If you’re growing cold hardy carnivorous plants, the USDA Hardiness Zone Chart is useful to determine the type of winter protection you will need to provide for your plants. Each zone is based on the average lowest recorded temperatures in a given region. The lower the number, the colder the winters.
Botanists currently recognize 18 groups of carnivorous plants that make up the 700+ species found throughout the world. Aldrovanda (Waterwheel) Brocchinia (Bromeliad) Byblis (Rainbow Plant) Catopsis (Bromeliad) Cephalotus (Australian Pitcher) Darlingtonia (Cobra Plant) Dionaea (Venus Flytrap) Drosera (Sundew) Drosophyllum (Dewy Pine) Genlisea (Corkscrew Plant) Heliamphora Nepenthes (Tropical Asian Pitcher) Philcoxia Pinguicula Roridula Sarracenia Triphyophyllum Utricularia The botanical names for these groups of plants are in italics. The common names are in parenthesis. Both names are used interchangeably among hobbyists, so it...
The one thing that positively helped us become successful growing carnivorous plants was understanding that carnivorous plants are plants. They are not animals. They are not pets. They are not lizards sticking out of the ground that will rid your home of pesky flies forever. Carnivorous plants are plants. Animals are different from plants in how they acquire energy. Animals obtain energy by eating food, such as meats and vegetables. These foods contain proteins and starches, which are then transformed into...
To most folks a freshwater bog or swamp seems to be very rich in nutrients, especially since mosses, ferns and orchids seem to thrive there. The rich black color of the soil suggests fertile conditions, but chemical analysis proves otherwise. The tea-colored waters are acidic and rich in tannic acid from abundant decomposing Sphagnum moss. This acidic condition, along with frequent water flow, quickly removes minerals from the soil. In warm weather, any remaining minerals are quickly consumed by bacterial decay....
