These growing guides are about carnivorous plants that are generally easy to grow and are available either by seed from the ICPS Seed Bank, from plants from the many reputable carnivorous plant nurseries, and by trading plants and seeds with your friends.

There are no common garden plants that are carnivorous. You are unlikely ever to find carnivorous plants by the six-pack in even the best nurseries. This is because most carnivorous plants in nature live in habitats very unlike your garden. Carnivorous plants evolved to live in habitats where other plants cannot live or at least do not do well. But with an understanding of the plants and a little special care many carnivorous plants can be easily grown and enjoyed in a garden setting, on your patio, or in your house.

Byblis (Australian rainbow plant)

Cephalotus follicularis (West Australian pitcher plant)

Darlingtonia californica (Cobra lily)

Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytrap)
      Check List for Growing Dionaea muscipula
      Grow Venus flytraps indoors (CPN PDF)

Drosera (Sundew)
      Topical Drosera
            Drosera adelae and sisters
            Drosera burmannii and D. sessilifolia
            Drosera indica complex
            Drosera petiolaris complex
      Subtropical Drosera
      Winter growing subtropical Drosera
            Drosera glanduligera
            Pygmy Drosera
            Tuberous Drosera
      Drosera regia
      Warm temperate Drosera
            Drosera binata
      Cold temperate Drosera
            Drosera filiformis, D. tracyi, and their hybrids
            Repot Cold Temperate Drosera in Spring

Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Portugese dewey pine)

Genlisea (Corkscrew plant)

Heliamphora (Venezuelan Sun-pitcher plant)

Nepenthes (Tropical pitcher plant)

Pinguicula (Butterwort)
      Mexican Pinguicula
      Warm temperate Pinguicula
      Cold temperate Pinguicula
      Alpine Pinguicula

Roridula

Sarracenia (North American pitcher plant)

Utricularia (Bladderwort)
      Epiphytic Utricularia
      Terrestrial Utricularia

For more information please see:

Burdic, Douglas M. (1988) Propagation and Culture of Western North American Carnivorous Plants. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 17(1):5-11 ( PDF )

A World Of Pinguicula (website not affiliated with the ICPS)

If you are interested in growing Pinguicula, this is THE web site to check out. In particular you want to see the "Virtual visits" (visit is French for tour) and "Articles on or around Pinguicula". The Mexican Pinguicula are among the easiest carnivorous plants to grow. If you can grow African violets you can grow Mexican pings. The tours show you how world famous Pinguicula growers do it and the postcards from Mexico show and tell about plants in the wild.