Carnivorous plants have invaded The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney – with media and the travel industry getting a sneak peak at them last week.
Some are beautiful and others are strange. The plants, I mean (rather than media and the travel industry).
The free display on carnivorous plants, “Plants with Bite” is on at The Calyx in from 1 October 2018.
The Calyx opened in June 2016, built around the site of the Arc Glasshouse in the southwestern corner of the Royal Botanical Gardens. An integrated mix of indoor and outdoor areas, The Calyx changes displays regularly, reinventing itself through emotively themed exhibitions – such as this one.
While most plants can survive on just sun, soil and sky – carnivorous plants need something more. They thrive in inhospitable environments by luring, trapping, killing and digesting insects.
Curated by the Garden’s director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, Plants with Bite tells the story of the captivating and bizarre world of carnivorous plants.
Jimmy Turner, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
“Plants with Bite celebrates the weird and wonderful aspects of flora,” Turner told his audience.
“Visitors can expect to get up close and learn about these unique plants and see the different types of traps carnivorous plants use to kill prey.
“Combining botany with hands-on activities, an augmented reality app, a Snapchat filter, a range of workshops and of course the display itself – made up of 25,000 plants, visitors of all ages and interests will fall in love with the Plants with Bite experience.”
The Calyx fountain by night with carnivorous plant theme
Carnivorous plant expert Greg Bourke is among those who conserve and catalogue carnivorous plants to ensure that as many as possible are safe for future generations to enjoy.
“Just like many other groups of plants, carnivorous plants face many threats in the wild,” Bourke said.
Viewing the plants
“Through displays such as Plants with Bite, we want to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and horticulturists but also shed light on the active conservation and scientific work happening now around the globe to protect these plants.”
Written by Peter Needham
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