Bladderworts

How about an aquatic insect trap ? Try Bladderworts or Utricularia, they are fascinating, and are available fro sale online. They have no roots, yet they do have flowers, and the bladders close as soon as the plant is removed from the water.

A large genus of floating or semi submersed plants these fascinating plants range in size from small to large and all have a sort of trapdoor that manages to sort of 'suck in' small insects, a bit like an under water vacuum cleaner.

The bladders have hair triggers that when activated open the door quickly, this sucks in some water, and whatever touched the hairs, brilliant. So the bulk of the plant is submerged, the flowers are above the water

So where are they from ? With over 200 species they are wide ranging from Australia to South America. Utricularia graminifolia is from South East Asia and forms a green carpet. Utricularia dichotoma is a terrestrial species, while utricularia-minor is found in the UK

Bladderworts are available for sale from the following nurseries.

TRIFFID NURSERIES
Great Hallows, Church Lane, Stoke Ash. Suffolk. IP23 7ET
Tel: 01379 678797 email: andy@triffidnurseries.co.uk
One of Europe's leading Carnivorous Plant Nurseries as well as stocking the
Worlds largest selection of Carnivorous Plant seeds! We are the
Carnivorous Plant Store.

ESSEX CARNIVOROUS PLANTS
12 Strangman Ave Thundersley Essex SS7 1RB
tel: 01702 551467 email: mark@essexcarnivorousplants.com
NCCPG national collection holders of Dionaea & Sarracenia. We are a specialist carnivorous plant nursery selling by mail order. Visits to nursery are welcome by appointment only