By Doug Alderson
They have been described as strange and beautiful killers and the Apalachicola National Forest in Liberty County hosts one of the largest populations in the state. They are insectivorous plants that survive by trapping and digesting insects.
Most plants derive their nutrients from the soil, but the sandy soil in these longleaf forests are low in nutrients, so the plants have adapted to become carnivores to supplement their nutrient requirements. They grow in open ecotones between the longleaf forests and boggy areas and thrive best after prescribed fire. The most notable of these plants are pitcher plants, so named because of their slender pitcher-like shapes. Insects crawl down to drink the liquid at the base of these plants and downward growing hairs keep the insects from crawling back out. The insects usually drown and are slowly digested by the plant. There are also smaller carnivorous plants such as red and thread-leaf sundews that trap insects with their sticky secretions. A Seminole elder once told me that this sticky substance was used by their people to remove warts, but I never had to test the remedy.
If you visit the pitcher plant bogs along state roads 65 or 379 just north of Sumatra, wear protective clothing and douse with mosquito repellent during warm weather because these areas are ideal breeding grounds for insects. Wear close-toed shoes since there is a chance to encounter water snakes. And bring your camera since you’ll want to capture images of these unique plants. It is unlawful to harvest or dig up any of them, however. These insectivorous plant bogs are one of many reasons the Apalachicola Basin is a biodiversity hot spot!
