Exploring the unusual world of carnivorous plants | Indonesia Special | Gardening Australia

Sean from @onlyplants discovers a fascinating group of plants that supplement their diets by becoming carnivores. He finds a whole hothouse devoted to pitcher plants. Subscribe 🔔 While plants such as Venus Fly Trap actively catch their prey, pitcher plants use passive traps, luring their prey with the promise of food. Both Nepenthes and Sarracenia have developed modified leaves that look like a pitcher or jug, and are designed to capture insects or even small mammals. Plants use attractive colours or scent to attract insects, explains Michael Yudhistira, manager of horticulture at PT Mitra Natura Raya. Michael has been fascinated with carnivorous plants since he was a child and the new display at Bogor Botanical Gardens is one of his favourite projects. There are more species of Nepenthes in Indonesia than anywhere else in the world and the pitchers range in size from less than 5cm up to 40cm, which can capture small rodents. The ‘dracula