A Chilean Puya Chilensis plant know for trapping and killing animals native to Chile has finally bloomed at a green house in England. The "sheep-eating" plant was first planted 15-years ago by the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisely.
The "sheep-eating plant" is known for trapping animals like sheep with their sharp barbs and slowly starving the animal to death. Then the plant uses the animal's decomposing body as a natural fertilizer.
The horticulturalists in England have been feeding the plant liquid fertilizer and not sheep. They gave a description of the plant and their efforts to see it bloom on their website
The striking plant, which produces enormous spikes of neon bright, greeny-yellow flowers, conceals a gruesome secret. In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spines to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and decay at the base of the plant, providing it with the grizzly equivalent of a bag of fertiliser. The plant is set to bloom within the next few days and should remain in flower for around a week, possibly more.
The "sheep-eating" plant's individual blooms measure 5 centimeters across and is filled with enough nectar for a person to drink, the website says.
The Puya Chilensis is on display at the horticultural center and scientists encourage those curious about the South American plant to visit while it is still in bloom.
Cara Smith looks after the plant for the Royal Horticultural Society, she released a statement on their website saying,
"I'm really pleased that we've finally coaxed our Puya Chilensis into flower. We keep it fed with liquid fertiliser as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic."
Smith also told parents bringing young children to visit the plant that they need not worry about their little ones being gobbled up by the plant. The sheep eater is being kept in a section of the glasshouse with its sharp barbs far away from children and sheep alike.
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