Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers sang above my head as I wandered through the savanna. I knew what I was looking for but didn’t know exactly where I’d find it. What I did know is that my light was fading and I needed to hurry if I wanted to get the photos I wanted; not an easy feat when you’re stumbling over Smilax vines and dodging stump holes and snakes who are invisible in the grass. When I finally found what I was looking for, I laughed. I’d been missing the plants because they were under water at the moment from recent rainfall. Growing next to a stream allows them the abundant moisture they need to thrive but also means that at times they’ll be submerged. The Pinguicula primuliflora I’d been looking for that evening still had managed to shoot up blooms above the water levels though in order to have a chance of being pollinated and being passing on their genes to the next generation of carnivorous plants.

Carnivorous plants fascinate me. They evoke in me a feeling of awe that isn’t often replicated except perhaps with shorebirds that wing their way from pole to pole every year just to keep existing. Today we talk about carnivorous plants. They can be found from the deserts of Australia to the fens of the US Pacific Northwest. Here in Mississippi they thrive in the longleaf pine savannas of the southern part of the state. Or at least, most do. I’m kicking off my blog by talking about one of the interesting ones that enjoys a bit of a different habitat.

P. primuliflora growing in a Quaking Bog in Mississippi

Pinguicula are a type of carnivorous plants that occur from South America north to Canada, Europe and North Asia as well. In Mississippi we are known to have 4 different species, each with their own preferred habitat that usually sets them apart spatially from the others. They all capture insects with leaves that are covered in a mucilage that works like flypaper and traps insects that land on or crawl across it. This oily-feeling substance is secreted by the plant to cover the insect (usually small insects like ants or flies/gnats) and digest its juices into the plant’s system.

The first time I found this plant, I had luckily had a tip about where to find it. Otherwise, I imagine I never would have found it. As you’ll see in future posts, a lot of the other carnivorous plants in the region thrive in longleaf pine savannas in lots of sunlight. They almost all need to be in areas that tend to stay moist. However, this one is weird to me. In probably 5-6 locations where I’ve found this growing, only 2 have been in the open savanna. And even then I think it’s just a fluke. This one often grows in clear streams flowing through swampy areas near longleaf pine habitat. I often end up seeing Drosera intermedia and Sarracenia alata hanging out at the edges of these swamps where they get more sunlight. It’s kind of bizarre to be honest. Most places where I’m seeing carnivorous plants, I’m dealing with the hot sun. But in these spots, I’m walking past cottonmouths and swatting mosquitoes.

Recent floods have left the water level above these plants but the blooms still reach out of the water to be pollinated

Pinguicula primuliflora currently is listed as an S3 rarity species, meaning that it’s considered vulnerable and likely has between 20-80 known populations in the state. While it wouldn’t help if it only had one clump, one of primuliflora’s best abilities is to be able to reproduce by budding new plants out from where the leaf tips meet the soil. Often you’ll see a large clump of plants growing closely together where you can barely pick out individual plants. It’s a lovely plant to see in the wild. Whether you’re in the middle of a quaking bog and looking at damselflies flying above the water past a blooming butterwort, or stumbling through a really wet savanna and your eyes catch on a lavender bloom poking up out of the grass, it’s a reminder that beauty can be found in unexpected places.