Carnivorous plants of New Zealand facts for kids

Carnivorous plants are special plants that get some of their food by trapping and eating small creatures, usually insects. They often live in places where the soil doesn't have enough nutrients.

New Zealand is home to several kinds of these fascinating plants. There are two main groups of native carnivorous plants found here, with fourteen different species. Four other species have also been seen in New Zealand in the past.

Meet New Zealand's Carnivorous Plants

Drosera spatulata in flower

New Zealand's native carnivorous plants belong to two main families: Drosera and Utricularia.

Sundews (Drosera)

Sundews are beautiful plants that catch insects using sticky leaves. Their leaves are covered in tiny hairs with glistening, sticky drops, like dew. When an insect lands on these drops, it gets stuck. The plant then slowly curls its leaf around the insect to digest it.

Here are some of the sundew species found in New Zealand:

• Drosera arcturi
• Drosera auriculata
• Drosera binata
• Drosera peltata
• Drosera pygmaea
• Drosera spatulata
• Drosera stenopetala (This plant is endemic, meaning it's found only in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world!)

Bladderworts (Utricularia)

Bladderworts are a different type of carnivorous plant. Most of them live in water or very wet soil. They catch tiny water creatures using special sacs called "bladders." These bladders have a trapdoor. When a small creature touches a trigger hair, the trapdoor opens very quickly, sucking the creature inside with water.

Here are some bladderwort species found in New Zealand:

• Utricularia australis
• Utricularia delicatula (This species is also endemic to New Zealand!)
• Utricularia dichotoma
• Utricularia geminiscapa

Sometimes, other carnivorous plants like Drosera burmanni, D. filiformis, U. arenaria, and U. sandersonii have also been found growing in New Zealand.

Plants That Don't Belong: Invasive Species

Some plants can cause problems when they are introduced to a new area where they don't naturally grow. These are called invasive species. They can spread quickly and harm the native plants and ecosystems.

Several carnivorous plants are considered invasive in New Zealand. They are listed on the National Pest Plant Accord. This is a list of plants that are not allowed to be sold or spread because they are harmful to New Zealand's environment.

The Cape sundew (Drosera capensis) and a type of bladderwort (Utricularia livida) are examples of invasive carnivorous plants. They have been found in the Auckland region and can be a threat to New Zealand's unique native plants. Other invasive species include U. arenaria, U. gibba, and U. sandersonii.