THEY may be beautiful in their tropical colours but don’t let looks deceive you — these plants bite.
Some carnivorous plants are known to drown their prey, others trap them in sticky webs while still others use their leaves to capture food before folding over and slowly digesting.
Fly trap - (Dionaea muscipula) / Picture: John Fotiadis Source: News Corp Australia
They prey on bees, wasps, moths and have been known to latch on to human fingers.
But that has not stopped plant lovers from snapping them up.
Greg Bourke, who runs Captive Exotics, said the plants’ unique eating qualities was making them popular again.
Sarracenia leucophylla / Picture: John Fotiadis Source: News Corp Australia
“There was a boom of sales in the 1980s and then it went quiet,” Mr Bourke said.
“But now there are a lot more new species and they are getting exposure.
“Plus they eat insects and kids love that.”
He will be showcasing four of his 350 species at this year’s Royal Easter Show.
On display will be the climbing pitcher plant. which drowns its prey in up to three-litres of liquid and is known to eat rodents, the venus flytrap, and North American pitcher plant.
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