Learn All About Carnivorous Plants with our Guide
Carnivorous Plants have become popular as houseplants for their unusual look and ability to catch and digest insects in the home. They then use the nutrients from the insects to grow and develop. There are more than 750 different Carnivorous Plants ranging in mechanism for insect trapping, such as traps that are able to shut on the insects, sticky leaves, trumpet pitchers with digesting liquid. Most types of Carnivorous Plants come from boggy habitats so need wet or damp soil to survive. In their natural habitat they have been known to catch frogs, birds, rats and other small mammals.
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Light |
Carnivorous Plants will thrive being placed on a south facing window sill, as they require a lot of light. |
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Watering |
Keep your Carnivorous Plant sitting in a saucer of water to keep the soil moist at all times. Always use rainwater or boiled water which has been cooled as hard tap water is toxic to them. |
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Humidity |
Carnivorous Plants require high humidity, you can achieve this by placing them in a bathroom during the Spring and Summer months or misting them frequently. Alternatively Carnivorous Plants are great for Terrariums which helps them get the humidity they need. |
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Temperature |
A warm room is the best place for your Carnivorous Plant, at a temperature between 7-21c in the Spring and Summer months. In Winter it can be kept in a cooler area of the home. |
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Fertilizer |
Do not use fertilizer on your Carnivorous Plants as they get enough nutrients from the insects they catch. |
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Toxicity |
None of the commonly propagated Carnivorous Plants have been found to be toxic to humans or animals, however may cause slight stomach upset if ingested. |
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Additional Care Information |
If your Carnivorous Plant is not catching enough insects indoors, place it outside for a few days at a time in Summer. Ensure you are removing dead ‘leaves’ and if a flower appears also remove this, as it weakens the plant. This will give it more energy to put into new growth. With a Venus Fly Trap Carnivorous Plant, avoid placing your fingers in the traps as each trap opens and closes around five times in its lifecycle before it will die off. |
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Troubleshooting |
If your Carnivorous Plant is dying off or blackening in Autumn or Winter, this is perfectly normal as they go through a dormancy phase in these months. It will produce new growth when the growing season returns in the spring. |
The information above is written by Plantila and should be used as a guide only. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need any additional advice. If you have purchased a plant at Plantila that's not doing so well please send us a picture via WhatsApp to 028 42 798478 and we will try to help.