Question
I have a cactus plant that produces 2-6 flowers each summer.Each flower last for 1-2 days. On each flower right before it dies almost always i find a dead insect (mostly flies) plus some white worms. I do not know if the plant is carnivorous. The insects are like they are sitting on the flower and waiting to die. The flower has a lot of thin hairs on it. I want to sent a photo of the flower to help me identify it.

Thanks

Antonis Stylianou

Answer
Hi Antonis,

Currently there are no know species of cacti or euphorbia know to be carnivorous.  What you're observing is probably an exotic pollination method.  No such thing as a carnivorous flower exists on any carnivorous plant.  It's always the leaves that develop insect capturing mechanisms.  Flowers are just for making seeds.

We did a short video addressing this subject recently with another plant often thought to be carnivorous:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEMyKEApyuk

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com