Carnivorous plants.
Trumpet pitcher plants (Sarracenia)
Trumpet pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that originate in North America, thatlive in nutrient poor soils, that have developed a unique way to not only survive, but flourish. The plants leaves have morphed into fall traps which have digestive capabilities that turn animal protein into nitrogen thereby feeding the plants.
Modified leaves of Sarracenia Minor S. Leucophylla and a cross specie hybrid.
Trumpet pitcher plants primarily target flying insects especially flies , but not exclusively as they also predate on many crawling insects including ants.Sarracenia are passive hunters that lure their prey by using a range of bright colours, delicious nectars, appealing smells and false pheromones which draw the insects and invite them to land on the secretion area. The insects attempt to feed on the sweet nectar in the opening at the top (mouth) which also secretes a minute amount of a mild narcotic/sedative/paralyzing agent called coniine, which will eventually result in the prey sliding into the slippery opening, down the inside of the tube to a point where downward pointing hairs steer the prey on a non return basis to the digestive juices where the protein value of the insect is converted into nitrogen, which the plant absorbs and feeds itself. Thisencourages the growth of more and larger pitchers, leaving the insect a dried powdery husk that has no unpleasant odour. Predation also carries on after dark as the secretion area glows bright blue at night (only seen by insects and by humans using ultra violet light) making a “landing strip” for prospective prey.
Saracenia under UV light at night. Aglowing beacon for insects.
Trumpet pitcher plants have a very efficient protein to nitrogen conversion rate, the result being that they need very few insects to survive for an extended period of time, but will carry on eating and growing exponentially with a large enough food source. Insects proliferate en mass around densely inhabited urban areas during the warmer parts of the year, encouraging these plants to grow from small seedling sized plants into sizeable bushy plants in little more than a season.
Fields of Sarracenia in America, to insects a “dangerous garden”.
Trumpet pitchers plants go into a short rest period over the colder months when there is little or no prey. It is just prior and during this period that all the excess nutrients are absorbed into the underground rhizome. The pitcher’s (trumpets) at this time slowly start to die back and dry out, only to send out flourishes of even larger strikingly coloured, contrastingly marked pitchers just after they have set their large unusual long lasting flowers, during Spring and the onset of the warmer months.
Flowers of different Sarracenia species.
A large bushy trumpet pitcher plant can catch a hundred and more flies per day every day throughout the season. The large species and hybrids which can grow as tall as a metre plus and have mouths the size of beer mugs have been known to have over a thousand dried up and crumbling insects in a single spent pitcher (trumpet). During times of infestation pitchers can become so full of dead insects that they fall over, or the pitcher can rot off halfway due to the intensity of the digestive enzymes.
Dissected Sarracenia pitchers showing dried up insects.
Trumpet pitcher plants are not novelties, but working plants that are very effective passive hunters that target household flying and crawling pests. An ecological, organic biological control measure that is non invasive or hazardous, is non toxic, does not pollute, does not use high or low sound frequencies or fossil or nuclear fuel energy.
Trumpet pitchers are also interesting and colourful additions to your home, patio or garden and can be used as a display or living flower arrangement.
Sarracenia planted in large pots used to decorate patios and wooden decks.
Trumpet pitcher plants are very easy to grow and only require strong light to full sun and water to grow. Plants should never be allowed to dry out and are best grown standing in a tray of water. They should not be fertilized at all, as they will and do catch their own food. Collecting and growing these plants is far from boring as there are many different species and literally hundreds of hybrids of all shapes, sizes and colours.
Trumpet pitcher plants are often planted in communal pots together with othercarnivorous plants with similar growing habits such as Sundew plants and Venus fly traps to make up a contained collection or “mini bog”.