Nature

This Plant Kills And 'Eats' Sheep

A giant plant that traps sheep and then feeds off their nutrients once they’ve died has bloomed for the first time since it started growing 15 years ago. 

The plant, scientific name Puya chilensis, resides in the Glasshouse at the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Garden Wisely located outside of London. It stands 10-feet high with bright menacing spikes.  

The plant uses its giant spines to capture sheep and other animals. The trapped animals starve to death and the plant absorbs the nutrients from their decaying bodies. 

It’s difficult to get the plant to flower in captivity due its unusual diet. The U.K. garden was finally able to get their picky plant to produce a bloom by feeding it liquid fertiliser.

Each bloom is fairly big — about 2 inches across with enough “nectar for a person to drink”.