Some plants are beautiful. Some are unwanted. But some are just strange!
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.
The Venus flytrap is a carnivore. That means it eats other living things.
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.
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.
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.
The baobab tree is called the tree of life. It provides shelter, food, and clothes for humans and animals who live near it.
This is a mimosa plant. Mimosa plants are bashful. They don't want to be seen.
The mimosa has folding leaves. When you touch them, the leaves close. When you leave, they will open again.
This is a bat flower. Can you guess why it is called a bat flower? Because it looks just like a bat.
Bat flowers come from Southeast Asia. People grow them in their gardens because they look so beautiful.
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.
Strangling vines strangle other plants so that they cannot grow. They wrap around other plants. They steal their food and water.
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.
The world of plants is strange. Who knows what we might find in the future?