7 Weird Traits and Behaviors from Houseplants

There’s ordinary houseplants, and then there’s extraordinary houseplants that do interesting things like eat meat, tell you the time, and move themselves to a new and more ideal position. While most of these behaviors are slow, they are visible and make collecting plants a fun hobby and interesting talking point you can share with guests in your home.

Some plants like Calathea (Prayer Plants) go through a daily process called nyctinasty where their leaves curl up because there is no more daylight and the plant wants to conserve moisture, heat, and protect itself from damage and pests. This is a natural response that occurs as the day begins to end through circadian rhythms, and likely starts before daylight fades and begins to end before the sun rises. 

If you have a plant that goes through nyctinasty, you have a time teller. You’ll know when it's about to start getting dark and if you still have time to relax in bed before sunrise. While it's not foolproof, it is one of nature’s ways to tell time.

Some popular houseplants are omnivorous and will eat an animal including the Venus Fly Trap, Cape Sundew, and the Pitcher Plant. This is Darwinism at its best with Charles Darwin actually calling them the best plants in the world as the ability to consume insects is an evolution that lets them absorb nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium that are not available in their soil, debris, etc… 

Some species of houseplants like Pothos spawn high up in the tree canopy and work their way to the floor of the rainforest where they can plant roots and thrive. This is different than climbing plants like Monstera that grow upwards as an Epiphite meaning it climbs a host tree but doesn’t drain it of nutrients.

Some houseplants like Philodendron produce heat through a process called Thermogenises which is a way for them to attract pollinators so they can reproduce. The heat sometimes helps spread the scent and may make the pollinator feel like the plant and bloom are a safe space.

Some species of Ficus and outdoor plants like Kudzu are Epiphites and grow up a host tree without draining it of nutrients. But when they get too large they can block the host from getting sunlight which prevents it from photosynthesizing and kills it. 

Mimosa Pudica is also called the “Touch Me Not” plant because when you touch it it closes. This reaction is its way to help hide it or make it less appealing to herbivores that are looking for a snack. The movement is called Thigmonasty and is caused by rapid water and potassium movements in the leaf cells causing them to fold inwards.

Pothos, Sansevieria (Snake Plants), and Aloe Vera will shift the way they face throughout the day as they like to follow the sun’s path so they can absorb as much sunlight as they can. While some can tolerate direct sunlight including Cacti, others like Pothos need bright but indirect light. So if you see your houseplants growing unevenly towards a window, give it a 180 turn and it’ll start lifting back up towards the ceiling.

Houseplants can be as interesting as pets with each species and genus having unique characteristics. Some eat meat to get the nutrients not found in its natural environment, and others move when you touch them.