Little Shop Of Horrors

Little Shop Of Horrors

- Tinus Oberholzer

Yes, Audrey 2 of Little Shop of Horrors might have been the product of someone’s imagination running away with them, but there is a grain of truth in all that fiction. There are many plants around the world that have adapted methods of obtaining the nutrients needed to grow in poor soils, and some have done so by being carnivorous.

When we see the word ‘carnivorous’ we immediately have a picture of a majestic, frightening lion or similar ‘hunter’ in mind. But for many years it was not believed that plants could be carnivorous, and many early botanical paintings of carnivorous plant species were done without any of the ‘prey’ showing. ‘Carnivorous’ or ‘flesh-eating’ is a bit of a drastic term to use, though, as most carnivorous plants are not bloodthirsty plants that will snap at you like Audrey 2.

These plants are grouped together because of their common habit – using some form of animal matter to get the nitrogen the plant needs to grow. They are not all from the same family and don’t all look similar or work in a similar way. They are all very intriguing, though.

Carnivorous plants come in a range of shapes and sizes: some of the Utricularia and Genlisea species are tiny, while some of the Nepenthes species can produce not only huge traps, but the bulk of the plant can also be unbelievably large. Some plants have passive traps and do not move, while others have active traps, of which the Venus flytrap must be the best known. Because of the wide range of different types and their varying habitats, there is no one-rule-fits-all for carnivorous plants, so it is best to treat them in their groups. For this reason we will look at the types most commonly available in South Africa.