If you want to add a unique touch to your garden, carnivorous plants are bound to get attention. From the common Venus Flytrap to the Cobra plant, these exotics serve a few purposes. In areas that have high populations of pests, it lowers the number of flies or other insects that annoy you. While the benefit is strictly related to the size and type of carnivorous plants that you own, these plants can provide a small amount of relief while providing entertainment to adults and children alike.

There are five different types of carnivorous plants. The most known type, the same family that the Venus Flytrap contains, is the snap trap family. Snap traps rely on a mouth that snaps around its pray, where the plant will eat anything it catches.

The second type are pitfall traps. These traps rely on prey falling into the plant and being unable to escape. These species undergo constant evolution, as water can gather in the pitchers of the plant as well as the bugs that the plant eats. These plants range from colorful to bland, and do not have moving parts like their snap trap counterparts.

Flypaper traps are among some of the most unique carnivorous plants. These plants secrete a glue which traps and devours insects for food. These carnivorous plants should be treated with caution in the residence, as the secretions can cause damage to the skin.

Bladder traps are a fascinating subset of carnivorous plants. These plants function through the osmosis of water to create a suction within the body of the plant. Once an insect or aquatic species has been trapped within, escape is difficult. Unlike many carnivorous plants, these are more commonly found underwater than above ground. Some species of bladder traps, such as the Bladderwort, lack roots, which make them a creative addition to any collection.

Last but not least, the lobster pot traps are among some of the most unusual looking carnivorous plants that you can buy. These plants function by allowing insects a simple way to gain entry, but slim chance of departure. In the case of the corkscrew plant, the innards of the plant have downward pointing barriers and a y-shaped leaf form that prevents the escape of its prey. The unusual shapes of lobster pot traps are directly related to their evolution to stop the escape of insects.

For those wanting in borderline species, there are several types of plants that do not meet all of the requirements of carnivorous plants, but have sharing characteristics. These plants include the Brocchinia Roridula and members of the Martyniaceae species. The plants lack one of the three required aspects, which is to attract, kill and digest prey, to be classified as a true carnivorous plant.

Carnivorous plants should be planted where young children and babies cannot touch them. While most of them are relatively non-threatening to humans, digestion of these species should be avoided, due to the digestive enzymes that the plant uses to break down prey.

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