcher that traps their insect dinners. There are the nepenthes, the sarrcenia and the cobra plants which dine in this manner.

The sundew plant gets its name from the little drops of mucilage resembling dew that appear on its leaves early in the day. Any insect or small animal that comes in contact with this mucilage will stick and remain there until completely digested by the plant. This is another one that thrives in poor soil. And talk about colorful…these plants are bright red and yellow – a compliment in any garden. But watch out – they have tentacles growing from the stems and leaves that move or curl up in response to any prey that comes near. The leaves will actually curl around an insect in a matter of seconds and prevent its escape.

One more: the butterwort. It is easily the most attractive of all the bug biting plants. They grow little rosettes of green or pink leaves covered with droplets of sticky liquid. The flowers produced by this plant resemble tiny little orchids. Again, don’t be fooled. They are probably the most effective of all the carnivorous plants.

So, gardeners, will you exchange some of those zinnias for a few pitcher plants this year? How about planting a hungry little row of butterwort around the patio? Create your own bug-free zone.

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