Carnivorous Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular carnivorous plants with care guides, trapping mechanisms, and cultivation tips.
Featured Carnivorous Plant
Showing 26 of 80 species(1–24)
Aldrovanda Vesiculosa
Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Called Waterwheel Plant, a floating aquatic carnivore trapping prey without roots while drifting.
© Denis Barthel / CC BY-SA 3.0Byblis Gigantea
Byblis gigantea
A large perennial Byblis from Western Australia with spectacular mucilage-covered long leaves.
© Holger Hennern / CC BY-SA 3.0Cephalotus Follicularis
Cephalotus follicularis
A unique one-species-genus from Australia with cute small urn-shaped pitchers, coveted by collectors.
© NoahElhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0Darlingtonia Californica
Darlingtonia californica
Called Cobra Lily, a North American carnivorous plant with cobra-head-like pitchers preferring cool conditions.
© User:JarrahTree / CC BY 2.5 auDrosera Glanduligera
Drosera glanduligera
An annual Australian sundew with both sticky tentacles and snap-tentacles that catapult prey in milliseconds.
© Paulo Gonella / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Magnifica
Drosera magnifica
Discovered in 2015, one of the world's largest sundews, endemic to one mountain in Brazil.
© Michal Rubeš / CC BY 3.0 czDrosera Paradoxa
Drosera paradoxa
A large tropical sundew with tall stems from northern Australia, wild and impressive.
© user:Denis Barthel / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Regia
Drosera regia
Called King Sundew, the largest sundew with leaves exceeding 60cm.
© Taken by Carsten Niehaus ( user:Lumbar ). / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosophyllum Lusitanicum
Drosophyllum lusitanicum
A rare carnivorous plant from dry areas, attracting insects with honey-like sweet scent. Dislikes transplanting.
© No machine-readable author provided. Denis Barthel assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0Genlisea Violacea
Genlisea violacea
A South American carnivorous plant with underground spiral Y-shaped traps that capture microorganisms and protozoa.
© Andreas Eils / CC BY-SA 3.0Heliamphora Chimantensis
Heliamphora chimantensis
A beautiful Heliamphora from Chimanta Tepui with stunningly red-colored tubes.
© Gérard Vigo / CC BY-SA 3.0Heliamphora Nutans
Heliamphora nutans
A sun pitcher from Guiana Highlands table mountains with beautifully simple tubular pitchers.
© Hans Breuer / CC BY 2.0Nepenthes Bicalcarata
Nepenthes bicalcarata
A Nepenthes with two fang-like projections at the pitcher mouth, famous for ant symbiosis.
© Attenboroughii at English Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0Nepenthes Edwardsiana
Nepenthes edwardsiana
A ultra-rare Kinabalu endemic with exquisitely toothed peristome of unmatched beauty.
© Urs Zimmermann, Switzerland ( www.nepenthes.ch ) / CC BY 3.0Nepenthes Hamata
Nepenthes hamata
A fearsome-looking Nepenthes with fang-like sharp projections inside pitchers, from Sulawesi highlands.
© JeremiahsCPs / CC BY-SA 3.0Nepenthes Lowii
Nepenthes lowii
A Nepenthes with toilet-shaped pitchers that collect tree shrew droppings as nutrition.
Nepenthes Rajah
Nepenthes rajah
The world's largest Nepenthes from Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, with pitchers exceeding 35cm. CITES protected.
© Alfindra Primaldhi / CC BY 2.0Nepenthes Singalana
Nepenthes singalana
A highland Nepenthes from Sumatra with rounded pitchers and beautiful red coloring.
© Shawn Mayes / CC BY-SA 3.0Nepenthes Spectabilis
Nepenthes spectabilis
A highland Nepenthes from Sumatra with strikingly beautiful striped peristome.
© Stewart McPherson / CC BY-SA 3.0Nepenthes Truncata
Nepenthes truncata
With flat-cut leaf tips and huge pitchers, said to catch rats. A giant species.
© kallerna / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes Villosa
Nepenthes villosa
A Mt. Kinabalu endemic Nepenthes with hairy pitchers and intricate peristome of stunning beauty.
© Noah Elhardt / CC BY-SA 2.5Pinguicula Gypsicola
Pinguicula gypsicola
A Mexican butterwort growing on gypsum rocks with delicate translucent leaves.
© Nick Helme / CC BY-SA 4.0Roridula Dentata
Roridula dentata
A semi-carnivorous plant from South Africa that traps insects with sticky glands but gains nutrients via symbiotic assassin bugs.
© Tony Rebelo / CC BY-SA 4.0Roridula Gorgonias
Roridula gorgonias
A South African proto-carnivore trapping insects with mucilage but relying on symbiotic bugs to digest.
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Carnivorous Plant FAQ
- How much do carnivorous plants cost?
- Venus Flytraps cost 500-2,000 yen, Nepenthes 1,000-10,000 yen, and rare highland Nepenthes can exceed tens of thousands of yen depending on species and size.
- Can beginners grow carnivorous plants?
- Venus Flytraps, Sundews, and Sarracenia are relatively easy and beginner-friendly. Keep them in a tray of water for humidity and place in a sunny spot.
- How long do carnivorous plants live?
- Venus Flytraps can live 10+ years with proper care, and Sarracenia are similarly long-lived. Nepenthes can grow for decades in the right conditions, getting progressively larger.
- What should I check when buying carnivorous plants?
- Check that leaves and traps are healthy with no root rot. For Nepenthes, choose specimens with pitchers. Avoid sudden environment changes after purchase and acclimate gradually.
- Do I need to feed insects to carnivorous plants?
- They grow fine through photosynthesis alone without feeding. Insects are supplemental nutrition and don't need to be force-fed. Outdoor plants catch bugs naturally, which is fun to observe.