Plants With Bite: An exhibition

Plants aren’t all about pretty flowers and photosynthesis, sitting around waiting to be snapped up by a herbivore. Some turn predator, employing a variety of techniques to catch and eat animals.

According to the Royal Botanical Gardens Sydney there are quite a few things that makes a plant a killer:

There are more than 800 recognised species of carnivorous plants. They can be found in 11 different plant families and vary widely in appearance and size. The only thing they all have in common: THE NEED TO KILL.

To be defined as carnivorous, a plant must first have a trait that is specifically for the attraction, capture and digestion of prey. The second requirement is the ability to absorb nutrients from dead prey and gain an advantage from the integration of these nutrients.

Unlike other plants that get their nutrients from the soil and by forming sugars through photosynthesis, carnivorous plants have evolved to get theirs from insects. Amazingly, they have adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or low in nutrients, especially nitrogen.

While death and dinner are the same for all carnivorous plants, there’s lots to learn about the different tactics they use to lure, trap and trick their prey.

The Plants With Bite exhibition features over 25,000 plants and is a short walk from Ovolo Woolloomooloo!

Royal Botanical Gardens

Mrs Macquaries Rd
2000

Daily 10am – 4pm

BOOK NOW: (Link to Ovolo Woolloomooloo website)

MORE INFO:

https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/stories/2018/a-free-floral-display-of-carnivorous-plants-frea