The Fantastical World of Carnivorous Plants

You may be familiar with carnivorous plants such as the Venus Flytrap for their fantasy-like look and function, but how do these fantastical plants actually work?

Carnivorous plants are flowering plants that prey on animals or insects in order to harvest and digest nutrients. Although there are many kinds of carnivorous plants, there are three characteristics that they all share: They capture and kill prey, digest prey, and derive nutrients from their prey. Carnivorous plants are able to do this because of their specialized leaves that act as traps. Many carnivorous plants have bright colors, strong-scented nectars, guide hairs, or leaf extensions that help lure prey toward their traps. Once trapped, the prey is digested by the plant itself or by partner organisms. Once the prey is digested and broken down, the plant absorbs the harvested nutrients. These nutrients help carnivorous plants grow faster and reproduce more successfully.

Although there are hundreds of carnivorous plant species, we’re going to highlight three that we love here at the nursery!

Trumpet Pitcher Plant

The Trumpet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia) is a popular carnivorous plant, and although they require special care, they are less finicky than their mouthy cousin, the Venus Flytrap. Trumpet Pitcher Plants lure insects with their pitchers’ vibrant colors and enticing nectar. Bugs that go for the nectar will slip on the rim of the plant and fall into the hollow pitchers. Guide hairs stop the insects from escaping due to their downward angle. They are then slowly digested by the plant and their nutrients absorbed.

Sunlight & Water

During the growing months (early Spring to mid Fall), the Trumpet Pitcher Plant requires full sun in order for their pitchers to fully develop. Place somewhere outside with full sun exposure, or if growing inside, place somewhere with bright light, such as a south-facing window. Make sure your plant is getting at least a few hours of direct sunlight a day. Tropical Pitcher Plants also require high humidity levels. The plant should be kept permanently wet. Prevent your plant from fully drying out by keeping the soil constantly moist. These plants are used to marshy conditions in their native habitat, so it’s ok for them to have some excess standing water. If you water properly, they should be humid and happy. Trumpet Pitcher Plants should primarily be fed with acidic water, such as rainwater or distilled water. Any water high in minerals and nitrates will damage your plant long-term.

Nutrients & Soil

The Trumpet Pitcher plant receives all of its nutrients from the insects and prey it consumes. There is no need to fertilize your pitcher plant. Just ensure it has access to its primary food source: insects. If your pitcher plant is living inside, you may need to give it some time outside if there are not enough insects inside to sustain it. Your Trumpet Pitcher Plant should be grown in a well-draining, nutrient-lacking soil. Peat moss, perlite, and sand are a great combination to use!

Dormancy

Trumpet Pitcher Plants do go dormant during the winter months, so it is important to know how to care for them during this time. The dormancy period is vital for the plant to have a healthy life cycle. Here in Hawai’i, we might have to help trigger the dormancy period since we don’t lose a significant amount of daylight in the winter months. You can put your plant in a more sheltered place at this time, as they don’t need as much sunlight during the dormant months. Continue watering your plant during its dormancy but cut back on the amount. Your Trumpet Pitcher Plant should still be kept consistently damp but avoid standing water and excessive moisture. During this time, you’ll notice some growth dying off. Don’t panic, this is a good sign! Just cut back the dead growth throughout the winter months and monitor your plant. Once the spring months return, you can move your plant back into the sunlight and resume your regular watering. 


Venus Flytrap

One of the better-known carnivorous plants, the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is adored for its mouth-like leaves that catch and trap prey. Trigger hairs inside the mouth send electrical signals to the plant when prey is present. This trigger sends water from the outer cells of the leaf to the inner cells, forcing water pressure to the mouth to shut and trap the prey. Care for a Venus Flytrap is very different from care for other plants, so it’s important to know what they like before deciding to grow them yourself.

Sunlight & Water

The first thing to note is that Venus Flytraps require lots of sunlight and humidity. They need about 12 hours of sun a day, or at least 4-5 hours of direct sunlight if grown in the shade. The soil should be kept moist and not allowed to fully dry out. But what water you use is critical. Tap water contains too many salts and minerals, so your Venus Flytrap should only be fed distilled water or rainwater.

Nutrients & Soil

Venus Flytraps harvest all of their nutrients from the insects they prey upon. For this reason, their soil should lack any nutrients. The ideal soil for Venus Flytraps contains sphagnum moss, peat moss, perlite, and sand. Their soil should provide good drainage. Because these plants don’t get nutrients from their soil, it is vital that they are fed periodically to ensure they receive all of their proper nutrients. Although they can survive several months without consuming prey, they won’t grow and reproduce as effectively. Venus Flytraps consume a variety of insects, including crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, slugs, flies, and ants. If your plant is living outside, it can likely catch these snacks on its own. But if you are growing them indoors, it’s best to feed them yourself to ensure they are getting adequate nutrients. Venus Flytraps should only be fed bugs 1/3 the size of their trap. If the bug is too big, it won’t be able to digest it properly, and the trap will die. Your Venus Flytrap only needs to be fed once every two to four weeks. And by feeding one trap at a time, that’s enough nutrients to sustain the entire plant!

Dormancy

Venus Flytraps go through a period of dormancy in their native habitats. The plants should rest for about three months in order for them to reach their full lifespan. During dormancy, Venus Flytraps require a temperature between 32°F and 45°F. This would be very difficult to achieve in our mild winters here in Hawai’i, and some experts suggest even keeping your Venus Flytrap in the fridge during these months to achieve proper dormancy periods. You can skip the dormancy period if you’re unable to trigger dormancy in your plant, but it will significantly reduce your plant’s lifespan.


Tropical Pitcher Plant

Tropical Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes) are carnivorous plants that produce large pitchers that hang down from vines. These pitcher plants trap their prey by luring insects to their leaves with their nectar. Insects enter the pitcher looking for the nectar and then fall back into the trap when trying to escape. These pitfall traps contain digestive juices that break down the prey and absorb their nutrients.

Sunlight & Water

Tropical Pitcher Plants require part to full sun. This makes them great for outdoor or indoor growing! They require high humidity and lots of moisture. It is important to remove excess water from your pitcher plant and allow water to drip out of the pot after watering. Too much water in the container can cause root rot. Tropical Pitcher Plants should always be watered from overhead and the soil should be kept consistently moist. Rainwater or distilled water is best for Tropical Pitcher Plants, or water produced with a reverse-osmosis system. Plants should be watered quite often, even daily in the hot summer months and less so in the cooler months.

Nutrients & Soil

Tropical Pitcher Plants prefer a moist soil with good drainage. The soil should be acidic and airy, allowing proper ventilation. Tropical Pitcher Plant soil should be low in nutrients. The ideal soil contains 1 part orchid bark to 1 part perlite to 1 part sphagnum moss. Again, the Pitcher Plant receives its nutrients from the prey it catches, so you shouldn’t need to do much fertilizing. You can, however, feed the foliage with a diluted orchid fertilizer monthly. This will help keep the foliage happy and healthy. Tropical Pitcher Plants should be able to catch insects on their own, but if you are growing yours indoors or somewhere with little access to insects, you can manually feed them once every 10-14 days.

Dormancy

Unlike the other two carnivorous plants we highlighted, Tropical Pitcher Plants do not need a dormancy period. They should be kept in similar conditions year-round. As far as regular maintenance, you can remove brown or dead traps and old leaves as needed. Old, long stems can also be trimmed back regularly.


Carnivorous plants are nothing if not fascinating! Although their diet and function may be disturbing to some, those who find these plants alluring can find great joy in cultivating these unique species. Stop in to see our entire selection of carnivorous plants!

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