USA/OR: Darlingtonia State Natural Site
This small botanical preserve protects an amazing plant – Darlingtonia Californica, a very rare carnivorous pitcher plant. This plant is colloquially known as Cobra Lily for the shape of its flowers, although it has nothing to do with lilies. These are carnivorous plants that trap insects inside the pitcher that contains fluid made up of digestive enzymes. This provides the plant with nutrients that are short to find in the boggy, nitrogen-poor soils. The plant is very rare and is only found in a few spots in Oregon and Northern California. And it is totally surreal to observe – it’s like the flora you saw in the movie Avatar – bizarre, plastic looking, seemingly alive, and most definitely man-eating!
