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Some plants are beautiful. Some are unwanted. But some are just strange!
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This is a Venus flytrap. Venus flytraps live in soil that does not have many nutrients. They need to get their nutrients from somewhere else.
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The Venus flytrap is a carnivore. That means it eats other living things.
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The Venus flytrap waits until there is a fly on its leaves. When it feels the fly crawl on it, it snaps up the fly. It traps the fly in its leaves.
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To digest the fly, a slimy liquid comes from the leaves. It helps break down the fly. The Venus flytrap swallows the fly and takes nutrients from its body.
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This is a baobab tree. Baobab trees live in dry places. The baobab tree is also called the bottle tree. That’s because it holds so much water inside, just like a bottle.
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The baobab tree is called the tree of life. It provides shelter, food, and clothes for humans and animals who live near it.
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This is a mimosa plant. Mimosa plants are bashful. They don't want to be seen.
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The mimosa has folding leaves. When you touch them, the leaves close. When you leave, they will open again.
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This is a bat flower. Can you guess why it is called a bat flower? Because it looks just like a bat.
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Bat flowers come from Southeast Asia. People grow them in their gardens because they look so beautiful.
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Strangling vines are very mean plants. They come from Europe and Asia. In the 1800s, they were brought to North America. Now they are spreading.
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Strangling vines strangle other plants so that they cannot grow. They wrap around other plants. They steal their food and water.
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Strangling vines are hard to destroy. Their seeds spread fast. They are known as a weed. People do not want them to kill other plants.
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The world of plants is strange. Who knows what we might find in the future?