This Carnivorous Plant is Actually Native to Deep East Texas

When I think of carnivorous plants, I always think of the Venus Fly Trap. That's always the one that's depicted in stories, cartoons, etc. But they're not around here - Yes, I'm aware that you can buy little ones at Lowe's, but I'm talking about native-growing. You're not going to be able to walk out in the woods and find any in Deep East Texas growing freely.

However, there is a carnivorous plant that is native to our area. It's called the Pitcher Plant. Now, before you go asking me about the scientific name, how easy they are to grow, ANY of the technical stuff like that, I'm going to stop you right there. I think it's a plus that I can tell you that they're native, and I have a very basic knowledge of them.

What Do Pitcher Plants Look Like?

Well, the Pitcher Plant resembles a pitcher, obviously! No, in all seriousness, they look similar to narrow funnels. Take a look:

Very Star Wars-esque, right? And that shape is what allows them to catch insects. The insects go down into the funnel, looking for nectar. As they go in, they slide down the waxy inner surface of the plant. That waxy surface keeps the insects from climbing back out. From there, the insects are digested by the plant. Yeah, it's kind of weird gross thing, but at the same time, the science behind it is pretty cool. Mostly they eat flies, ants, beetles, you know, small things. However, they can also eat small animals if they get trapped in there.

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One last thing to keep in mind: In some places it is illegal for you to harvest them and take them home. So, if you come across them in the wild - just to be safe - you probably just want to take a picture and leave them be.