Thinking of keeping a carnivorous plant as a "pet"? They aren't like regular houseplants. According to experts at California Carnivores and Carnivorous Plant Nursery , here are the golden rules:
: Most need to sit in a tray of water constantly to mimic their native boggy homes.
There are over 600 species of carnivorous plants, but they generally fall into three main categories based on how they catch their prey: carnivorous plant
: Do not use standard potting soil or fertilizer. They need a nutrient-poor mix, usually sphagnum peat moss and perlite .
Most carnivorous plants live in bogs or wetlands where the soil is acidic and almost entirely lacks nitrogen and phosphorus. To compensate, they have adapted to "eat" bugs to get the nutrients they can't find in the ground ( Kew Gardens ). Meet the Predators Thinking of keeping a carnivorous plant as a "pet"
: The Venus Flytrap is the poster child for this group. It uses sensitive "trigger hairs" to detect movement. When an insect touches two hairs in quick succession, the leaf snaps shut in less than a second.
: Sundews ( Drosera ) are covered in tentacles tipped with "dew" droplets that are actually a super-strong glue. Once a bug is stuck, the leaves often curl around it to maximize digestion. How to Grow Your Own Savage Garden There are over 600 species of carnivorous plants,
: If kept indoors, you can occasionally feed them a live fly or cricket, but never feed them human meat like hamburger, as they cannot digest it. Conservation Warning