Carnivorous Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular carnivorous plants with care guides, trapping mechanisms, and cultivation tips.
Featured Carnivorous Plant
Showing 18 of 80 species
© Aaron May ( Sundewman at en.wikipedia ) / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Adelae
Drosera adelae
An Australian sundew preferring partial shade with long lance-shaped leaves.
© Polypompholyx at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Aliciae
Drosera aliciae
A South African rosette sundew with beautiful symmetrical form, a top beginner species.
© No machine-readable author provided. NoahElhardt assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5Drosera Binata
Drosera binata
A sundew with uniquely forked leaves, large and impressive, very hardy.
© Vinayaraj / CC BY-SA 4.0Drosera Burmannii
Drosera burmannii
A sundew that captures insects very quickly, curling leaves in seconds. Sometimes annual.
© NoahElhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Capensis
Drosera capensis
A hardy sundew from South Africa with beautiful glistening sticky leaves, perfect for beginners.
© Mgiganteus / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Spatulata
Drosera spatulata
A spatula-leaved sundew native to Japan, forming cute rosettes.
© Attenboroughii at English Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0Nepenthes Alata
Nepenthes alata
One of the easiest Nepenthes, growable indoors by beginners, producing many green pitchers.
© Mickaël Schauli / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes Gracilis
Nepenthes gracilis
A slender Nepenthes with a unique lid mechanism that flicks insects in with raindrop impact.
© apes_abroad / CC BY-SA 2.0Nepenthes Mirabilis
Nepenthes mirabilis
The most widespread Nepenthes, from SE Asia to Australia, hardy and great for beginners.
© David Tan / CC BY-SA 3.0Nepenthes Sanguinea
Nepenthes sanguinea
A hardy Nepenthes from Malay Peninsula with many red-green color forms, easy for beginners.
© Kurt Stüber [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Agnata
Pinguicula agnata
A hardy Mexican butterwort with blue-purple flowers and thick leaves, recommended for beginners.
© H. Zell / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Esseriana
Pinguicula esseriana
A small Mexican butterwort forming succulent rosettes in winter, beautiful year-round.
© Ghislain118 (AD) http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Grandiflora
Pinguicula grandiflora
A European butterwort with large purple flowers, very cold hardy and growable outdoors.
© Noah Elhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Moranensis
Pinguicula moranensis
A hardy Mexican butterwort with beautiful pink flowers and succulent-like leaves.
© NoahElhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0Sarracenia
Sarracenia spp.
North American tube-shaped pitcher plant with beautifully patterned and colored upright traps. Cold-hardy enough for outdoor cultivation in Japan. Many hybrids exist for collectors.
© Shipguy / Public domainSarracenia Purpurea
Sarracenia purpurea
The most widespread North American Sarracenia with short tubular red-purple pitchers, very cold hardy.
© Petr Dlouhý / CC BY-SA 3.0Utricularia Livida
Utricularia livida
A terrestrial bladderwort with many pale purple flowers, hardy and spreading like ground cover.
© Petr Dlouhý / CC BY-SA 3.0Utricularia Sandersonii
Utricularia sandersonii
A terrestrial bladderwort with rabbit-face-like flowers, vigorous and easy to grow.
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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.