Horrific plant that kills sheep and feasts on their bodies found growing in the UK

A horrifying plant that traps and kills sheep before feasting on their decaying bodies has been found growing in the UK.

One of the county’s leading gardeners has revealed that Puya chilensis, which originates in the Chilean Andes, has been found here.

Cornwall Live reports the plant has sharp spikes protruding from its base that can also trap other animals, and has been seen in Truro.

Eventually the helpless animals die and decay which fertilises the soil around the plant, providing much-needed nutrients for the roots.

The scent of the decomposition sometimes attracts other animals and birds, adding to the feast.

Puya chilensis has sharp spikes protruding from its base that can also trap other animals (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Speaking on BBC Radio Cornwall’s Garden Line, Truro’s head gardener Liam Shoesmith – who writes a weekly column in The West Briton – revealed that the horrifying plant is growing in the city.

He said: “It usually grows around the Andes where goats and sheep get their wool caught on its hooks.

"They die and the nutrients seep into the ground allowing Puya to grow. It’s not quite like Little Shop of Horrors.”