RHH's photos with the keyword: insect eating

In Explore October 3, 2009, #198. Yesterday I accompanied a group from the Washington Native Plant Society on an excursion to a lake in Western Washington where someone (who and when is a mystery) has introduced a number of carnivorous plants from other parts of the country, primarily the southeastern USA. These plants have established themselves and are thriving and reseeding in their new location. There are three species of pitcher plants (Sarracenia), Venus Fly-traps (Dionaea), a Cobra Lily (Darlingtonia), all introductions, as well as Sundews (Drosera) and a Butterwort (Pinguicula) which are native, but may be introduced in this location. These all grow along the edges of a quaking bog. We got very wet and muddy searching for these plants, but saw an abundance of the plants, this species still in bloom and the others finished. The gentleman who led the expedition refers to the place as the little bog of horrors, but it is really a little bog of wonders. The other pictures show the Yellow Pitcher Plant in situ and the lake around which the bog has formed. For those who are not acquainted with carnivorous plants, these are plants that "eat" insects. In this case the insects crawl into the water in the tubular leaf which is shown, are unable to get out, drown, and are digested by the plant.

I was so taken with the graceful lines and beautiful colors of these plants that I took far more pictures than I know what to do with. These plants are about two feet tall (60 cm) and varied in color from a bright yellow to a duller greenish brown.