Plants of Doom

Highlighting the secret lives of plants, and nature in general.

[did-you-know]

A demon orchid was found in the remote forests of Colombia. The newly- discovered plant, aptly named Telipogon diabolicus, has devilish faces in the middle of its flowers, which also have tiny claws at the ends of their petals. Source Source 2

[bizzareplants]

Landscape scenes from a pristine Southern California Oak Savanna habitat, hiked to off the Ortega Highway in Southern Orange County. Knowing that such habitat still exists does my conservationists’ heart good. 

[bizzareplants]

Cork Oak, Quercus suber, growing magnificently well in the Elysian Park Arboretum. The bark of this oak was once the exclusive source of bottle plugs/corks. Now, due in large part to over-demand of the real thing, artificial corks have come to be used.  

[bizzareplants]

Un-identified Palm near Chavez Ravine, LA.

[bizzareplants]

Sarracenia x excellens, a naturally occurring American Pitcher Plant hybrid. Plants like this can be found in the southern US swamps and savannas. 

[bizzareplants]

Pinguicula x “Aphrodite”, a hybrid Mexican butterwort. These plants spend half the year as succulents, half as sticky carnivores, and their beautiful flowers are often pollinated by migrating hummingbirds!

[bizzareplants]

Drosophyllum lusitanicum, the Portuguese Sundew or “Pina Babosa”. This sticky carnivorous plant is a voracious predator, and often emits a vague honey-like scent.

[dailyplantfacts]

Corallorhiza striata is in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Commonly known as striped coral root, it is native to much of North America from Quebec to California. Striped coral root grows in a variety of habitats, such as in woodlands and forests with moist souls, and near riparian areas. Like other species of Corallorhiza, the striped coral root is myco-heterotrophic, and obtains most of its nutrients from fungi in the soil. This lifestyle is evidenced by the lack of leaves and chlorophyll; the only above ground portion of this plant is the flowering stalk. This species is distinguished from other members of this genus by the dark red stripes on the petals of the plant that appear as the flowers mature.

[boredpanda]

[definitelydope]

Green Houses, Robert Götzfried

[gartentrier]

Regen auf Rosen

[bizzareplants]

Roridula dentata, a resinous carnivorous plant native to South Africa. These plants eventually become medium-to-large shrubs, and have been know to snare small birds!

[bizzareplants]

A tower of massive Opuntia prickly pear cactus growing in Southern California

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Drosera finlaysoniana wrapping itself around an insect in preparation for its leaf’s digestive phase. 

[exercicedestyle]

Gleichenia sporangia

[bizzareplants]

The toothy Nepenthes bokorensis x (x trusmadiensis), a hybrid tropical pitcher plant.

[bizzareplants]

Drosophyllum lusitanicum, the “dewy pine” or “Pina Babosa” of Portugal, Spain, and Northern Morocco. This plant is an extremely effective fly-catcher, and its leaves have historically been used as a sort of fly paper in parts of its native range.