Butterwort

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This is potentially my favorite among all my plants, at least at this time. It's name is Freda, and it is a carnivorous plant, meaning that instead of getting it's nutrients from soil, as most other plants do, it captures insects, spides, children, and other small prey using a sticky substance which oozes from it's leaves. Some Butterworts are considered "active" carnivorous plants because they roll their edges upwards to prevent escape, but Freda doesn't do that. All the things you see on the butterwort's leaves are small insects that Freda has captured. When it rains, the dead insects are washed away so that the insects which Freda is finished feeding on don't remain forever. I'm supposed to feed her with rainwater or distilled water, so I catch water in an ice chest in the backyard and store it in bottles until Freda's thirsty. The quarter is there to give you an idea of how large Freda is. She's not very big, but when I purchased her from a local nursery, she was much smaller and not very well-mannered. Also, she will produce lovely lilac colored flowers in springtime.

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Butterwort | Venus Flytrap
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