With their distinct shapes, bright colours and striking textures, carnivorous plants are not only attractive to insects. We at Floréac love them too. Carnivorous plants bring character and exclusivity. Wherever you plant them. This article introduces you to the most popular species and some growers of these special plants .
Decorate, seduce and digest
Attracting insects to be pollinated: it is a widely known process in the flower world. But catching and eating those insects afterwards? Only carnivores do that. Bright colours, an attractive scent, a specific leaf shape… Carnivorous plants pull out all the stops to trap their prey. Once in the desired spot, the deadly attack follows. From lightning fast traps and sticky sticks to hairy and steep labyrinths. The prey can no longer escape. A tasty morsel for the plant.
Most carnivores catch small insects. But there are also species that digest larger insects, frogs and even rat-sized mammals. Carnivorous plants can be found all over the world. From the icy landscapes of Canada, Russia and New Zealand to the warm tropical rainforests of Brazil and Indonesia.
And of course, they also thrive in our living rooms. With their high ornamental value, distinct shapes and colours, they are original and exclusive plants to have in your home. In addition, they are very suitable for compositions with pebbles and gravel, materials that refer to their natural habitat.
Popular varieties
Sarracenia: the cold-blooded pitcher plant
Sarracenia can be recognised by its tubular leaves with elegant cups that can grow up to a metre high. At the top of the cup, nectar is hidden as a lure for insects. Once seduced, it is impossible to escape. Due to the slippery top of the leaves, the prey slides right into the calyx, where it is slowly digested. The hairs on the Sarracenia’s leaves also keep the insects firmly in their grip.
Sarracenia is ideal for the garden, terrace or pond. It grows naturally in cold, damp landscapes in the eastern United States and Canada. Thanks to its robust character, it defies temperatures down to minus 15 degrees in our country too. So enjoy this pitcher plant all year round.
The Dionaea with its bright red fall
The Dionaea is best known by the name venus fly trap or venus fly catcher. And this is no coincidence. At the end of each leaf is a kind of clip with tactile hairs. The trap. When a fly, ant or spider passes the leaf, the trap snaps shut. The prey is trapped and the plant begins its digestion process. About ten days later, the trap folds open again and the Dionaea is ready for a new prey.
The venus flytrap originally grows on the swampy savannas in northern Carolin a in the United States. The plant thrives best in a spot in full sun. In generous sunlight, the insides of the clip-shaped leaves even turn bright red. A beautiful sight.
Drosera
Drosera or also called sundew gets its name from the Greek word drosos, meaning dew. A substance resembling harmless dew adheres to the hairs of its leaves. But in reality, these slimy droplets are the plant’s secret weapon. Mosquitoes, spiders and all kinds of insects stick to the leaf. When the prey has nowhere to go, the leaf envelops the entire prey. Captured.
Drosera appears in almost two hundred species, the smallest of which is less than a centimetre tall and the largest of which grow up to a metre tall. The carnivorous plant grows worldwide, including in the Netherlands and Belgium. During mild winters, the plant stays alive just fine.
Nepenthes: strong climber
Nepenthes, like Sarracenia, can be recognised by its beautifully shaped cups. These cups are covered with nectar glands and thus attract hungry insects. If the prey bends over the edge to reach the nectar, it irrevocably falls into the cup. Ready to be digested.
Depending on the species, this carnivore can grow up to two metres tall with cups 50 centimetres long. This species of Nepenthes even lures, catches and digests rats and mice without any problem. Nepenthes are often climbing plants and grow mainly in tropical regions. Although the pitcher plant has also been found at an altitude of about 3,000 metres. Strong plants, in other words.
More varieties
In addition to these four popular carnivorous plants, there are many other species. The Darlingtonia, for example. With its round shape and typical snake tongue at the bottom of the cup, this carnivore resembles an upright cobra. Hence its nickname: the cobra lily. The Pinguicula, in turn, can be recognised by its oily leaves with droplets of clear slime. In the sun, the leaves take on a shiny haze. This succulent species gets beautifully coloured flowers on long stems. And then there is the Utricularia. The most versatile plant among carnivores. Found all over the world, it grows in water, on land and on other plants. The brightly coloured flowers range from a few millimetres to several centimetres.
Grown with care
Carni Flora
Carni Flora has the widest range of carnivorous plants. They grow the plants with the utmost care in an 8000 m2 plant greenhouse in Aalsmeer. Carni Flora always strives for an optimal balance between colour, size, health and shelf life of the plant.
Laguna
This carnivorous grower has the four most popular species in its range: Sarracenica, Dionaea, Drosera and Nepenthes. These plants are available in different pot sizes: 5.5 cm, 8.5 cm and 12 cm. In addition, Laguna is best known for their eye for aesthetics. They present their plants in beautiful decorative bowls and in glass or terracotta.
Gartnerite Lammehave
This Danish grower supplies a wide range of carnivorous plants and is always expanding with new varieties. New to their range from 2025 is the Drosera filiformis , or thread sundew, and the Pinguicula guatemala, recognisable by its beautiful pink flowers. Gartneriet Lammehave‘s carnivores are available in various pot sizes, ranging from 6 cm to 17 cm.
The best care for your carnivore
A carnivorous plant in your home or garden? With these tips, they will last for years.
- Put the plant in the sunniest spot. In fact, as long as the plant has sufficient water, bright sun is more than welcome.
- Never let the potting soil dry out. Do not water on the plant, but in the bowl. Preferably use rainwater or soft tap water. Avoid lime. In winter, water the plants less, but keep the soil moderately moist.
- Place the plant in a wide dish with a layer of water. The larger the pot, container or dish, the less the plant will dry out.
- Never give plant food.
- Repot the plant every other year in coarse peat. The best time for this is spring.
- Remove dead brown leaves or calyxes to prevent fungal growth.