Carnivorous Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular carnivorous plants with care guides, trapping mechanisms, and cultivation tips.
Featured Carnivorous Plant
Showing 13 of 140 species
© Keisotyo / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes × dyeriana
Nepenthes × dyeriana
A complex hybrid pitcher plant sold as N. × mixta (N. northiana × N. maxima) crossed with N. × dicksoniana (N. rafflesiana × N. veitchii). A hybrid of the same parentage was raised at Veitch's nursery in Britain in 1900.
© Mokkie / CC BY-SA 3.0Nepenthes × ventrata
Nepenthes × ventrata
The pitcher plant most often seen at garden centres and home stores: a cross between the Philippine species N. ventricosa and N. alata (in the broad sense), bearing green pitchers flushed with red. Easy indoors, it is often sold under the name N. alata.
© Olaf / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes Bloody Mary
Nepenthes 'Bloody Mary'
A hybrid of N. ventricosa and N. ampullaria with pitchers and leaves stained deep blood red. Tough and treated as a beginner's houseplant, it is often said to be the same clone as 'Lady Luck'.
© 数理考高分 / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes Gaya
Nepenthes 'Gaya'
A hybrid pitcher plant recorded as N. khasiana × (N. ventricosa × N. maxima); the same cross is sold abroad as 'St. Gaya'. It is sold everywhere from mass-market hanging baskets to aquarium plant stores.
Nepenthes Lady Luck
Nepenthes 'Lady Luck'
A pitcher plant selected from a cross of N. ampullaria and N. ventricosa, bearing pitchers coloured deep blood red all over. Short internodes and many basal shoots make a dense, bushy plant. It is often said to be the same clone as 'Bloody Mary'.
Nepenthes Linda
Nepenthes 'Linda'
A highland hybrid pitcher plant selected from 'Rebecca Soper' crossed with a red N. ventricosa. Deep burgundy pitchers pinch in at the middle beneath a glossy dark rim. It resembles its parent, so check the label.
© vijayakumarblathur / CC BY-SA 4.0Nepenthes Miranda
Nepenthes 'Miranda'
A hybrid pitcher plant with large pale-green pitchers speckled red-brown and a near-vertical mouth ringed by a dark red-brown peristome. Pitchers reach about 25-30 cm, and it is a staple at both mass-market and specialist sellers.
Nepenthes Rebecca Soper
Nepenthes 'Rebecca Soper'
A highland hybrid pitcher plant whose slender, waisted pitchers deepen from burgundy to nearly black outside, contrasting with the pale interior. Widely sold in hanging baskets; sources give its parentage as N. ventricosa crossed with N. ramispina or a related species.
© fischermans / CC BY-SA 3.0Pinguicula 'Aphrodite'
Pinguicula 'Aphrodite'
A Czech-raised butterwort from P. agnata × P. moctezumae. It has long, narrow, arching leaves and flowers up to 4 cm across that open dark violet and fade to pink as they age.
© User:Ch.Andrew / CC BY 3.0Pinguicula 'Sethos'
Pinguicula 'Sethos'
A classic hybrid of the Mexican butterworts P. moranensis and P. ehlersiae. It flowers freely, and its large orchid-purple flowers have a white, many-rayed star at the throat.
© Tangopaso / Public domainPinguicula 'Weser'
Pinguicula 'Weser'
A butterwort cultivar selected from the same P. moranensis × P. ehlersiae cross as 'Sethos'. The flowers resemble 'Sethos' but have a single white streak down the central lower lobe and dark veins.
© Aaron Carlson from Menomonie, WI, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0Sarracenia 'Judith Hindle'
Sarracenia 'Judith Hindle'
A three-species Sarracenia hybrid raised by Alan Hindle. Pitchers open green laced with yellow in spring and turn deep plum red by late summer, topped by a ruffled hood mottled white, yellow and green.
© Tippitiwichet / CC BY 2.0Sarracenia 'Scarlet Belle'
Sarracenia 'Scarlet Belle'
An American cultivar from S. leucophylla × S. psittacina. Numerous vivid scarlet pitchers up to 40 cm tall turn their mouths toward the centre of the plant, and its vigour and good colour even in part shade have made it widespread.
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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.