Roridula gorgonias in bloom

Roridula gorgonias is not quite a carnivorous plant, but it is certainly extraordinary. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it is a shrub that grows only in South Africa and produces leaves covered in hairs that secrete a resinous substance. These hairs are very sticky (even on dead leaves!) and capture any insects that land on them. It is not the Roridula itself that devours the insects, but bugs that live in symbiosis with the plant… Their excrement is then absorbed by the plant’s tissues! Experienced growers are, in fact, trying to get their hands on this famous species of bug to replicate this fascinating cycle in cultivation.

Amidst its ‘almost’ carnivorous leaves stand some stunning pink flowers… watch this space!