Carnivorous Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular carnivorous plants with care guides, trapping mechanisms, and cultivation tips.
Featured Carnivorous Plant
Showing 36 of 80 species(1–24)
© No machine-readable author provided. Denis Barthel assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0Byblis Liniflora
Byblis liniflora
An Australian carnivorous plant with rainbow-glistening mucilage, called Rainbow Plant.
© BotBln / CC BY-SA 3.0Catopsis Berteroniana
Catopsis berteroniana
A bromeliad carnivorous plant that traps insects with waxy leaf surfaces, drowning them in leaf-cup water for nutrients.
© NoahElhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Filiformis
Drosera filiformis
A North American sundew with thread-like long leaves, stunningly beautiful when glistening with dew.
© J.M.Garg / CC BY-SA 4.0Drosera Indica
Drosera indica
A tall sundew native to Japan as well, but wild populations have drastically declined.
© Michal Rubeš / CC BY 3.0 czDrosera Petiolaris
Drosera petiolaris
A tropical sundew from northern Australia with rosette trap leaves on long petioles.
© Petr Dlouhý / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Prolifera
Drosera prolifera
A unique sundew producing plantlets on flower stalks, spreading in an interesting creeping manner.
© association AMV / CC BY-SA 4.0Drosera Rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia
A round-leaved sundew native to Japan, growing in wetlands. Goes dormant in winter.
© Matthias Jauernig / CC BY-SA 3.0Drosera Scorpioides
Drosera scorpioides
An Australian sundew propagating by gemmae with scorpion-tail-like flower stalks.
© Alpsdake / CC BY-SA 4.0Drosera Tokaiensis
Drosera tokaiensis
A Japanese endemic sundew discovered in the Tokai region with intermediate leaf shape.
© No machine-readable author provided. NoahElhardt assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0Genlisea
A carnivorous plant with underground Y-shaped traps, cute flowers above but trapping below.
© Christoph Kühnhanss, Karin Greischberger, CH-3011 BERN / Public domainHeliamphora Minor
Heliamphora minor
The smallest Heliamphora, compact and cute, ideal for starting with the genus.

Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plant)
Nepenthes spp.
About 170 species of pitcher plants centered in Southeast Asia. Captures insects in lidded pitchers. Highland and lowland species require different growing conditions.
© No machine-readable author provided. NepGrower~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5Nepenthes Ampullaria
Nepenthes ampullaria
A unique Nepenthes clustering pitchers on the ground, decomposing fallen leaves for nutrition.
© Alfindra Primaldhi / CC BY 2.0Nepenthes Maxima
Nepenthes maxima
A beautiful Nepenthes from Sulawesi with large pitchers and diverse color forms, relatively hardy.
© en:User:Rbrtjong / Public domainNepenthes Rafflesiana
Nepenthes rafflesiana
A large Nepenthes widely distributed in SE Asia with huge pitchers and varied coloring.
© Original uploader was Attenboroughii at en.wikipedia / CC BY 3.0Nepenthes Ventricosa
Nepenthes ventricosa
A Nepenthes with cute rounded pitchers, highland but relatively easy to grow.
© No machine-readable author provided. NoahElhardt assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Gigantea
Pinguicula gigantea
The world's largest butterwort with rosettes over 30cm, catching large amounts of insects.
© Michal Klajban / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula Laueana
Pinguicula laueana
A Mexican butterwort with vivid red flowers, considered the most beautiful flowering species.

Pinguicula Vulgaris
Pinguicula vulgaris
A widely distributed butterwort of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Japan with purple flowers.
© No machine-readable author provided. NoahElhardt assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5Sarracenia Alata
Sarracenia alata
A Sarracenia with winged tubes, delicate yellow-green form and sweet-scented lid.
© Mx. Granger / CC0Sarracenia Flava
Sarracenia flava
A Sarracenia with tall yellow-green tubes, one of the largest species, exceeding 1m.
© Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0Sarracenia Leucophylla
Sarracenia leucophylla
The most beautiful Sarracenia with white lids and red vein patterns, especially stunning in autumn.
© Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0Sarracenia Minor
Sarracenia minor
A Sarracenia with window-like transparent patches on the lid, trapping insects confused by light.
© Kurt Stüber [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Sarracenia Psittacina
Sarracenia psittacina
A Sarracenia with unique parrot-beak-like pitchers spreading along the ground.
Related Content
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.