Growing Tips For Carnivorous Plants

Growing Tips

We recommend that all carnivorous plants be grown with distilled, reverse osmosis, or rain water. Water from the water vending machine in front of your local grocery store is a convenient and cheap way to get reverse osmosis water for your plants. Britta and Pur water filters, however, do not remove dissolved salts.

The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Soil: Flytraps thrive in a mix of one part sand or perlite to one part peat.

Containers: Best in plastic pots or glazed ceramics. Four- to five-inch pots for single, mature plants. Several plants look nice in six- to eight-inch pots. They do well in deeper mini-bogs and bog gardens.

Watering: Use the tray method, keeping the soil damp to wet year round. Flytraps do not appreciate persistent waterlogged conditions, and do best with a lower water table.

Light: Full to part sun.

Climate: Warm-temperate plants, flytraps need warm summers and chilly winters. Tolerant of light frost and brief freezes.


Sundews (Drosera sp.)
Soil: Almost all species thrive in a mixture of roughly half peat and half sand. Some will require a sandier mix than others. A few do best in long fibered sphagnum moss.

Containers: Plastic containers with drainage holes are most suitable. Many species do well in undrained containers of plastic, glass, or glazed ceramic.

Watering:Most sundews thrive on the tray method, which keeps the soil permanently wet. A few prefer to be waterlogged. Winter growing species require periods of complete summer dormancy, at which time the soil has to be dried out.

Light:Full to part sun.

Climate:As sundews grow worldwide, they come from varied climates: cold-temperature, temperate, warm-temperate, sub-tropical, tropical and Mediterranean.


Butterworts (Pinguicula sp.)
Soil: Temperate species: Use a mix of two parts peat, one part sand, and one part perlite. Warm-temperate varieties do well in a soil of one part peat to one part sand. Mexican and tropical species enjoy a more open mix of equal parts sand, perlite, vermiculite, and peat. Some growers add dolomite or gypsum to this, although I have not found it necessary. But when it's handy, add an additional part of lava rock or pumice.

Containers: Plastic or glazed ceramics with drainage holes suit most varieties. Warm temperate species can also do well in un-drained containers, but you should let the water level fluctuate without drying out the soil. Mexican species do best in well-drained containers, but I have also grown them in shallow, un-drained ceramics with very careful watering. I also enjoy growing Mexican pings in abalone shells (they enjoy the calcium) and chunks of lava rock that have large nooks and crannies. I use the recommended soil for these, but I top-dress the medium with a few strands of long-fibered sphagnum to keep it intact. Larger-leafed varieties look best in wide shallow containers.

Watering: All temperate and warm-temperate species should be grown permanently wet on the tray system, with frequent overhead watering. Use chilly water for your temperate pings. The Mexican varieties can be kept on the tray system with overhead watering while they have carnivorous foliage in summer and autumn. When the rosettes change to their small succulents in winter, keep the soil on the dry side, dampening them only slightly and occasionally. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter smaller leafed rosettes such a P. gypsicola or the bulblike P. heterophylla and P. macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the P. moranensis varieties or P. agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp. Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying.

Light: Partly sunny growing conditions.

Climate: As butterworts grow worldwide, they come from varied climates: cold-temperature, temperate, warm-temperate, sub-tropical, tropical and Mediterranean.

American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia sp.)

Soil: Sarracenia thrive in a mix if one part part peat to one part perlite; or one part peat to one part sand; or two parts peat, one part perlite, and one part sand. Long fibered sphagnum moss is also excellent.

Containers: Best in plastic pots or glazed ceramics. They do well in deeper mini-bogs and bog gardens.

Watering: Use the tray method. Keep the soil damp to very wet!

Light: Full to mostly sunny is best.

Climate: Warm-temperate plants, Sarracenia need warm summers and chilly winters. Tolerant of light frost and brief freezes.


Tropical Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes sp.)
Soil: Nepenthes enjoy loose, open soil that remains wet to moist but allows drainage of excess water. They are tolerant of a wide variety of soil mixes. The best include a portion of ling-fibered sphagnum, the rest of the medium being a combination of course materials. Our deluxe recipe is one part each of the following: long-fibered sphagnum, peat moss, perlite, pumice, lava rock, vermiculite, fine orchid bark, and charcoal.

Containers: All containers must have drainage holes. Place a thin layer of sphagnum at the bottom of the pot to prevent the gradual loss of soil through the holes. This will also retain moisture. Plastic pots work well, as do terra-cotta or glazed ceramics. Wooden boxes or orchid baskets work wonderfully. 6 to 10 inch pots are recommended for mature plants.

Watering: In greenhouses avoid the tray method of watering entirely and place the containers on benches or hang them so water can freely drain away. Terrariums and on windowsills, place the pot in a shallow saucer and water overhead as soon as the water in saucer evaporates. Don't allow the pot to sit in deep water for extended times.

Light: Most Nepenthes enjoy very bright, diffused light or partly sunny conditions.

Fertilizing: Nepenthes enjoy foliar feeding. Use Epiphytes Delight or Orchid fertilizer (30-10-10) every other week during the growing season. Use a 50% solution and avoid using Miracid which can stunt many Nepenthes. Please review feeding instructions described in The Savage Garden.

Climate: All Nepenthes are tropical plants, roughly divided into lowlanders and highlanders. Lowlanders require temperatures in the 60's and 70's at night, 80's and 90's during the day. Lowlanders are not tolerant of low temperatures. Highlanders do best in the 50's and low 60's at night, 70's and low 80's during the day.

Cobra Plants (Darlingtonia californica)
Soil: Cobra plants thrive in a mix if one part long fiber sphagnum moss to one part perlite. Another good mix is two parts perlite, lava rock, and or pumice to one part peat. The mix should be airy - the rock ingredients will help cool the roots.

Containers: Best in light colored terra-cotta clay pots or glazed ceramics. Single plants grow well in six- to eight-inch pots. They do well in deeper mini-bogs and bog gardens.

Watering: Use the tray method, keeping the soil damp to wet year round. Keep the soil cool by watering with cold water, (refrigerated water is quite helpful on warm summer days).

Light: Partly sunny is best. Shade the pots if possible to keep the solar heat at a minimum.

Climate: Warm-temperate plants, Darlingtonia need warm-temperate summers and chilly winters. Enjoys cool evenings during the summer time. Tolerant of light frost and brief freezes.

Australian Pitcher Plants (Cephalotus follicularis)
Soil: Cephalotus thrive in a mix if two parts sand and / or perlite to one part peat.

Containers: Plastic containers are best, but they also do well in terra-cotta or glazed clay. Always use drained containers; shallow un-drained containers will rot their roots.

Watering: Use the tray method. Cephalotus dislikes ling periods of being waterlogged, so it is best to allow the water in the tray to evaporate before adding more.

Light: Full to part sun.

Climate: Cephalotus does best with moderately warm summers and cool to chilly winters. The plants may die in long periods of very hot weather, and they enjoy cool summer nights. They are tolerant of brief, light frost down to twenty-two degrees, but may be killed in lower temperatures.

Bladderworts (Utricularia sp.)
Soil: Aquatic varieties: One cup of peat well-mixed into each gallon of water. Tropical: A good mix is one part fine orchid bark, one part long - fibered sphagnum , one part peat and one part perllite.

Terrestrial: Use a mix of one part peat to one part sand.

Containers: Plastic containers with drainage holes work best for terrestrial and epiphytic species. Most terrestrials also do well in un-drained containers. If you wish to view the badders on terrestrials grow them in glass containers with removable black plastic sheeting of construction paper wrapped along the outside of the glass below the soil level.

Watering: Use the tray method for terrestrials and tropicals, keeping the soil wet.

Light: Full to part sun.

Climate: As Bladderworts grow worldwide, they come from varied climates: cold-temperature, temperate, warm-temperate, sub-tropical, tropical and Mediterranean.

Please consult (The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato) for specific species requirements.

Rainbow Plants (Byblis sp.)
Soil: Rainbow Plants thrive in a mix if two parts sand and one part peat. You can also add an additional part of perlite, lava rock, pumice.

Containers: Plastic containers are best, but they also do well in terra-cotta or glazed clay. Always use drained containers; shallow un-drained containers will rot their roots.

Watering: Use the tray method. Keep the soil damp but not permanently waterlogged.

Light: Full to part sun.

Climate: The rainbow plant does best best in tropical climates, but its annual nature allows you to grow it during any span of several months of warm weather. Dry summer dormancy is not necessary in cultivation.