No. 11 - Darlingtonia californica - Postcard Set of 10

Darlingtonia californica, also known as the California pitcherplant, is a carnivorous plant native to Oregon and California. This incredible species is often found growing where cold water can flow over its roots, such as hillsides and mountain seeps. Darlingtonia is a monotypic genus, meaning that there is only one species.

Since Darlingtonia grow in nutrient poor habitats, they gain some of their nutrients through catching insects and digesting them in their pitchers. Insects enter through a small hole on the underside of the “head” of the pitcher. After entering, insects become disoriented by small windows in the top of the pitcher that allow sunlight to enter. Slippery sides within the “neck” of the pitcher cause the insects to slip into the digestive fluid within the pitcher where the plant will digest them over many weeks.