Of all the groups in the plant kingdom it is the carnivorous ones which are capable of exciting what we can only call fiendish interest. The idea that plants can turn tables on the animal kingdom and devour insects, the most numerous and successful group of creatures, is almost the stuff of science fiction.
This book describes exactly what carnivorous plants are, why they devour insects, the type of traps they use to catch their prey and grisly details of the trapping. One hundred colour plates illustrate this strange group which include such strange beasts as the waterwheel plant which feeds on insects in the water, the cobra lily resembling a cobra about to strike its prey and the tropical pitcher plants whose largest representative is known to have captured rats.
Naturally every gardener would want at least one. You'll get practical advice on how to grow them in and around the home - in the garden, in the tropical rainforest, in the terrarium or in the carnivorous pond.
A comprehensive list is provided of carnivorous plant societies, growers and suppliers around the world. There is also a complete listing and description of every carnivorous plant.
