Interesting Plants

Imagine that you are standing under a tree that has witnessed the two world wars, the civil war, or it is the very tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. How would you feel? Excited? Awed? Curious? Or maybe all together? Well, I don't blame you, after all who would not be excited to stand under a tree that's 500 years old? This is not all. There are many such interesting plants across the world to see which has been attracting hundreds of tourists every year. If you want to know more about these plants, then carry on reading.

Plants that Will Interest You

There are hundreds of plants and trees which still amaze us, which still make us wonder about the miracles created by nature.

Dionaea muscipula or the Fly Catcher Plant
These plants are also called venus flytraps. This is a type of carnivorous plant which has a natural trap to catch insects. They have two leaves which are stuck together and it is full of sensitive fur which can detect any insect, ant, fly, etc. One of the interesting facts about venus flytrap is that when an insect comes near it, it gets stuck in the fur or the sticky liquid and stays there, till it gets dissolved, thus, providing nutrients to the plant. The main habitats of these plants are the swamps of the tropic and sub tropics and also wet steppes.

Sarracenia purpurea or the Pitcher Plant
The pitcher plant, is a carnivorous plant that lives in soil that is poor in nitrogen. They make up for this loss by feeding on insects that they capture. They have tubular shaped leaves which are lined with hair pointing downwards. The insect goes into the tube but cannot escape because they are trapped by the hair. At the bottom of the tube, there are some digestive juices which helps the plant to consume and digest the insect.

Selaginella lepidophylla or the Resurrection Fern
These plants can be found in dry regions, where there is shortage of rain. Due to this, they dry up and shrivel up into a ball. This fern has the ability to remain like this for years till it rains. When there is a shower, the leaves of this fern absorb the water and open up or unroll. The plant turns green and starts growing. Again if there is no water, it shrivels up. This plant is always alive, even in its dried up stage.

Amorphophallus titanum or the Corpse Flower
If you are standing near a corpse flower, you will be standing near it at your own risk. This is because of the smell of the flower. It smells like a corpse, hence, the name. The height of the flower is almost equal to that of an adult and the flower of this plant is one of the largest flowers in the world. This flower rarely blooms. The insects are attracted by this smell, hence they are useful to the plant when it comes to breeding.

Lithops or the Living Rocks
These plants can be seen mainly in deserts. When you first see them, you will be confused because they look exactly like rocks. This is because they want to keep away insects and other rodents who might gobble them up for water.

General Sherman
Yes, that's the name of a plant. It was named after a talented general of the American Civil War. It is a giant sequoia whose height is 84 meters and the diameter of the bottom of the trunk is nearly 11 meters. It is said to be the largest tree in the world and some scientists also say that this tree was there even before Christ. Thus, they assume, the tree is nearly 2300 to 2700 years old. Whew! That's really old.

Pieris Japonica
This plant in Japan, which is medium-sized, whose leaves are broad and they are evergreen. The height of this plant is around 10' by 8', but sometimes, they might be shorter than that. The growth rate of this plant is slow.

Plants Growing Around the World

Besides these plants, there are also other plants that grow indoors such as the seedless guava. Many people, specially people with weak teeth, cannot eat a guava properly because of its seed. This seedless guava is for them. This is smaller than usual guava which we eat, but its sweet, crunchy and tastes good. Another interesting plant to grow is the banana with thousands of fingers. It is also called the Pisang Seribu and the fruit bunch that this plant produces, that is nearly 6 feet long. The fruit usually tastes like saba banana. Some people also love to grow is the New Star Ruby Makopa. These plants can be grown in containers as well as in the ground and if they are properly fertilized, then they bear fruits after two years. If you want to know more about the various other plants, then you can talk to some botanists or else you can even read about it in books.

Now that you know about some of the interesting plant facts, amaze your friends with your knowledge about these plants around the world and if possible, you can even go and see these plants.