Carnivorous Plants
Drosera anglica
Drosera anglica is a fascinating carnivorous plant known for its insect-trapping abilities, featuring lime green paddle-shaped leaves with red sticky tentacles. It forms a stemless rosette and thrives in wet, calcium-rich soils, often associated with sphagnum moss. This plant is widely distributed across northern regions, including North America, Europe, and Asia, but is considered threatened in some areas like Minnesota. It blooms in summer with self-pollinating white flowers and requires a period of dormancy. Drosera anglica does not tolerate temperatures above 80°F and is easy to grow under the right conditions.
Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea
Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea, also known as Devil's Boots or Side-Saddle Flower, is a low-growing carnivorous plant with stout traps. It displays a striking burgundy color with red veins in full sun and turns deep reddish-purple in winter. The plant forms clumps that can spread to over 4 feet across, with traps retaining their color for nearly two years. It blooms in early spring with fragrant, deep red flowers. Native to regions from Maryland to Newfoundland, it is hardy to zone 2 and suitable for terrariums and backyard bog gardens. Historically, it was used in colonial homeopathic medicine.
Sarracenia leucophylla
Sarracenia leucophylla, also known as the American pitcher plant, is native to the Gulf Coast's wet pocosins. It features striking red and white trumpets that attract flying insects, particularly wasps. This carnivorous plant thrives in sunny, damp conditions and requires a winter dormancy period. It is celebrated for its elegant white pitchers with delicate red veins.
Drosera barbigera 'Giant Form'
Drosera barbigera 'Giant Form' is a captivating carnivorous plant from Australia, known as a Pygmy sundew. Despite its tiny size, it requires full sun or bright light to thrive. This plant has special water needs, preferring rain, reverse osmosis, or distilled water, and should not dry out for more than a day. Its unique adaptation allows it to capture and digest insects, making it an intriguing addition to any plant collection. The sundew's sticky, glandular leaves are both functional and visually interesting. It's a fascinating choice for those interested in carnivorous plants.
Sarracenia formosa
Sarracenia formosa is a striking carnivorous plant native to the wet pocosins of the Gulf Coast of North America. This natural hybrid features a low rosette of pinky-red, densely packed pitchers adorned with small white areoles. It thrives in full sun, turning a deep reddish-purple in winter, and produces slightly fragrant, scarlet red blossoms in early spring. The plant is well-suited for terrariums and bog gardens, making it an excellent accent plant. It grows to a height of 4 to 6 inches and prefers a bright to partial bright environment indoors or full sun to partial sun outdoors. Hardy to USDA zone 4, it requires a specialized soil mix like Upper Bog Mix or General CP Mix.
Dionaea muscipula 'Australian Red Rosette'
Dionaea muscipula 'Australian Red Rosette' is a Venus flytrap variety known for its red traps and long teeth. It requires full sun or bright light and special soil conditions, using rainwater, distilled, or reverse osmosis water. This carnivorous plant needs a winter dormancy period to thrive.
Sarracenia flava
Sarracenia flava, a carnivorous plant native to the southeastern United States, is known for its vibrant yellow, trumpet-shaped leaves that can grow over a meter tall. It traps insects with its rolled leaves and produces large, fragrant yellow flowers in spring. This plant thrives in full sun and wet bog soil, making it a fascinating addition to carnivorous plant collections.
Nepenthes stenophylla
Nepenthes stenophylla is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo, known for its cream-striped pitchers with red blotches. It can grow vigorously with up to 100 growth points and thrives in bright light. This plant is part of the N. maxima complex and is heat tolerant.
Nepenthes vieillardii
Nepenthes vieillardii is a carnivorous plant endemic to New Caledonia, growing in shrublands or forests up to 900 meters altitude. It is the easternmost growing Nepenthes species and prefers very well-drained soils, with a need to dry out slightly between waterings.
Drosera intermedia
Drosera intermedia, also known as the oblong-leaved sundew, is a petite carnivorous plant native to various regions including North America and Europe. It forms a rosette of spoon-shaped leaves covered in sticky tentacles that trap insects. This plant blooms with small white flowers from June to August and thrives in extremely wet, boggy conditions. It undergoes dormancy in winter, forming a hibernaculum.
Nepenthes tentaculata
Nepenthes tentaculata is a fascinating carnivorous plant native to the highland forests of Borneo and Sulawesi. It is known for its climbing habit, with stems that can reach up to 10 feet in length. The plant produces distinctive pitchers, which are typically less than 6 inches tall, used to trap and digest insects. It thrives in shaded, mossy environments at altitudes between 1,200 and 8,400 feet. Nepenthes tentaculata is part of the 'Hamata group' and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Its natural variability and unique adaptations make it a captivating subject for plant enthusiasts.
Sarracenia alata 'Texas'
Sarracenia alata 'Texas' is a carnivorous plant native to Eastern Texas, characterized by its pale green color with dark veins. It is well-suited for boggy areas, making it an interesting addition to wetland gardens.
Nepenthes smilesii
Nepenthes smilesii is a tropical pitcher plant native to northeastern Thailand, southern Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It tolerates extended dry seasons and grows in open, sandy savannahs. This climbing plant can reach up to 16 feet in height.
Sarracenia 'Leah Wilkerson'
Sarracenia 'Leah Wilkerson' is a temperate carnivorous plant collected from a Florida bog, known for its tall, heavily veined pitchers and white lid with pinkish-red rings. It requires full sun and damp conditions, tolerating light frost, and is suitable for bog gardens.
Darlingtonia californica
The Darlingtonia californica, also known as the California Pitcher Plant or Cobra Lily, is a unique carnivorous plant native to Northern California and Oregon. Its hood-like pitcher resembles a cobra, making it a fascinating addition to any plant collection. This plant thrives in bogs and ultramafic soils, with a large root system that dies back in warmer temperatures. It regulates water levels within its pitchers and produces enzymes to digest prey. The Cobra Lily requires a cold winter dormancy and is pollinated by miner bees. It features three color morphs: all green, all red, and a red-green bicolor. This plant is the sole species in its genus, Darlingtonia.
Sarracenia gilpinii
This naturally occurring hybrid (S. rubra x psittacina) features bright red, green, and white pitchers with dominant areoles. The traps turn deep red or maroon in cold weather, and the plant prefers open, sunny, boggy conditions, holding its color into frost. Dark red fragrant flowers bloom in early spring. The plant is perennial and temperate, thriving in bright to partial sun and requiring dormancy.
Utricularia sandersonii
Utricularia sandersonii, known as Sanderson's Bladderwort, is a carnivorous plant endemic to South Africa. It grows as a lithophyte on wet rocky surfaces and features white flowers with pale blue markings resembling rabbits' ears. This plant thrives in bright, indirect light and constant moisture, making it suitable for windowsills and greenhouses.
Sarracenia moorei
Sarracenia moorei is a tall, erect hybrid pitcher plant with orangey-yellow and green tubes and a reddish hood. It is slightly fragrant and blooms in early spring with yellowy-orange flowers. This plant is well-suited for backyard bog gardens and is hardy to zone 4.
Dionaea muscipula 'Pinnacle'
Dionaea muscipula 'Pinnacle' is one of the largest Venus Flytrap cultivars, featuring upright petioles with large traps and longer than typical cilia. It blooms with white flowers from June to July and thrives in consistently moist soil. This perennial is suitable for USDA zones 6-9 and requires bright indoor or full to partial sun outdoors.
Nepenthes madagascariensis
Nepenthes madagascariensis is a unique pitcher plant species native to Madagascar's eastern coast. It grows in sandy bogs and flooded areas, reaching about 3 feet high. This plant is known for its hollow, vase-like pitchers that host infaunal spiders and is one of the first Nepenthes species scientifically described.
Dionaea muscipula 'Dentate Traps'
Dionaea muscipula 'Dentate Traps', commonly known as the Venus Flytrap, is a carnivorous plant native to the Carolinas. It features short, stout triangular guard hairs resembling jagged teeth and thrives in bright light with consistently moist soil. This perennial requires a dormancy period and is well-suited for bog gardens, greenhouses, and terrariums. Its unique trapping mechanism and vibrant coloration make it a fascinating plant for enthusiasts.
Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Aldrovanda vesiculosa is a unique carnivorous plant, the only extant species in its genus, known for capturing small aquatic invertebrates with its rapid-moving traps. These traps are arranged in whorls around a central, free-floating stem, resembling wide-mouth clams. This rootless aquatic plant thrives in warm, shallow, peaty waters and is considered a living fossil due to its monotypic status. It reproduces vegetatively and is intolerant of habitat degradation, making it a rare and fascinating species.
Drosera pygmaea 'Mt Lofty'
Drosera pygmaea 'Mt Lofty' is a carnivorous plant requiring full sun or bright light and special water needs, such as rain, RO, or distilled water. It should be kept in a shallow tray of water and not allowed to dry out for more than a day, making it a unique addition to any plant collection.
Pinguicula lutea
Pinguicula lutea, a carnivorous plant native to the Southeast Coastal Plain of North America, is known for its bright sulfur-yellow flowers and pale green leaves. It thrives in moist, sandy peat soils and benefits from occasional drier conditions. This medium-sized plant, reaching 2-6 inches across, is excellent for terrariums and requires bright to partial light indoors or full to partial sun outdoors.
Pinguicula 'Pirouette'
Pinguicula 'Pirouette' is a hybrid carnivorous plant with leaves that range from green to vibrant pink and frequently produces violet flowers. It is an Intermediate Tropical plant, easy to grow with no dormancy requirements. This plant thrives in damp, loose, alkaline soils and is suitable for terrariums.
Drosera pygmaea
Drosera pygmaea, known as pygmy sundews, is a tiny carnivorous plant native to Australia and New Zealand. It forms a rosette and measures only 8 to 18 mm in diameter. The plant produces pale flowers on stems that can reach up to 3 inches tall. Its small size and unique carnivorous nature make it an intriguing addition to collections of unusual plants.
Drosera spatulata
Drosera spatulata, commonly known as the tropical sundew, is a small, perennial carnivorous plant with spoon-shaped leaves. It thrives in sunny, boggy conditions and is native to regions across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This plant is known for its red traps covered in tentacles that quickly move to capture prey. It does not require a dormancy period and can grow year-round if kept moist. The sundew produces pink or white flowers on erect scapes, especially in summer. It is hardy and prolific, often considered a weed due to its abundant seed production. Ideal for terrariums, it prefers a mix of peat and perlite and temperatures above 70°F. Its leaves can vary in color from orangey-green to maroon, adding visual interest to any collection.
Drosera capensis 'Alba'
Drosera capensis 'Alba' is a medium-sized carnivorous plant native to the Cape region of South Africa. It features long strap-like leaves with red tentacles and lime green appearance, producing white flowers on tall scapes. This plant thrives in open, sunny, boggy conditions and is an excellent choice for terrariums.
Drosera aliciae
Drosera aliciae, a tropical sundew native to South Africa, forms small rosettes with green leaves that develop crimson tentacles under good lighting. This carnivorous plant is easy to grow and produces pink flowers held high above the leaves. It thrives in sunny, boggy conditions with peaty soils and prefers distilled or rainwater. Known for its ability to trap insects, it is a fascinating addition to terrariums.