The beastly borrage
While waking around gardens and hiking in the woods and bogs, I have seen a few creepy looking plants among the vast majority of attractive ones. I took pictures thinking I would never use them but decided to share them with you for a bit of fun. Some of the scary looking plants were just starting to develop and will eventually become beautiful, but I like to photograph them in their Ugly Duckling stage. Most of my photos are of that variety. Others are destined to never blossom but remain beasts their whole lives. Here’s an example:
While visiting the Philrick-Cricenti Bog in New London the other day with my hiking group, a keen-eyed hiker pointed out a pitcher plant. The more we looked, the more we saw—hundreds of insect eating pitcher plants. Unlike their more famous relative, the Venus flytrap, pitcher plants don't close up once an insect or small reptile wanders inside. The pitcher plant's shape doesn’t allow the prey to escape. They are stuck inside where they meet a gruesome end.
One of the bug-eating plants was surely the inspiration for Little Shop of Horrors, a very campy 60’s low budget movie that became a popular musical where humans foolishly answer Audry II's plea to "Feed Me." Ultimately these giant plants take over the world. It's a hoot.
By way of apology to all these plants, I realize that they all have their roles and fill important niches. Without them, we would live in a very different place. Vive la différence
While visiting the Philrick-Cricenti Bog in New London the other day with my hiking group, a keen-eyed hiker pointed out a pitcher plant. The more we looked, the more we saw—hundreds of insect eating pitcher plants. Unlike their more famous relative, the Venus flytrap, pitcher plants don't close up once an insect or small reptile wanders inside. The pitcher plant's shape doesn’t allow the prey to escape. They are stuck inside where they meet a gruesome end.
One of the bug-eating plants was surely the inspiration for Little Shop of Horrors, a very campy 60’s low budget movie that became a popular musical where humans foolishly answer Audry II's plea to "Feed Me." Ultimately these giant plants take over the world. It's a hoot.
By way of apology to all these plants, I realize that they all have their roles and fill important niches. Without them, we would live in a very different place. Vive la différence
Sunflower in its Ugly Ducking phase
Blue cohosh-- Picture this guy tapping on your bedroom window on a dark, stormy night
A poppy bud, aka the Audry III
A hungry pitcher plant waiting for lunch to drop in
Doll's eye--funny or creepy--I can't decide
Ferocious fern
A thorny thistle
Audrey II is a cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado