- Pitcher plants are carnivorous. Although they may not feast on drive-thru Big Macs, they trap insects, spiders, newts and even small frogs for their protein-rich meals.
- Colourful deep red and purple veined pitchers attract prey and entice them to rest on the slippery leaves at the top of the plant. The prey falls into the pitcher and becomes trapped in the digestive juices below. Escape is futile—little downward-pointing hairs block any retreat.
- Gigantic man-eating plants exist only in Hollywood thrillers, like Journey to the Center of the Earth—the box office hit in which actress Anita Briem plays a tasty snack.
- The pitcher plant is the official flower of Newfoundland and Labrador, symbolizing the inner strength and willful determination of Newfoundlanders.
- The pitcher was historically used as a drinking cup (perhaps another reason why it’s Newfoundland’s official flower).
- For a one-time, low price of $2,149.95 you can purchase one of the world’s purest 99.999 per cent gold coins from the Royal Canadian Mint. The 12th coin in this series is pressed with the symbol of the pitcher plant.
- Pitcher plants grow in wet, acidic soils that are deficient in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. They are found in marshes and bogs throughout Canada and the eastern United States.
- The largest pitcher plant, Nepenthes attenboroughii, was discovered in the Philippines in 2007. Named after the famous BBC Planet Earth broadcaster, David Attenborough, this plant has large enough traps to consume a rat—hey, a mousetrap that empties itself!
This article first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Canoeroots Magazine. For more great content, subscribe to Canoeroots’ print and digital editions here.
