Carnivorous plants delight young and old. We have selected six carnivores for you that are ideal as house plants.
They are the villains in horror films and scary stories: carnivorous plants have always had a special fascination for people and have long been the template for many legends. Today, of course, we know that the unusual plants are by no means dangerous (except for flies). Instead, carnivorous plants make great roommates that not only look interesting, but are also great to watch. In addition, many carnivores are also extremely useful because they naturally fight annoying insects. We will tell you here which carnivorous plant species are suitable for the apartment and what you have to consider when caring for the extraordinary plants and whether you should feed them.
Have you also been gripped by curiosity and want to get an unusual houseplant? Here you will find our top six carnivorous plants that are also suitable for the home.
6. Pitcher PlantAre you a fan of unusual, hanging plants? Then the pitcher plant (Nepenthes) is ideal for you: True to its name, the interesting exotic species is characterized by hanging pitchers, which it uses as a tool for insect hunting. The plant secretes a nectar-like liquid on the cover leaves of its pitchers, which attracts unsuspecting insects. When they land, they slide off the smooth walls of the plant and fall into the digestive fluid - making it a perfect insect trap. As fascinating as the pitcher plant is, it is also very demanding when it comes to caring for it: it needs a large amount of light, without being exposed to direct sunlight, and a high humidity of at least 60%. Lovers therefore particularly like to keep the plants in terrariums in order to offer them the best possible location. With a little effort, however, the plants can also be cultivated without a terrarium - the pitcher plants then turn into real eye-catchers, especially in hanging baskets. One is also particularly important for the plantsregular watering. The root area should never become completely dry and there should always be one to two centimeters of water in the pitchers.
5. Swamp Pitcher
Isolated on the table mountains, the marsh pitcher (Heliamphora) remained undiscovered for a long time - researchers first described the plant genus about 200 years ago. Today, the swamp pitcher belongs to the premier class when it comes to keeping carnivorous plants, because it has very high requirements. In particular, the humidity of 70 to 80%, a temperature of 20 to 25 °C during the day and 10 to 15 °C at night should always be maintained so that the plant can thrive. In addition, the Sumpfkrug needs a lot of sunlight, so in winter, if in doubt, you should help with a special plant light. Regular watering is also part of caring for the carnivorous plant, the soil should be constantly moist and the plant's jugs should be filled - but no waterlogging should form. In return, you get what is probably one of the oldest carnivorous plants, which, in addition to its distinctive appearance, also scores with its great catching technique. Ants in particular, but also flying insects such as beetles or mosquitoes, are attracted to the color and nectar of the jugs and slide down their smooth edges inside, where they drown in the water. In fact, there are no digestive enzymes in the jugs like in other carnivorous plants - the animals are decomposed solely by the bacterial fauna resident in the liquid, which is why the plant is also considered to be precarnivorous.
Carnivorous plants do not always have to come from exotic regions - these unusual creatures can also be found in Germany. In fact, you can find three types of sundew (Drosera) here. However, they are all under nature protection, which is why you should not dig them up under any circumstances. Instead, you should buy the sundew in the nearest specialist shop to observe its fascinating catching mechanism: Movable tentacles stand tightly on the plant's leaves and release a sweet attractant. If insects land on these leaves, they stick to the secretion. Additionally, the remaining tentacles curl over the victim as the plant begins secreting digestive enzymes. Fruit flies are at the top of the sundew menu,making it perfect for natural pest control in the kitchen. The sundew is particularly ideal for beginners: in a warm, bright location and with regular watering, the plant thrives almost by itself. Only dry heating air should be avoided with the sundew.
3. Pitcher Plant
Like from another world - the pitcher plant (Sarracenia) is a real eye-catcher with its extravagant growth and unusual coloring. The plant's upright growing Fangkrüger are often green to red in color and finely veined, which is why they have an almost unreal and bizarre appearance. From April to June, the plant also develops pretty, red-green flowers that emphasize its extravagant appearance. But the pitcher plant is not only suitable as an eye-catcher: With its help, flies and other insects can be easily fought. These are attracted by the scent of nectar from the leaves, slide down the smooth gullet and eventually fall into the plant's digestive fluid. When it comes to care, the plant likes it moist and light - cold doesn't bother it much. In fact, the pitcher plant is hardy down to -20 °C and can also be cultivated outside in a bog bed without any problems.
The butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) looks completely innocent with its large violet flower and light green leaves. In fact, the plant can harm some flies - it is a sophisticated insect scavenger. Attracted by the plant's sweet scent, pesky insects like fungus gnats and fruit flies land on the plant's greasy, sticky leaves and are instantly trapped. There the small animals are then digested by the enzymes of the butterwort. Unlike most carnivorous plants, Butterwort doesn't like a lot of water and should instead be watered like a regular houseplant. Otherwise, the carnivore needs a place in the semi-shade without direct sunlight. This does not necessarily have to be in the house: the hardy carnivore also feels at home in a bog bed. If you want to cultivate butterwort as a houseplant, you should give it a short break in winter at a maximum of 10 °C.
1. Venus Flytrap
It is probably the best-known representative of the carnivorous plants - the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) has already been a model for some monsters. Their spectacular catching method fascinates young and old in particular: catching leaves with pointed bristles on the edges strike at lightning speed when an unsuspecting insect settles on them and hold the victim captive. The insects are attracted by the intensely red colored inside of the snap trap, which also produces sweet nectar. If they then touch the fine contact hairs, the trap snaps shut within a few milliseconds and digestion begins. This spectacle tempts many to help with their hands and irritate the plant with a wooden stick or tweezers. However, this fun should be enjoyed with caution: Usually, a trap can only snap shut six times before it dies. If you want to have something from your plant for a long time, you should therefore refrain from feeding too much by hand. Otherwise, the Venus flytrap is considered a relatively docile carnivorous plant - while sunlight and regular watering of the Venus flytrap are a must for its care, it otherwise makes no great demands on its owner. In summer, the plant can even move outside without any problems, but it should spend the winter in a cool, bright place.
Proper care of carnivorous houseplants
Carnivorous plants are incredibly fascinating and spread an exotic flair - unfortunately they are also a bit more complex to care for. In particular, the right basic requirements are decisive: dry heating air is dreadful for carnivores, a humidity of 40 to 50% is the absolute minimum, some species even need significantly higher values of up to 80 to 100%. Various measures can be taken to ensure that the air humidity meets the needs of the plant: a water bowl filled with expanded clay under the actual plant pot increases evaporation, and special foggers can also improve the air humidity. Lovers also like to keep their carnivorous exotics in terrariums, since the humidity can be precisely adjusted here.
But carnivores also differ from most other plants when it comes to nutrient requirements - because they usually come from very barren areas, this is almost negligible. Indeedyou have to make sure that the plants don't get too many nutrients. We recommend a special carnivore soil as a substrate for the carnivorous plants. This is specially tailored to the special needs of the plants. In addition, the irrigation water should be as low in lime as possible. You should completely avoid mineral fertilizers for carnivorous plants.
Feed carnivorous" plants?
A frequently asked question when keeping carnivorous plants is whether they also need to be fed regularly. The answer to this is a resounding no - as a rule, you can confidently do without actively feeding your houseplants. Normally enough suitable insects such as flies and mosquitoes live in the apartment and thus form a sufficient source of nutrients. If you still want to actively observe an insect catch, you can also use tweezers. However, one should not overdo it: Feeding animals that are too large or unnecessary irritation of the catching leaves can damage the plant in the long run. Not only carnivorous plants are suitable as a special eye-catcher in the apartment. Here you can find out which exotic houseplants still make a great impression.