Discover the fascinating world of plants that eat bugs!
Click "Start Exploring" to visit an interactive bog scene filled with carnivorous plants.
Each plant in the bog is clickable. Select one to learn more about it.
Read through each plant's information. Click "Learn More" to reveal additional facts and details.
Use the back arrow to return to the bog and explore another plant. Visit all four to complete your journey!
Use these resources to extend the carnivorous plants lesson in your classroom.
Imagine you are a tiny insect exploring a bog. Describe your encounter with a carnivorous plant.
If you could design a new carnivorous plant, what would it look like? How would it catch its prey?
Write a persuasive essay arguing why carnivorous plants are the most interesting plants in the world.
Compare and contrast two of the carnivorous plants you learned about today. How are they similar and different?
Create a 3D model of your favorite carnivorous plant using clay, paper, or recycled materials.
Choose a carnivorous plant not covered in the activity and create an informational poster.
Follow a guide to grow a Venus flytrap or sundew in the classroom. Keep a journal of observations.
Draw a comic strip showing how a carnivorous plant catches its prey, from the insect's point of view.
Click on a plant to learn more about it. Can you discover all four carnivorous plants?
Utricularia
Bladderworts are aquatic or semi-aquatic carnivorous plants found on every continent except Antarctica. They are known for their incredibly tiny, bladder-like traps that are among the most sophisticated structures in the plant kingdom.
Bladderworts use small, hollow bladders attached to their underwater stems. These bladders have a tiny door (trapdoor) that opens inward. When a small organism like a water flea touches the trigger hairs on the door, the bladder rapidly sucks in water and the prey—in less than a millisecond! This makes it one of the fastest movements in the entire plant kingdom.
Sarracenia
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants with modified leaves shaped like deep, slippery tubes or "pitchers." These stunning plants lure insects with nectar, bright colors, and sweet scents—only to trap them inside.
Insects are attracted to the nectar around the rim of the pitcher. Once they land, the waxy, slippery surface causes them to slide down into the tube. Downward-pointing hairs inside prevent escape. The trapped insect eventually falls into a pool of digestive enzymes at the bottom, where it is broken down and absorbed by the plant.
Drosera
Sundews are carnivorous plants that use glistening, sticky tentacles on their leaves to capture insects. The "dew" drops on their leaves sparkle in the sunlight, attracting curious insects that get stuck in the adhesive.
Each leaf is covered in tiny, hair-like tentacles tipped with a sticky, glistening substance called mucilage. When an insect lands on the leaf and gets stuck, the surrounding tentacles slowly curl inward, wrapping around the prey. The leaf then secretes digestive enzymes to break down the insect over several days.
Dionaea muscipula
The Venus flytrap is perhaps the most famous carnivorous plant in the world. It has jaw-like leaves that snap shut when triggered, trapping insects and spiders inside. It is native to a very small region of the United States.
Each trap has tiny trigger hairs on its inner surface. When an insect touches these hairs twice within about 20 seconds, the trap snaps shut in less than half a second! The interlocking "teeth" along the edges form a cage, keeping the prey inside while the plant secretes digestive enzymes.
Great exploring! Carnivorous plants are some of the most amazing organisms on Earth. They've evolved incredible strategies to thrive in places where other plants can't.
Remember: these plants are often endangered in the wild. Never take carnivorous plants from their natural habitats, and help protect the bogs and wetlands where they live!