These 5 Plants Are NOT Vegans
Plants that like non-veg
Are you a vegan?
I am a vegan too… sometimes :-)
Veganism is on the rise and the global vegan food market is projected to hit $65 billion by 2030
That’s no joke.
And certain plants do not find it funny at all.
They mean revenge.
Here are five plants that eat meat. Yes, you heard that right. Plants are pissed off that people are deciding to eat only plants for the sake of being kind to animals– the arch rivals of the green folks. Trust me, the munching mouth of herbivores were devised by Hades.
Venus Fly Trap
This one is the flagship species when it comes to carnivorous plants. Its bone-chilling grin is iconic. It is popularly known as ‘tippity twitchet’ because it oddly resembles a twitchet. Don’t know what a twitchet is? Maybe you should do a google search. Here’s a hint– you came out of one a few years ago.
You can’t fool this plant easily. It only digests live bugs. The trap snaps shut only if the sensitive hair have been triggered multiple times.
This plant is popularly shown in movies eating humans. It might eventually evolve into a man-eating monster if the vegan trend continues in the upward direction.
Venus fly traps are especially fond of ants, spiders, beetles and grasshoppers. Which of these four have you tasted?
Sundews
The glistening traps of sundews are so beautiful that these plants are sought after as ornamentals. You too can get one at a price range of $10 to $20
Their leaves and tentacles exhibit movement. And once a prey gets stuck to the sticky secretion, the plant kills it in a slow death ‘hug’.
Living mostly on a carnivorous diet, a sundew can be around for as long as fifty years. Mosquitos are a favorite prey. Are you taking notes? Consuming mosquitoes can lengthen your life (at least if you are a sundew)
“…At the present, I care more about Drosera (sundews) than the origin of all the species in the world” — Charles Darwin.
The Pitcher Plant
The moccasin-like pitcher plants come with simple but effective pitfall traps. Insects are lured into the cavity with promise of sweet nectar. Once the poor critter is in… well, there is no way out. The insect drowns in the water-filled cavity.
Pitcher plants don’t just eat arthropods. They have been found to consume amphibians like salamanders on numerous occasions. Especially baby salamanders. So, these plants are not just carnivores– they are baby killers!
Now a pitcher plant might think it is a criminal mastermind, and for the most part it is, but squirrels and bats happen to be a step ahead– they use pitcher plants for defecation.
The pitcher plant certainly doesn’t mind being used as a toilet bowl. It derives nitrates from the poop.
Like the saying goes… One man’s poop is another man’s food… ugh
Did you know? Pitcher plants have featured in several films, such as The Fly (1986). This film minted $60 million against a budget of $9 million. Pretty good ROI, huh? It even won an Academy award. Filmmakers should definitely include more pitcher plants in movies.
Triphyophyllum peltatum
Can you pronounce the name? This plant can be a tongue twister. Let’s try. Repeat after me–
Triphyophyllum peltatum
Triphyophyllum peltatum
Triphyophyllum peltatum
Triphyophyllum peltatum
Triphyophyllum peltatum…
There are part-time vegans (like me) and there are part-time carnivorous plants– like Triphyophyllum peltatum.
T. peltatum grows carnivorous leaves during its juvenile phase with mucilage secreting glands that capture invertebrates. Once it enters adulthood, it turns pious and renounces non-veg.
T. peltatum successfully evaded the law for half a century after its discovery. It was only in 1979 that its murderous instincts came to light.
Bladderworts
Why are they called bladderworts? Because they look like little bladders.
But these bladders are meant for killing, not holding pee.
These bladder traps are very sophisticated structures, set in negative pressure. Once triggered, the hapless prey and the water are sucked into the trap. All this happens in under ten milliseconds.
Let me repeat, ten milliseconds.
The average human takes 20–25 minutes to get done with a meal.
Larger species such as Utricularia vulgaris consumes more substantial prey for example fish fry and young tadpoles. They also eat phytoplanktons sometimes. Phytoplanktons are plants. So, you can say Bladderworts love both plant and animal origin food. Quite the omnivores, no?
And yes, fish fry means juvenile fish. Not fried fish. Even plants know to avoid oily food.
Is there a scientific reason why plants turn to carnivory, aside for bile for vegans and herbivores?
Most of these species grow in regions where the soil is either too acidic or lacks nutrients. A non-veg diet ensures that they are well nourished and do not miss out on essential minerals like nitrogen and phosphorous.
So those are five plant species that like protein-packed squirming-for-life-breath meals. I have always been fascinated with bizarre carnivorous plants ever since I first played plants vs zombies. They defy the norms and challenge our perception of green plants as immobile innocuous sun-loving beings.
Aside from turning to carnivory, plants have also taken to mass murder of herbivores. You can read more of that here
Hello, I am Akhoy, I like to write ✍️ with some humor sprinkled here and there. I am sure you’ll love these great articles from Reciprocal
About the author: Akhoy Jyoti Chaudhury is the creator of Balding Green Hills (https://www.baldinggreenhills.com/). He grew up in the hills of North-east India, and couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the deforestation and the balding heads of people. He decided it was time he did something about the issue.
