Your Opinion On Carnivorous plants

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

I have been thinking about getting a carnivorous plant but want to get some opinions on them first. So if each person that reads this can post their opinion it'd be super helpful! Thanx!

1. Do you like Carnivorous plants?

2. If you do, Which is your absolute favorite Carnivorous plants?

3. Do you think they are easy to take care of?

4. Do you find the sticky/sappy ones to be an annoyance?

5. What are some things you dislike about carnivorous plants?

[derkap10]

Hi BG,

1. Love the carnivores! 2. Really like the little Venus Flytraps. 3. The Flytraps are very easy to take care of. 4. Not really annoying as long as one is careful. 5. People always feel like they gotta poke at the Flytrap. Quit poking at it!

I had a Pitcher plant years ago but it was kinda problematic. Didn't do real well. Meant to get me a Flytrap or three this year but never ran across any. Fun thing about the Flytraps..... they seem like such weird and exotic plants that you would think they came from Africa or South America or somewhere like that. They come from.... South Carolina .
My opinion, very fun plants.

Allen

[Kisal]

1. I find them fascinating.

2. I like the pitcher plants best, I think. They're all quite beautiful. Over on the Oregon coast there is a little park called the [url=https://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_115.php?md=pic]Darlingtonia californica Botanical Wayside[/url]. It's a really neat place to visit. It has an extensive system of low bridges built throughout the bogs, so visitors can walk around and view the plants.

3. Many, many years ago, I bought a little Venus flytrap. Due to the weather in Oregon, I had to keep it indoors, and the plant died because I wasn't able to provide enough insects for it.

4. I'm not sure what you mean. None of them "annoy" me.

5. I dislike the fact that, although most of them are easy to cultivate, many are still collected from the wild simply to make quick money.

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

These responses are great so far! Thankyou Derkap and Kisal! I really love hearing how people are towards these plants. I have wondered though if they also catch butterflies I would hate for one to kill butterflies or ladybugs though I know this happens often in nature I'd rather not watch it happen. My original thought behind it was to reduce flies, gnats, and mosquito that hang out around here. I wonder if these plants can catch to many bugs and die from it. I too love the unique look of these plants. So far I think my favorite are Sundews.

Keep all the Opinions Coming

[applestar]

I'm a casual gardener at best, and so far I have not been very successful at keeping the carnivores alive. Only the pitchers that are native or are native to same climate conditions as my garden are doing well outside in the bog garden. I should be able to grow the native sundews but at least this year, with the drought and all, they didn't make it. May be they are not as robust as the pitchers.

Indoors, I suspect my biggest problem is that I don't always have rainwater or distilled water for them and have subbed filtered water as best alternate.

VFT's won't survive the winter indoors, and is tricky for me to keep dormant plants overwinter because my garage freezes and I don't have a basement or other suitable location.

Any tips?

P.s. I agree the sundews are fantastic for taking care of the fungus gnat problem around seedlings.

[I like plants]

At my job, we have a few carnivores plants. The small ones close to the cash registers seem to die fast. But, the ones in the greenhouse that are very big seem to be doing fine.

They do fascinate me a lot, but I know very little about them.

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

So I finally got my very first carnivorous plant. It was purchased labeled as the "octopus plant" lol I know it is a sundew specifically a Cape Sundew aka Drosera Capensis. Its quite the interesting little plant I haven't completely figured it out just yet. I have some distilled water that I have it sitting in. I've heard they love moist soil and are happy to sit in water as they do in their natural environment. It is on a window seal in my kitchen and gets a large amount of light daily. I've only had it for a couple days now so I'm hoping it will do ok Here is a pic!

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/P1010178.jpg[/img]

[Green Mantis]

Just wondered how the carnivorous plant you bought is doing? Unfortunately the ones I had, a pitcher plant and a venus fly trap all died on me. I don't think I have the right set-up here for them sadly. They are very pretty. Hope you are having good luck with your's?

[tedly]

I tried growing a venus flytrap a few years ago. It didn't last long. I always wanted to try again but never have.

[OROZCONLECHE]

This is kindo f late but, Were can I get one of those plants, my girlfriend has been wanting one, and ive been curious about them for quiet a while. do they grow of seeds?

[Jaydenz]

@ OROZ. Dad bought me a venus flytrap at Wal Mart 2 years ago and they maybe still sell them.

1. Do you like Carnivorous plants?
Yeah I still like them and I want to grow more.

2. If you do, Which is your absolute favorite Carnivorous plants?
Red Jewel pitcher plants, Sundew plants, and Venus flytraps!

3. Do you think they are easy to take care of?
No because we need more flies when its cold but I still want to find a way to grow them.

4. Do you find the sticky/sappy ones to be an annoyance?
No thats okay.

5. What are some things you dislike about carnivorous plants?
Nothing. They are really cool!

I had a Venus flytrap but I couldnt catch any flies for it and it died. Maybe I need to grow flies too. Is there anything else they can eat?

[Kisal]

I haven't tried them as food for carnivorous plants, but mealworms are easy to raise. I'd recommend the small species, not the big one. If the larvae don't work for the plants, you could let them mature into the adult beetles and see if the plants do well on those.

I was advised to feed my Venus flytrap tiny bits of hamburger, but it didn't work. My plant died. I can't cite any authority in support, but I have a suspicion that the plants need live food. JMO.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Well I tryed walmart I'm there a lot and coulnt find it, maybe its a seasonal item, I once went with my friend to the swapmeet and he bought one for 1 dollar!!! Well that was a while back before I was into plants and the plant died a week later cuz my friend ran out of flies.

[PunkRotten]

I used to have a Venus Flytrap both as a kid and a few years back. And they both died out pretty fast. I have been interested in giving them another shot. I have seen Flytraps and Pitcher plants at home depot. Plus I know a few websites that sell them.

While they do look trippy/interesting I am thinking about saving my money. There is even an aquatic plant called bladderwort and it eats small insects/organisms. But I want to avoid carnivorous plants because some of the insects in my pond and backyard are beneficial. I also don't have many flies or other bothersome insects.

[PunkRotten]

Well I tryed walmart I'm there a lot and coulnt find it, maybe its a seasonal item, I once went with my friend to the swapmeet and he bought one for 1 dollar!!! Well that was a while back before I was into plants and the plant died a week later cuz my friend ran out of flies.

Go to homedept and lowes and check the gardening section. They may not be where all the main gardening stuff is, they put them indoors with all the indoor plants and kind of put the display in a spot that is sometimes not visible. You have to really look for them.

[PunkRotten]

Well after what I said earlier I picked up a Flytrap tonight. Saw them in the plant section at the supermarket. The one I got is a baby though, it has one trap and like 2 baby traps growing in. I have no idea how to keep this plant happy long term. The only thing I know is to keep them moist, give them humidity. Not sure on the mount of light/sun they need. In the past I kept a Flytrap in a south window and it died out. But I could have been negligent too. I probably over watered and did not give it enough humidity.

Also is it necessary they catch an insect once in awhile? I hear that the trap dies once it catches and insect.