- Joined
- Feb 26, 2012
- Messages
- 56,981
- Reaction score
- 27,029
- Location
- Chicago Illinois
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Private
Sheep eating plant.....well that's a new one on me. At least the plant doesn't just reach out grab something. They sure made it sound worse than what it is. It's not like they let the thing out in the wild. Now we Americans just have to hope no one gets any of those growing out in the wild over here. Course should you come across one in the US and it is on a State Park or Federal Land. Ya mights want to get out of the area as quick as ya can. :lol:
The plant appears to be huge at first sight. It is known in its provenance of South America as Puya Chilensis. Famously regarded as the sheep-eating plant, this botanical oddity is partially carnivorous. It has razor sharp spikes in which sheep and birds get entangled.Then they die a slow death from rotting as the plant dissects them. Finally, the decomposed remains are absorbed by the plant for nourishment purposes. In South America, the farmers and nomads would burn the plants so that their sheep could be safe.
The UK planted its first Puya Chilensis 15 years ago. Today it stands as a full-fledged plant in a greenhouse in Surrey. One of the spokeswomen for the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley said that the plant was fed a natural diet of rich liquid fertilizer. Feeding it sheep would have been a bit odd. And it is grown inside a glass greenhouse. Thus its deadly spikes can’t have access to children (or sheep) that visit the Society premises. The real home of the Puya Chilensis is Chile where it blooms in the Andes. The plant has green and yellow flowers on top of its dangerous spikes. The spikes are 12 feet in height and 5 feet in width. The fact that it is carnivorous does not detract from its good points. Its flowers lend birds and bees access to nectar.
Read more at Sheep-eating Plant will Bloom in UK After 15 Years - I4U News
The plant appears to be huge at first sight. It is known in its provenance of South America as Puya Chilensis. Famously regarded as the sheep-eating plant, this botanical oddity is partially carnivorous. It has razor sharp spikes in which sheep and birds get entangled.Then they die a slow death from rotting as the plant dissects them. Finally, the decomposed remains are absorbed by the plant for nourishment purposes. In South America, the farmers and nomads would burn the plants so that their sheep could be safe.
The UK planted its first Puya Chilensis 15 years ago. Today it stands as a full-fledged plant in a greenhouse in Surrey. One of the spokeswomen for the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley said that the plant was fed a natural diet of rich liquid fertilizer. Feeding it sheep would have been a bit odd. And it is grown inside a glass greenhouse. Thus its deadly spikes can’t have access to children (or sheep) that visit the Society premises. The real home of the Puya Chilensis is Chile where it blooms in the Andes. The plant has green and yellow flowers on top of its dangerous spikes. The spikes are 12 feet in height and 5 feet in width. The fact that it is carnivorous does not detract from its good points. Its flowers lend birds and bees access to nectar.
Read more at Sheep-eating Plant will Bloom in UK After 15 Years - I4U News
