Pretty Predators: Add Carnivorous Plants to Your Garden

Watching plants grow feeds the soul; seeing plants gobble a few insects falls somewhere between fun and freaky. Predatory plants take gardening to a whole new level as they catch — and eat — bugs. More than 50 different species of predatory plants are native to North America and many adapt readily to containers and home gardens. If goth gardening is on trend in 2024, shouldn't these pretty predators be a part of your garden plans?

Also known as carnivorous plants, these natural beauties stir wonder with their unusual forms and feeding habits. Like other plants, predatory plants turn sunlight into plant food through photosynthesis, but they gain the bulk of their nourishment from prey — everything from flies, to beetles, to small frogs. Discover common predatory plants, like this venus flytrap (above), along with tips for successful growing.

One of the most well-known predatory plants, venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), thrives in the wild as far north as New Jersey. When an insect hits trigger hairs inside a leafy trap, the two lobes snap shut. As the prey struggles to escape, the trap slowly tightens until it seals shut, so digestive juices can turn the prey into plant food. It typically takes two to five days for the plant to digest an insect. Feed plants just an insect or two a month.

Like all carnivorous plants, venus flytrap prefers bright light. Indoors, any window but north should work. For best growth, use a bright plant light on a timer set for 12 to 14 hours. Look for venus flytrap varieties that are hardy in Zones 5 to 10.

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American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) thrive in bogs and fens where there’s plenty of moisture and an abundant insect supply. The tubular pitcher is actually a type of leaf that lures, traps and digests all kinds of buggy prey, including ants, wasps, beetles, flies and stinkbugs. Look for pitcher plant varieties that are hardy in Zones 2 to 8.

When growing predatory plants, use a mineral-free soil to mimic the habitat where these plants grow in the wild. A mix of sphagnum peat moss and horticultural (silica) sand, chicken grit or perlite in equal parts works for most carnivorous plants.

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With its alien looks, roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) is the stuff of nightmares for insects. Hair-like tendrils on leaves are tipped with sugary, sticky droplets that unsuspecting insects mistake for nectar. Once a mosquito, fly or gnat zips in for a sweet sip, they’re trapped by the stickiness and the leaf slowly wraps around its prey, engulfing it and eventually consuming it. Look for varieties that are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

Predatory plants hardy in temperate regions need a dormant period each year to thrive. Dormancy demands cool air that's above freezing (40 to 45 degrees works), like you’d find in an unheated porch or garage.

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Butterwort (Pinguicula) catches insects using the same principle as flypaper. Heavy mucus coats leaves, creating a sticky surface that traps small insects. Once prey is caught, it takes about two hours for leaf edges to curl over it, ultimately sealing before digestion begins. Look for butterwort varieties hardy in Zones 3 to 7.

As natives of bogs, predatory plants need constant moisture. The easiest way to create this wet environment is to set plants in trays or saucers filled with water. Aim for a quarter of an inch of water, replacing it as it evaporates. With carnivorous plants like butterworts and sundews, it’s important to water plants from below, since overhead watering can wash mucus or sticky nectar from leaves.

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The tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes) forms its insect-luring pitchers on vines, making it a great choice for hanging baskets. This group of predatory plants forms the largest pitchers, trapping many different kinds of insects, including wasps, stinkbugs and yellow jackets. In the right conditions, Nepenthes can live for decades. It's hardy in Zones 10 and above.

When watering this or any predatory plant, use mineral-free water: rainwater, distilled water, reverse-osmosis water or condensation from an air conditioner or heat pump. Avoid drinking or tap water, which has minerals. These plants need nutrient-poor soil. Using water with minerals over-fertilizes carnivorous plants, which can kill them.

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Most sundews are small, but one offers an eye-catching size: threadleaf sundew (Drosera filiformis), which grows up to 18 inches tall. Sticky red tentacles blanket leaves, giving the plant a pink, glistening appearance. For a striking display, tuck several plants into a 6-inch pot. When an insect stumbles onto one leaf, it becomes ensnared in the sticky dew on the leaf hairs. As it struggles, other leaves move toward the hapless prey, wrapping around it to begin consuming it. Threadleaf sundew is hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

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If predatory plants are hardy in your growing zone, they make a terrific addition to water gardens. Pitcher plants grow tall enough to add both beauty and drama to a pond. Growing carnivorous plants outdoors for part of the growing season allows them to catch prey naturally.

If your predatory plant collection stays indoors, it’s important to provide real insects for their diet or they won’t flourish. Pet shops sell freeze-dried insects, wingless fruit flies and bloodworms. If you catch insects for the plants, refrigerate them for a while to slow them down so the plant has a chance to latch onto them. Do not feed cheese or meat to predatory plants.

Growing predatory plants in containers is one of the easiest ways to raise them. Use plastic containers, because terra-cotta pots leach out minerals over time, creating a stressful growing environment for plant roots.

Indoors, provide high humidity for these bug-eating beauties. Keeping pots in a tray of water helps raise humidity, or place a humidifier near your plants. Many gardeners grow predatory plants in an open terrarium, which creates high humidity but allows air flow to prevent mold and fungus.