Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) and arctic bluet (Coenagrion johanssoni) as its prey. Photo by Henri Koskinen/Pexels
By Jessica Timm
TNCPNEWS “Feed me, Seymour!” Those of us of a certain age may see a venus fly trap plant (VFT) and our brains instantly go to the movie cult classic Little Shop of Horrors. While the Audrey II, VFT in the movie grew into a massive man-eating size plant, you will find your very own VFT and its other carnivorous brethren are far less demanding in size and diet.
To be considered a carnivorous plant, the plant will gather most of its nutrients by trapping its prey, then using enzymes or bacteria to consume the prey. A few methods used in trapping are a snap trap such as a VFT employs, which uses the rapid moments of prey to alert and snap closed. A pitfall trap used by a pitcher plant like a Nepenthes, has hollow leaves that are fluid-filled and attract then passively capture and digest their prey. Another type you may have seen are fly paper trap such as a Sundew which works pretty much as you’d expect with prey landing on sticky leaves and being trapped for the plant’s passive eating style.
Venus Flytrap (VFT)
The Venus Flytrap is the most common and readily available of carnivorous plants. It is a native plant found in the subtropical wetlands of the Carolinas here in the United States. This plant is actually on the endangered list in the wild as it continues to lose habitat, poaching and wildfires. This plant also requires specific conditions for successful cultivation such as bright light, pure water, high humidity and they prefer a more acidic soil.
Pitcher Plant
As mentioned above, pitcher plants are a group of pitfall-type carnivorous plants that have a pitcher or urn shape to them. These plants have the same requirements as the VFT, though the pitcher plants seem to grow well in cultivation. There are four main pitcher plants, all from different areas but the Sarracenia is from here in North America. They grow in bogs and wetlands specifically in Eastern North America.
Sundew
Sundews are a large genus with over 190 species worldwide. As mentioned, they use the flytrap approach in their hunting. Some species are more passive, while others have more active traps that curl around their prey. They also have a larger array of habitats such as bogs, savannas, marshes rock outcrops and alpine meadows! They do fairly well in captivity as long as they are provided with enough moisture, light and nutrients.
Creating a Summer Bog in your Zone 5B Yard
Only some of the carnivorous plants will survive outdoors in the summer months here in the Lansing area. And they must always be protected from frost. Some of these hardier species will thrive in your summer bog such as Sarracenia pitcher plants, VFTs and sundews. One way to create a container bog is to gather a large enough container with good drainage and fill it with a mix of peat moss, sand, and perlite (2:1:1 ratio).
Next, you will want to fully wet the mixture but you don’t want it soggy. Plant your carnivorous plants, being sure to give them space for growth and circulation of air. Your bog should sit where it can get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
Always water it regularly, using rainwater or distilled for the best results and keep the soil mix moist but not flooded. If you help to remove any dead foliage, you will also be helping to prevent rot and mold from damaging your healthy plants. Next time, don’t pass up that carnivorous plant and see if a bog is just the thing your yard needs!
Jessica Timm is an avid indoor/outdoor gardener and knows plenty about Michigan plants and Hardiness Zone 5. She is also the administrator of a private Lansing Plant group on Facebook which has over 1k local members. To contact her about this article or ask a question, email info@tncpnews.com.
