As a coping mechanism, these plants evolved strategies to add meat to their diets rather than the normal method of obtaining energy—drawing nutrients from the soil. The result of these adaptations can be a plant that is, by conventional standards, rather weird-looking. Here are 10 strange and interesting carnivorous plants. The mechanism by which pitcher plants kill insects is to hold water in a specialized leaf structure shaped like a pitcher. Small downward pointing hairs prevent the insect from escaping. Native to southern Oregon and Northern California, the cobra lily can grow to as much as 39 inches tall. This is quite a difficult plant to grow in cultivation; it’s best to simply appreciate it when you spot the plant while hiking in a native area along bogs and stream banks.
USDA Growing Zones: 6–9Color Varieties: Flowers are yellow to purplish greenSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Gravelly, boggy soil saturated with cold water
This is another plant that is very tricky to grow, requiring just-right soil conditions. It is most often grown in specialized bog gardens.
USDA Growing Zones: 3–6 (depending on subspecies)Color Varieties: Flowers are red; pitchers are greenishSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Boggy, acidic
USDA Growing Zones: 6–8Color Varieties: Flowers are yellow; pitchers are medium greenSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Boggy, humusy, acidic
USDA Growing Zones: 7–9Color Varieties: Pitchers are white with dark veins; flowers are redSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Boggy, humusy, acidic
The Nepenthes genus contains more than 150 species, some so large (N. rajah and N. rafflesiana) that small mammals, lizards, and birds have been trapped in them. Some common selections for indoor cultivation include Nepenthes x alata, N. x copelandii, N. fusca, and N. sanguinea. But like most carnivorous plants, these species are difficult to nurture and are usually grown by enthusiasts, not casual gardeners.
USDA Growing Zones: 10–11; usually grown in greenhousesColor Varieties: Depends on speciesSun Exposure: Full sun to full shade (depends on species)Soil Needs: Sphagnum moss in pots is the usual growing medium
These are among the most difficult of all the pitcher plants to grow in cultivation. Precise temperatures and very high humidity levels must be maintained in order for them to survive.
USDA Growing Zones: Varies by species; most are tropicals (zones10–11)Color Varieties: Depends on speciesSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade (depends by species)Soil Needs: Usually grown in sphagnum moss as potted plants
USDA Growing Zones: 8–11Color Varieties: Green to dark purple pitchers; indistinct flowers are whitishSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Usually grown is sphagnum moss as a potted plant
Sundews of various types are native to every continent except Antarctica. They range from extremely tiny plants no larger than a penny to species the size of small bushes. The species most commonly sold in nurseries include D. capensis, (Cape sundew, zones 9-11), D. aliciae (Alice sundew, zones 6-8) and D. spatulata (spoon-leaved sundew, zones 8-10).
USDA Growing Zones: 6–11 (depends on species)Color Varieties: Flower color varies by species; leaf rosettes are generally reddishSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade (depends on species)Soil Needs: Usually grown in a mixture of peat, sand, and perlite (carnivorous plant soil mix)
While many carnivorous plants trap insects passively—just lying in wait for them— Venus flytraps are different. The trapping mechanism actively moves. An insect is lured in by nectar, then once it is inside the modified leaf structure and touches trigger hairs, the trap is sprung—the “jaws” close down and the insect can’t get out. The mechanism is quite complex, since the hairs need to be touched twice in close succession for the plant to assure itself that the prey is real. In a flash, the jaws snap shut around the insect and digestion begins. Native to just one small area in the Carolinas, the typical Venus flytrap measures about 6 inches high and wide, with a trap about 1 inch long, though larger cultivars have been developed for commercial sale.
USDA Growing Zones: 5–8 (requires winter protection in zone 5-6)Color Varieties: Indistinct flowers are whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Boggy, humusy, acidic
There are both terrestrial and aquatic forms of Utricularia, with species found on every continent except Antarctica. Terrestrial species tend to be smaller and to eat tinier prey, such as protozoa. The aquatic types perform the service of eating mosquito larvae, among other prey.
USDA Growing Zones: 4–11 (depends on species)Color Varieties: Yellow, blue, purple (depends on species)Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade (depends on species)Soil Needs: Boggy or aquatic conditions
