Carnivorous Plants for Home Gardeners
Although not always easy to grow, several groups of carnivorous plants can thrive with the right soil mix, regular moisture, sun and humidity. And an occasional bug, of course.
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Photo By: Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Photo by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Photo By: Image provided by Felder Rushing
Carnivorous Plants
Pitcher plants, sun dews, Venus flytraps — there are some very interesting "meat-eating" plants that, given the right conditions, can become a fascinating gardening hobby. These incredible living decorations are more than your typical houseplants. They are a wonder of nature because of their unusual foliage and flowers, their survival techniques and how they capture their prey. So, whether you’re looking for a plant with unique scientific traits, or want to go a little dark and goth with your plant decor, check out these exotic beauties.
Full Sun Required
A mixture of peat moss and either sand or perlite will help these plants stay moist but not wet. They require full sun and humidity to thrive.
Venus Flytrap
Like other carnivorous plants, Venus flytrap typically slows growth before going dormant in the fall and winter, but perks back up in the spring — just like in nature. Protect them from hard freezes.
Venus Flytrap
The two lobes of the snap-trap shut in an eyeblink, then slowly tighten around their prey. Because individual traps get worn out after just a few feedings, feed only every few weeks.
Sundew
The "Alice" sundew (Drosera aliciae) is one of the easiest to grow. The more sun you give it, the redder it becomes.
Cape Sundew
Sundew
Sundews come in many shapes and forms. Feed every few weeks with a combination of small insects and finely-crushed fish food pellets or flakes mixed with a little rainwater.
Drosea Venusta
Flies and mosquitoes are among the preferred meals for the Drosera venusta sundew. Its vivid red-orange and bright red tendrils — that look like blood splatters — attract its prey and curl up to begin its process of digesting and absorbing the insect.
Drosea Spatulata Var Lovellae
The splattered blood appearance of the Drosera spatulata var. lovellae is enough to make you cringe. Its leaves and tentacles turn a striking scarlet color under bright sunlight to attract and catch flies and other insects. Critters make contact, triggering a curling reaction allowing the plant to wrap around its prey to digest and absorb the victim’s nutrients.
Pinguicula Pirouette
The delicate, pink-rimmed leaves of the Pinguicula Pirouette butterwort are a fungus gnat’s worst nightmare. The plant's leaves — shaped like pointy vampire ears — are sticky, so when an insect lands on them, they get stuck and can’t fly away.
Threadleaf Sundew (Drosera filiformis)
Pitcher Plant
Pitcher plants (Serracenia) are native to North America and grow in full sun in wet, nutrient-poor soils. They have separate flower stems and elongated specialized leaves which trap insects that fall and slip into digestive juices.
Pitcher Plants Make Great Container Gardens
This wild pitcher plant (Serracenia) grows so well in a container, it has won a blue ribbon at the Mississippi State Fair flower show — not far from where it naturally roams wild throughout the moist Gulf Coast wetlands.
Carnovores Need the Right Soil
Most carnivorous plants grow best in a mixture peat moss and either sharp sand or perlite. They also need hours of direct sun, regular moisture and humidity.
Carnivorous Plant Box
A moderate size box with clear sides and top makes a great container for growing a collection of carnivorous plants.
Nepenthese
Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthese) are often too large for home gardeners. They thrive in bright, humid conditions and an occasional spider, fly, roach or cricket in one of its hanging cups filled with digestive juices.
Nepenthese
Nepenthes Lovely Mirror
Say her name three times in a row, and you may just summon Bloody Mary through the Nepenthes Lovely Mirror. Its enticing reddish color attracts its bait and closes the lid over the top of the pitcher plant — trapping its victim and ensuring that it doesn’t escape.