When I say “jungle”, you might think of jaguars, monkeys, and toucans. But rainforests are also home to plants that range from delightful to deadly! You never know what you’ll find beneath the rainforest canopy.
The deadly plant
Tropical pitcher plants are actually vines that have blooms shaped like pitchers. When it rains, each bloom can collect up to a half gallon of water! The plant adds its digestive fluids to the water along with an odor that attracts insects. When a bug lands on the rim a pitcher, it’s good news for the plant - and curtains for the bug. Before it realizes what’s happening, it slips down the walls of the pitcher and drowns! The digestive juices break down the insect into nutrients that help the plant grow.
The hot dog plant
You have to be lucky to see a sausage tree bloom. Its beautiful red flowers open at sunset and only last for one night! Sausage trees bloom nocturnally so bats can pollinate their flowers. When the blooms fall off in the morning, giant fruits start to grow in their place. When the fruits are ripe, they look like sausages! Humans can’t eat these sausage fruits, but they’re a tasty snack for animals like elephants.
The standout plant
The giant rafflesia has the biggest flower in the world! It can measure up to three feet across and weigh 25 pounds. It may look pretty, but it smells like rotten meat! Scientists think this odor attracts flies that also feed on carcasses. Lured in by the meaty smell, the flies pollinate the giant rafflesia and help it grow.
The ninja plant
The strangler fig creeps up on trees! This highly invasive plant starts life as a seed dropped onto a treetop. As the strangler fig grows, its roots wrap down the tree trunk. Once the roots have reached the ground, they begin to wrap around the entire trunk. The vine suffocates the tree until its trunk rots away!
The boat plant
I’m always surprised to see a frog on a lily pad. Giant water lilies can support the weight of a small child! These eight-foot-wide lily pads are reinforced by a network of tiny veins. They stay afloat thanks to pockets of air on the underside of the plant. With the raised rim around its edge, a giant water lily pad seems like a seaworthy vessel for a toddler! (But it’s definitely not safe, so never let a little one sit on a lily pad.)
The jungle is home to some pretty wild plants - and some tasty ones. Without rainforests, we wouldn’t have coffee, chocolate, bananas, pineapples, or peanuts! Just remember to pass on the sausage tree special. 👓