• Pitcher plants prefer boggy, moist soil.amazing pitcher plants image by Shirley Hirst from Fotolia.com
  
  Carnivorous plants are those plants which have adapted to soil nutrient deficiencies by evolving to get additional nutrients from small mammals, amphibians and insects. Carnivorous plants have developed ingenious and effective lures to trap and digest insects. While more commonly found in temperate locations, carnivorous plants also grow in various more northern climates.
  
  

Pitcher Plant

• Native to the bogs of North America, the pitcher plant effectively mimics a flower, deceiving insect prey. The frilled leaves of this plant are purple and green and arranged in a cup shape. The cup holds low-pH water and bacteria. The pitcher plant emits a nectar-like substance that attracts insects such as ants and flies. Once an insect flies or crawls into the false flower, it comes into contact with the waxy, slippery surface of the leaves. Other mechanisms, such as moisture on the sides of the pitcher and hairs at the top, prevent the insect from escaping. Eventually, the insect falls into the water at the bottom of the cup and is slowly digested. The pitcher plant is found throughout central Canada and the eastern part of North America.
  
  

Cobra Lily

• The cobra lily is named for its unusual shape that resembles the head of a cobra. This head is actually a hollow leaf with an entrance on the cupped hood. Glands that produce a sugary nectar lure insects into this opening. Once the insect enters the hood it encounters waxy walls and thousands of tiny windows, or parts of the leaf containing no chlorophyll. These windows are almost clear and confuse the insect. Eventually the insect become tired and falls into the hollow tube containing liquid. This part of the plant contains small downward-facing hairs which prevent the insect from crawling back up the tube. Cobra lily grows in the northwest part of the United States. It prefers full sun and boggy or moist soil high in heavy metals.
  
  

Butterwort

• Growing throughout North America, the butterwort prefers full sun and moist soil. These plants bear flowers on long stalks. A sticky substance called mucilage covers the stalks and leaves. The flowers lure insects to the plant where they become trapped in the mucilage, which they may mistake for water or nectar. Once the insect is stuck, a leaf rolls over the insect and the plant slowly digests it. After the insect is digested, the leaf unrolls to wait for the next meal. In Michigan, the butterwort is native to the area around Lake Superior. It has been declared an endangered species and is protected by law in the area.