The red fruit found in your salad may have a dark side. According to a study in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, some types of tomatoes have displayed carnivorous tendencies.
Different than the Venus flytrap which actually consumes its prey, tomato plants take a more patient approach. Tiny sticky hairs on the tomato plant are used to trap small prey such as aphids. Once the victim is dead and falls to the ground, the plant’s roots absorb the nutrients and enrich the surrounding soil.
Remind me to watch my back next time I’m gardening.
Interested in other murderous plants? Check out Charles Darwin’s book Insectivorous Plants of 1875.
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