Plant | Carnivorous

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:

: Do not use standard potting soil or fertilizer. They need a nutrient-poor mix, usually sphagnum peat moss and perlite .

: 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 carnivorous plant

: They are sun-lovers. A bright, south-facing windowsill or a dedicated grow light is essential.

There are over 600 species of carnivorous plants, but they generally fall into three main categories based on how they catch their prey: Thinking of keeping a carnivorous plant as a "pet"

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

: 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 They need a nutrient-poor mix, usually sphagnum peat

: 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.